Review
Intro
Penasquitos Canyon is a popular place to climb on short boulders with good mountain biking and hiking trails winding in between. There is a short hike to the crag, so be aware that if you don't have much time laid out, you may want to choose another location.
What Makes It Great
That being said, if you've got a few hours to spare, this is a great place to stop by and get in a workout on short overhanging routes and easy slabs and faces. There are rarely climbers here, which is nice if it's solitude that you seek; but keep in mind that the occasional mountain biker is known to whiz by. Penasquitos has solid granite routes near the waterfall along the river that runs through the canyon. Here are some of the specific routes:
1) Where Eagles Dare V0 (Where Eagles Run Dare)2) Still Waters Run Deep (Still Water Run Deep)3) Desigual V2 (Mr. Longhorn)4) Hangnail Left V2 (Thumb Boulder)5) Superbowl V3 (Super Bowl)6) Hangnail Right V4 (Thumb Boulder)7) Mr. Longarm V4 (Mr. Longarm)8) Preservation V4-5 (Preservation)
Who is Going to Love It
The bouldering here is a lot of fun, but a bit on the tougher side. There's still routes to be discovered here, so aspiring first ascenders will have plenty of terrain to test their creative abilities.
Directions, Parking, & Regulations
If you're looking for the quickest way to the boulders, park at the end of Park Village Road (32.938898, -117.168862) There, there is a gate at the beginning of the trail. Head past the gate and follow the telephone poles into the canyon. Then, stray right from the telephone poles, and head west, following the signs for the waterfall. Overall the hike is 1.2 miles long. The following maps show the route from the parking to the boulders.
