Plant Guide to N. Los Santos Trail / N. Hidden Valley Road Loop, Santa Rosa Plateau

Mile	s	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
0.00				Begin guide just before gate at Hidden Valley Trailhead, heading south on Hidden Valley Road; elevation ~1875 feet (570 m)
0.00	b	1		*short-fruited filaree	Erodium brachycarpum	99 / 9	15
0.00	b	2		*foxtail barley	Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum	30 / 4	14
0.00	b	3		*smooth cat's ear	Hypochaeris glabra	99 / 9	35
0.00	b	4		*shortpod mustard	Hirschfeldia incana	99 / 9	51
0.00	l	5		purple needlegrass	Nassella pulchra	99 / 9	20
0.00	b	6		*narrowleaf filago	Filago gallica	99 / 9	45
0.00	b	7		*soft chess	Bromus hordeaceus	99 / 9	40
0.00	l	8		Spanish clover	Lotus purshianus var. purshianus	99 / 9	31
0.00	b	9		*red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	50 / 9	53
0.00	b	10		*redstem filaree	Erodium cicutarium	99 / 9	55
0.00	b	11		*California burclover	Medicago polymorpha	99 / 9	40
0.00	l	12		horseweed	Conyza canadensis	50 / 9	36
0.00	b	13		*Italian rye-grass	Lolium multiflorum	99 / 9	18
0.00	b	14		*nit grass	Gastridium ventricosum	99 / 9	25
0.00				Go through entrance on left of gate across road
0.00	l	15		graceful tarplant	Holocarpha virgata ssp. elongata	99 / 9	14
0.00	l	16		*slender wild oats	Avena barbata	99 / 9	40
0.00	b	17		*sand spurrey	Spergularia bocconei	20 / 4	14
0.00	l			Sign: "No mountain bikes; no horseback riding".
0.00	l	18		*jointed goatgrass	Aegilops cylindrica	99 / 9	4
0.00	r	19		dove weed	Eremocarpus setigerus	99 / 9	24
0.00	b	20		*wild oats	Avena fatua	99 / 9	26
0.00	r	21		checkerbloom	Sidalcea malviflora ssp. sparsifolia	99 / 9	25
0.00	r	22		dwarf lupine	Lupinus bicolor	99 / 9	29
0.00	r	23	sp	popcorn flower	Plagiobothrys sp.	/
0.00	l			Sign: "Coyote Trail (left), 0.5 mi to Trans Preserve Trail; Hidden Valley Road (straight) to Los Santos Trail; ["0.6 mi" crossed-out]
0.00	l			Sign: "Mountain Lion ..."
0.00	r	24		*hairy rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros var. hirsuta	99 / 9	19
0.01	r	25		*sow thistle	Sonchus oleraceus	40 / 9	42
0.02	r	26		*spring vetch	Vicia sativa ssp. sativa	99 / 9	6
0.02	r	27		purple clarkia	Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera	99 / 9	26
0.02	r	28		vinegar weed	Trichostema lanceolatum	50 / 9	14
0.02	r	29		*windmill pink	Silene gallica	20 / 2	33
0.02	r	30		*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus	20 / 2	52
0.02	r	31		johnny jump-up	Viola pedunculata	50 / 9	16
0.05	r	32		southern California morning-glory	Calystegia macrostegia ssp. arida+	30 / 9	7
0.06	r	33		Indian milkweed	Asclepias eriocarpa	50 / 9	18
0.09	r	34	sp	like bishop's lotus	Lotus sp.	/
0.10	r	35		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia	15 / 5	51
0.11	r	36		Palmer's goldenbush	Ericameria palmeri var. pachylepis	20 / 3	10
0.12	r			(prickly lettuce, Lactuca serriola)
0.12	r	37		sharp-toothed sanicle	Sanicula arguta	3 / 3	16
0.13	l	38		*scarlet pimpernel	Anagallis arvensis	50 / 9	33
0.14	l	39		*prickly sow thistle	Sonchus asper ssp. asper	3 / 2	30
0.15	r	40		California poppy	Eschscholzia californica	1 / 1	29
0.16				Local high point on road; elevation ~1925 feet (587 m); good view of San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, Santa Rosa, Palomar and Cuyamaca Mountains
0.16	l			(Engelmann oak, Quercus engelmannii)
0.18	c	41		*knotweed	Polygonum arenastrum	10 / 5	19
0.19	l	42		*Bermuda grass	Cynodon dactylon	30 / 9	31
0.19	r			(wrinkled rush, Juncus rugulosus)
0.19	r	43		*curly dock	Rumex crispus	10 / 9	23
