Skip to content
Byway
Nature reserve · California

Blue Sky Ecological Reserve

Blue Sky Ecological Reserve from directly overhead

Blue Sky Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve in California, at a recorded elevation of 253 m. El Cajon Mountain stands 1,112 m to the east-southeast, 13 miles off. The nearest named place is Lake Poway Recreation Area, a park 0.8 miles away.

The record

What the record says

Elevation
253 m
Visiting

What to expect

Official site

Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates33.01772, -117.01400
Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
Attractions
  • Potato Chip Rock: 2.4 mi
  • The Kit Carson Park Snake: 5.2 mi
  • Africa Tram: 5.5 mi
  • Mawazo Woods Discovery Area: 5.5 mi
  • Lions: 5.5 mi
Peaks
Historic sites
Museums
  • Poway Heritage Museum: 3.6 mi
  • Kumeyaay Ipai Interpretive Center: 5.0 mi
  • Classic Rotors Museum: 6.1 mi
  • San Diego Children's Discovery Museum: 8.4 mi
  • Escondido Museum: 8.4 mi
Gardens
  • Abraxas Garden: 4.1 mi
  • Bonsai Pavillion: 5.9 mi
  • Cara Knott Memorial Garden: 7.4 mi
  • Circle Garden: 12.3 mi
  • Qualcomm AZ Roof Garden: 13.1 mi
Artworks
  • The Hawk: 6.2 mi
  • Saint Gregory the Great: 7.2 mi
  • Blessed Virgin Mary: 7.3 mi
  • Muffler Man: 8.3 mi
  • Grande Step Totem: 8.3 mi
Nature reserves: 24
Cliffs: 23
  • Net Muc: 9.6 mi
  • Thumb: 13.3 mi
  • Main Area: 13.4 mi
  • Lunch Rock: 13.4 mi
  • Limbo - Rift: 13.4 mi
Beaches: 22
Springs: 21
  • Rock Haven Spring: 3.0 mi
  • Durasnitos Spring: 6.4 mi
  • Indian Rock Spring: 9.4 mi
  • Bottle Peak Spring: 9.6 mi
  • Skunk Spring: 10.6 mi
Waterfalls: 11
  • Los Penasquitos Waterfall: 11.4 mi
  • Cedar Creek Falls: 16.6 mi
  • Lower Adobe Falls: 16.7 mi
  • Adobe Falls: 16.8 mi
  • Washtub Falls: 16.9 mi
Picnic sites: 8
  • Tree Lake Picnic Area No. 3: 4.9 mi
  • Ray Love Picnic Area: 4.9 mi
  • El Arroyo Picnic Area: 5.1 mi
  • Ridgetop Picnic Site: 8.3 mi
  • Royal Picnic Area: 18.8 mi
Ghost towns: 4
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 14.6 miles of Blue Sky Ecological Reserve. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
El Cajon MountainESE 122°1,112 m13.3 mi
El CapitanESE 123°1,026 m12.8 mi
Rock MountainESE 117°996 m13.2 mi
Silverdome IISE 125°970.36 m12.0 mi
Mount GowerE 90°946 m14.6 mi
Woodson MountainESE 104°878 m2.6 mi
San Vicente MountainESE 106°861 m12.2 mi
North Iron MountainESE 119°824 m3.6 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox06:5318:2719:00
June solstice05:4119:2420:01
September equinox06:3718:1418:46
December solstice06:4816:0816:46

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F575658616467727371676155
Precip in2.83.42.01.10.40.10.10.00.20.71.12.3

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Rancho Bernardo, 4 mi away.

Wildlife nearby
  • Western Fence Lizard248 obs
  • California Buckwheat160 obs
  • chaparral yucca153 obs
  • Pacific pea129 obs
  • Pacific poison oak129 obs
  • laurel sumac126 obs
  • Turkey Vulture116 obs
  • cardinal catchfly114 obs

Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidataOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element way/44501109

More nature reserves in California

Day trips start here

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Plan a driveMore nature reserves
Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Blue Sky Ecological Reserve.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens