Volcan Mountain watches over the small mountain retreat town of Julian, California. Early Spanish/Mexican travelers felt the mountain looked like a volcano, hence the name. Volcan Mountain covers more than 25,000 acres and has an elevation of 5,353 feet. The 15 mile ridge stretches from Lake Henshaw to the Anza-Borrego Desert in California.
  The diversity of vegetation and wildlife makes it a unique treasure and it remains virtually undisturbed. Ancient forests of big cone Douglas fir, incense cedar, and Engleman oak look down on rolling meadows ablaze with wildflowers in spring. It is home to mule deer, raccoon, mountain lion, coyote, golden eagle and spotted owl.
  Their is a 3 mile roundtrip trail that begins at the gateway, made famous by it’s designer, artist James Hubbell. On a clear day you can see to Point Loma and San Clemente Island. There is also the hike to the summit, a 5 mile roundtrip that is only open on docent-led hikes. These hikes are conducted once a month free of charge.
  The hike is fairly steep and one should come prepared with water, sturdy shoes and with protective clothing as the weather is prone to sudden changes. No dogs, horses or mountain bikes are allowed. There are no bathrooms and visitors are asked to please observe the no smoking rules and to respect the private property fencing. Please pack out all your trash to ensure that our wilderness remains undisturbed.
  To get to the Volcan Mountain Preserve from Julian, take Farmer Road 2.2 miles, turn right on Wynola Road for 100 yards, then turn left, back onto the continuation of Farmer Road. Proceed a short distance and park on the should of the paved road by the Preserve’s sign on the right side of the road.
  The Volcan Mountain Preserve Foundation is an organization formed to protect the Volcan Mountain range. Since their inception in 1987, more than 14,000 acres have been purchased by various public agencies as a result of the support, education efforts and advocacy of the Volcan Mountain Preserve Foundation. You make contact them at 760-765-2300 or P.O. Box 1625, Julian, CA 92036 Visit their site at www.volcanmt.org