0.20	l	44		shooting star	Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. clevelandii	30 / 3	11
0.20	r			Jct. Los Santos Trail; go right on it; Sign: "Los Santos Trail (ahead), to Vernal Pool 2.3 mi; to Hidden Valley Trailhead (right)"
0.22				Local high point on trail
0.22	r	45		elk thistle	Cirsium scariosum	50 / 9	11
0.24	r			(coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia)
0.26				Cross line of old fenceposts
0.30	r	46		toad rush	Juncus bufonius var. bufonius	/	14
0.30				Local low point on trail; elevation ~1915 feet (584 m)
0.31	l	47		California fuchsia	Epilobium canum ssp. canum	10 / 4	21
0.31				Minor local high point on trail
0.32				Minor local low point on trail
0.35	l	48		big squirreltail	Elymus multisetus	2 / 1	8
0.36				Local high point on trail
0.39				Minor local low point on trail
0.40	l			(California everlasting, Gnaphalium californicum)
0.41				Begin long switchback left
0.42	l	49		fragrant everlasting	Gnaphalium canescens ssp. beneolens	30 / 9	23
0.42				Trail begins many S-curves / switchbacks heading uphill; some have been cut by use trails, blocked off in 2006 by "Trail Closed" signs
0.49	r	50		long-stemmed buckwheat	Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum	2 / 1	28
0.49	r	51		rattlesnake weed	Daucus pusillus	2 / 1	29
0.50	b	52		bush lupine	Lupinus excubitus var. hallii	5 / 1	10
0.50	l			(telegraph weed, Heterotheca grandiflora)
0.55	r	53		California four o'clock	Mirabilis californica	1 / 1	23
0.56	r	54		white everlasting	Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum	5 / 3	36
0.56	r			(poison oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum)
0.57	l			("Meteor Crater"; perhaps a blow-out due to drainage from a former spring?)
0.61	r	55		*prickly lettuce	Lactuca serriola	99 / 9	42
0.61	l			Switchback left.
0.62	r	56		blue dicks	Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum	99 / 9	46
0.66				Trail curves right 90°
0.71	r	57		California everlasting	Gnaphalium californicum	10 / 3	43
0.73	r			(goldenrod, Solidago californica)
0.73	r	58		coast-range melic	Melica imperfecta	5 / 2	43
0.75	r	59		*tocalote	Centaurea melitensis	10 / 4	45
0.76	r	60		common bedstraw	Galium aparine	99 / 9	40
0.76	l			(blue elderberry, Sambucus mexicana)
0.77	b	61		coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia	5 / 1	42
0.77	b	62		southern miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana	99 / 3	25
0.77	r			Jct. path to ridge crest
0.77	r	63		*rose clover	Trifolium hirtum	20 / 4	13
0.77	l			(narrowleaf bedstraw, Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium)
0.77	l			(leafy daisy, Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus)
0.79	l			View of 200 inch telescope on Palomar Mountain; North Peak now visible north of Cuyamaca Peak
0.84	r			(laurel sumac, Malosma laurina; white-flowering currant, Ribes indecorum)
0.86				Local high point on trail, with great views; elevation ~2070 feet (630 m)
0.86	b	64		Engelmann oak	Quercus engelmannii	5 / 3	23
0.87	r			(in distance: California buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum; white sage, Salvia apiana)
0.88				Local low point on trail
0.91				Local high point on trail
0.96	l
0.98				Local low point on trail
0.99	r	65		western ragweed	Ambrosia psilostachya	50 / 5	37
1.00	l			Jct. alternate trail, a leftover trail from when the Los Santos Trail was not complete; stay right
1.00	r			Walter B. Gerken bench, with great views from it; local high point
1.06	r			(Basalt rocks)
1.07	b	66		rattlesnake weed	Chamaesyce albomarginata	5 / 1	10
1.08	r			(Vasey's prickly-pear, Opuntia vaseyi)
1.11	l			Trail turns left 45°
1.17	l			Jct. other end of alternate trail; continue straight
1.18				Trail crosses small saddle
1.19	l	67		San Diego birdsfoot lotus	Lotus hamatus	20 / 2	24
1.20	l	68		*gazania	Gazania X (mounding hybrid)+	1 / 1	6
1.22	r			(western sycamore, Platanus racemosa; big leaf mistletoe, Phoradendron macrophyllum)
1.25	r	69		western vervain	Verbena lasiostachys var. lasiostachys	20 / 2	10
1.25				Begin bridge over branch of Cole Creek; elevation ~1950 feet (594 m)
1.25	l	70		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica	1 / 1	47
1.25	l	71		*winter vetch	Vicia villosa ssp. varia	99 / 5	19
1.25	l	72		wrinkled rush	Juncus rugulosus	10 / 2	12
1.25	l	73		*rabbits-foot grass	Polypogon monspeliensis	10 / 2	23
1.25	l	74		*Italian thistle	Carduus pycnocephalus	20 / 3	21
1.25	b	75		umbrella sedge	Cyperus eragrostis	5 / 1	11
1.25	b	76		*grass poly	Lythrum hyssopifolia	5 / 1	15
1.25	l	77		spike primrose	Epilobium densiflorum	10 / 2	5
1.25	l	78		common spikerush	Eleocharis macrostachya	10 / 1	12
1.25	l			(deergrass, Muhlenbergia rigens; cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium; common cudweed, Gnaphalium luteo-album)
1.26				End bridge
1.29	l			(California coffeeberry, Rhamnus californica ssp. californica; fiesta flower, Pholistoma auritum var. auritum; poison sanicle, Sanicula bipinnata ; pistachio, Pistacia atlantica)
1.30	l	79		western sycamore	Platanus racemosa	2 / 2	27
1.34	l	80		deergrass	Muhlenbergia rigens	5 / 2	21
1.38	r			Jct. S. Los Santos Trail; elevation ~1910 feet (582 m), local low point on trail; continue straigh
1.48				Begin short steep uphill
1.52	l			Jct. Hidden Valley Road; go left on it; elevation 1920 feet (585 m); sign facing that section of road: "Los Santos Trail (to right); To Adobes 1.5 mi (to left)"
1.62				Road curves left 90°
1.65	r	81		*annual blue grass	Poa annua	30 / 3	13
1.74	r	82	~	saltgrass	Distichlis spicata	20 / 4	16
1.74	r	83		*cut-leaved geranium	Geranium dissectum	30 / 2	13
1.75	b	84		clustered field sedge	Carex praegracilis	50 / 1	7
1.75	l	85		*common cudweed	Gnaphalium luteo-album	3 / 2	16
1.75	r	86		*tumble pigweed	Amaranthus albus	20 / 2	13
1.78	r	87		creeping wild rye	Leymus triticoides	5 / 2	11
1.79	b	88		*pineapple weed	Chamomilla suaveolens	30 / 1	20
1.80				Road jogs left
1.81	l	89		*hedge mustard	Sisymbrium officinale	5 / 1	22
1.81	l	90		red maids	Calandrinia ciliata	20 / 1	18
1.81	r	91		cocklebur	Xanthium strumarium	5 / 1	16
1.81	c	92		small-flowered nightshade	Solanum americanum	5 / 1	3
1.81	c	93		willow-leaved dock	Rumex salicifolius var. denticulatus	3 / 1	8
1.81	r	94		common fiddleneck	Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia	5 / 2	16
1.81	b	95		Mexican rush	Juncus mexicanus	20 / 1	16
1.81	r	96		Hooker's evening-primrose	Oenothera elata ssp. hirsutissima	5 / 1	10
1.81	r			(common monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus)
1.82	r	97		arroyo willow	Salix lasiolepis	1 / 1	35
1.82	b		sp	(cattail, Typha sp.)
1.82	l			(rigid hedge-nettle, Stachys ajugoides var. rigida)
1.82				Cross same branch of Cole Creek again; local low point on road; elevation ~1900 feet (580 m)
1.82	r			(red willow, Salix laevigata)
1.86	r	98		telegraph weed	Heterotheca grandiflora	2 / 2	35
1.99				Local high point on road; elevation 1920 feet (585 m)
2.00	l			Jct. N. Los Santos Trail; end guide
2.20				Back at Trailhead; elevation ~1875 feet (570 m)

http://tchester.org/srp/plants/guides/n_los_santos_loop.html
Updated 11 March 2006.