I have always loved trees. It seems that, more than any other life form, trees are models of benevolence. In one capacity or another, trees may be some of the best friends any life form might hope for. Their leaves, fruits, seeds (nuts), flowers, bark, roots, cambium, provide food. Their sturdy tissues provide shelter and their mass, protection. Like every member of the plant kingdom, they process carbon dioxide, scrub pollutants from the air, and return oxygen -- but they perform this service on a grander scale than do other plants. The materials which they discard are the food and substrate of every plant and animal within their world. Their roots constrain the invaluable soils which they and their progenitors have made. They conduct wonderful liaisons with both the ground beneath them and the sky above. They are a storehouse of resources for all. Although beloved for their physical handsomeness, the beauty of trees is not merely 'skin deep'. It is no wonder then, that in the language of Genesis, it is trees which are the embodiment of Knowledge and Life.

To the admirer of trees, I must firstly recommend time spent in British Columbia, where it seems that the forest might have no end... To the casual observer, the mostly arid lands of southern California might appear to be home to few trees. A closer look reveals that there are several score of native tree species. (Eucalyptus and pepper trees, which many people associate with California, are not native). A dozen species of oak and a dozen species of conifer are native to San Diego County. Here is a brief look at some trees, whose company I enjoy, indigenous to what I think of as my big backyard -- San Diego County, California...

Big-cone Douglas fir Palomar Mountain	Jeffrey pine Hot Springs Mountain	Elephant tree Anza-Borrego Desert	Sugar pine Cuyamaca Mountains

California fan palm Anza-Borrego Desert	Interior live oak Descanso area	Peninsular manzanita Bucksnort Mountains	California juniper Anza-Borrego Desert

A few of the best 'local' hikes for 'tree huggers': The listing which follows is almost random -- so many are the hikes which could be cited:

Really BIG trees: Middle Peak, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. In the Sierra Nevada Ranges to the north, the largest living things, the Giant Sequoias, share their groves with sugar pines, white fir, and incense cedars. Even amongst such giants, the sugar pine, fir and cedar are impressive for their great size. The sequoias are not native here in the Peninsular Ranges but you can find some very big sugar pines, white fir and incense cedars, particularly as you approach the heavily forested top of Middle Peak on the Sugar Pine Trail. Watch the ground for the twenty inch long cones of the sugar pine, the first indicator that you are approaching the big trees. If you proceed southward, around the mountain (or if you start from that direction), you may also see some unusually large specimens of Ponderosa pine and of Engelmann and black oaks. There is a large number of deer in this area and if you don't see deer here you must not be paying attention. In fall, the leaves of the oaks on the eastern slopes become vibrant yellow and orange.
Desert riparian environment: Lower Cougar Canyon, northern district of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This can be a vigorous day hike but is better as a backpack trip. Untypically, this is not a desert hike that requires the trekker to bring a great deal of water, but if you don't, do bring a means of treating the water you will find in the the creeks. You will need a high ground-clearance vehicle to reach the trailhead. You can camp in the primitive sites in Sheep Canyon or find a more remote site [away from the water] in Cougar Canyon. Along the water course here the vegetation is dense at times and quite varied. The most dominate species of trees include sycamore, poplar, willow, and palm, with other species less represented. Junipers cling to the dry, rocky walls of the canyon. Like most desert hikes, this beautiful canyon is best visited from late autumn to early spring. About twelve miles.
Mixed coniferous forest: Hot Springs Mountain, Los Coyotes Indian Reservation. If you'd like to see a diverse array of the area's mountain trees (and feel like you have them to yourself -- you won't likely see other hikers), and experience some spectacular views in the process, I suggest climbing from Nelson's Camp, in the Los Coyotes reservation, to the old fire lookout atop Hot Springs Mountain. Be sure to get permission at the gate or the tribal office to be on these lands (there is a modest fee). You should have a high ground clearance vehicle (SUV or truck recommended) to make it to Nelson's Camp. Leave your vehicle in the area labeled "corners" on maps and take "Dangerous Road" (a somewhat perilous jeep trail) to the fire road and follow it northwest to the look-out. The trail will lead you through various species of oak and pine, as well as fir and cedar. In the areas which are frequently exposed to winds the trees are quite handsomely contorted and flattened-off. Note the numerous tracks of animals including deer and mountain lions. Enjoy the awesome view from the lookout's ridge, perhaps looking down on glider planes which are towed aloft at Warner Springs.
Unique desert trees: Mountain Palm Springs, southern district of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (sadly, this hike isn't what it was a few years ago as a fire has marred many previously pristine palms). You'll drive a short distance on a (usually well maintained) gravel road to get to the trail head, once afoot you can peruse several groves of California fan palms, Washingtonia filifera, as well as a "grove" of elephant trees, Bursera microphylla, (if you know where to look) and some thickets of mesquite. While a couple of the groves may have more than a hundred palms, most of this hike is not in trees [or shade]. As in all local desert areas, this is a hike for late fall to early spring. A cool day in late April after a wet winter, when the brittle bush, cacti, and ocotillo are blooming, may be ideal. Bring extra water whenever hiking in the desert.
Deep forest, easy access: Azalea Glen Trail, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Some might pick this as the county's best overall forest walk (easier access and shorter than the previously mentioned hikes). A variety of beautiful trees and flowering plants, a babbling brook frequented by colorful birds such as the western tanager and bluebird. About three miles.
Interpretive forest trail: Doane Valley Nature Trail, Palomar Mountain State Park. A short, easy walk with interpretive materials to introduce you to trees, herbs, and berries. This is only a one mile walk but if you would like to include it as part of a longer hike, this is readily done. One possibility: by hiking to this trail from Fry Creek campground in the national forest (and back out), this can be part of a more physically demanding trek of 4 to 6 miles (dependent on where you start and whether you get slightly lost bushwhacking, the trail between the state park and national forest areas is not well maintained).

Incense cedar Cuyamaca Mountains	Smoke tree Anza-Borrego Desert	White fir Cuyamaca Mountains	Black willow Cleveland Natl Forest