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Dead Horse Falls Trail route map
Difficulty: ModerateOut and Back

Dead Horse Falls Trail

Descanso, California

2.5 mi

Distance

466 ft

Elev. Gain

59m

Est. Time

Out & Back

Route Type

Moderate

Difficulty

About This Trail

Dead Horse Falls Trail is an out-and-back trail in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, in San Diego County, California. It is 2.5 miles long and gains 466 feet. It is in or next to Descanso, California.

From the trail data on this page. For conditions and closures, see official sources.

Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

Unknown

We have no current condition data for this trail. Check with the operator before you go, and submit a report below if you've been recently.

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Elevation Profile

Min:1,040 ft
Max:1,103 ft
Gain:142 ft
Loss:142 ft
Elevation profileA line rising and falling between 1,040 ft and 1,103 ft across 2.5 mi along the route, drawn from start to end.1,040 ft1,061 ft1,082 ft1,103 ft0.0 mi0.6 mi1.3 mi1.9 mi2.5 mi

Elevation at the labelled points along this route
PointDistance from startElevation
Start0.0 mi1,041 ft
High point1.3 mi1,103 ft
End2.5 mi1,041 ft

Trail Details

Route Type
Out & Back

Official sources & verification

Managed by California Department of Parks and Recreation

Verify before you go

Source of truth

Where it is

Nearest town:
Descanso, CA · in or next to town
County:
San Diego County, CA
Jurisdiction:
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park · California Department of Parks and Recreation

Nearest town and county from U.S. Census Bureau place records and county boundaries.

Verify by phone or mail

We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this trail using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 23, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

Reviews

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Legacy import — verify before navigating

Path geometry came from our pre-launch legacy database. Routes have not yet been re-verified against the operator and may differ from the actual trail.

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