Aug 19 2008
Piedras Pintadas Interpretative Trail
Lake Hodges from Piedras Pintadas
Distance: 3.8 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain/Loss: 426 feet if you’ll take the trail that goes towards the higher elevation (picture above), 318 feet if you take the trail with lower elevation.
Lake Hodges from Piedras Pintadas Trail
Best Times: All year (make it early morning or late afternoon in the summer), but then, again, spring is best for wildflowers,
Spring Goldfields
and after a wet season, the small waterfall by the trail splashes happily.
Parking and Trailhead: in the Rancho Bernardo Community Park (closest is by the tennis courts ), West Bernardo Drive, San Diego, CA 92127
Direction: From Interstate 15, exit West Bernardo Drive, go west then south on West Bernardo drive (towards Lake Hodges). In less than a mile, you will see the Rancho Bernardo Community Park on the right side, make a right on the driveway and you can park anywhere in the parking spaces. Parking is free.
Difficulty: Easy
Piedras Pintadas trail is South of Lake Hodges, and like Lake Hodges, was also heavily devastated by the Witch Creek Fire last October 2007. The trail has just been opened recently, in fact, some sections of the trail are still closed due to heavy fire damage and to allow rehabilitation of plants. Also, the soil are still susceptible to erosion.
Life Returns, Green leaves and new branches start to grow from a Burned Scrub
Last spring, the hills in this area were very colorful, but now in the summer, it is mostly brown. Only when you really look closer that you will notice the blackened rocks and charcoaled branches from the last wildfire. What amazed me was the fact that the Oak tree by the lake still remain standing! But I am glad it was spared from being scorched by the wildfire, to provide some shade in the middle of the day.
Almost Fall (taken yesterday), Leaves from an Unburned Oak near the Lake
Piedras Pintadas is the Spanish for Painted Rock and is set aside from other archaeological sites by its remarkable rock art, called pictographs. Numerous rock art panel are found in the area, painted in the faces of freestanding granitic boulders. The rock art at Piedras Pintadas is Kumeyaay in origin and is thought to be 500 years old. The meaning of the art is undoubtedly tied to ritual and ceremonial activities of the Kumeyaay people.
Not Rock-Art 
, this is example of Weathering from one of the Bouders
(Rock-art site is off-limits to visitation )
Although the Kumeyaay actual rock-art site is officially off limits, the interpretative trail makes the walk equivalent of a small book of historical, cultural, ecological and botanical information from the many plaques spaced around the trail. The trail is very well maintained, making the hike a very easy one. A local outdoor gym for the Rancho Bernardo Community residents.
Egret (taken rom the trail)
are you a mountaineer, betchai? your shots are interesting. in this series, i like the pic of the egret best and the pic with the changing colors from green to brown.
Hi Bing, thanks for the compliments. I am not really a mountaineer
if you notice most of the trails I post here I describe as easy 
The pictures are just from the rolling hills and dales that you can find here in San Diego. But yeah, I love hiking in the mountains too.
I love the pictures you put up on your blog. I do not get to get by here daily but when I do I am always amazed at the beautiful photos you have. Thank you for making the web a great looking place.
Some of the shots are really great… I love the shot of the egret over the water…
Jeff
I also love the pictures here and try to stop by as often as I can to see if there are new ones. My ‘ooos and awwws’ might start to sound a little trite after awhile, but they’re really meant every time. If I can’t visit all of these wonderful places, at least I have your pictures to see them.
Thanks, Robin, Jeff and Kalilea. Your comments and support are what inspires me to keep on posting.
I can’t wait to try this one, as it is only a few blocks from my work and where we lived for 10 years before the Witch Fire burned down the house we were renting.
I actually think we may have hiked it once many years ago, because I vaguely remember a little waterfall.
Thanks for reminding me of the beauty that is right here!
The egret shot is perfect! You should have made sure it can’t be copied. Why not try sending it to National Geographic? You never know…
Thanks, Vixen and Soy.
Vixen, I am so sorry to hear about what happened to your house. We too had to evacuate, but thankfully, our neighborhood was spared. When you said “hello neighbor”, I never thought that could we really be living that close to each other since San Diego is kind of a big city in terms of area. I think if you hiked in the Rancho Bernardo area with a little waterfall, then it pretty could be Piedras Pintadas.
Soy, thanks for your confidence, hmmmm,
Hi Ms. Beth, such a nice new blog. thanks for leaving a comment in mine. anyway, keep posting photos. they are really inspiring. It’s good that you always take time to enjoy the great outdoors. Take care!