El Monte Park
Lakeside, San Diego County, CA
- Size
- 87 acres Source
- Managed by
- San Diego County Parks and Recreation
About El Monte Park
El Monte County Park is one of the original properties in San Diego County Parks' inventory. The rocky face of El Cajon Mountain rises above this popular picnic spot, which has grassy lawns, play areas, historic tables, and mature trees, along with covered pavilions used for weddings and special events, playgrounds, a ball field, and restrooms.
The historic flume trail climbs the hillside past remnants of early water transportation. About a mile west, park staff also look after the Helix Flume Trail, a short hike with more flume remnants, wide views of the valley, and educational panels on how water was first moved around San Diego.
Pedestrians may enter from sunrise to sunset. Vehicle access and restrooms are available from 9:30 a.m. to sunset, except on December 25, and day-use parking is $5.
Based on El Monte Park official information, checked Oct 17, 2026.
Know before you go
El Monte Park covers 87 acres in Lakeside, San Diego County. Closing follows the sun here: sunset at El Monte Park is around 4:42 p.m. in mid-December, 6:54 p.m. in mid-March, 7:56 p.m. in mid-June, and 6:55 p.m. in mid-September. 1 named trail add up to about 0.8 miles inside the park; the longest is El Monte Trail at 0.8 miles, and El Monte Trail has the most up and down (about 336 feet). Mapped trails range from 515 to 854 feet in elevation. OpenStreetMap shows 3 parking areas.
Facilities
- Playground
Facility details: OpenStreetMap
El Monte Park at a glance
- PParking · 3
- Named trails · 1
© OpenStreetMap · CPAD · About this map
Trails
| Trail | Mapped length | Elevation | Surface & uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Monte Trail | 0.8 mi | 336 ft up & down515–854 ft | Unpaved |
Compared with nearby parks
Among the 13 other parks in this guide within 10 miles, El Monte Park is number 8 of 14 by size at 87 acres. 4 nearby parks have more mapped trail mileage than its 0.8 miles.
Closest places for what El Monte Park doesn't list:
- Camping: Louis A. Stelzer County Park (3.2 mi)
- Tennis Courts: Lindo Lake Park (4.6 mi)
- Skate Park: Lindo Lake Park (4.6 mi)
Rules & reservations
Official park page- Dogs
At El Monte Park: 6-ft leash rule, under the San Diego County Parks FAQ. Source
Pedestrian access sunrise to sunset; vehicles and restrooms 9:30 a.m. to sunset; closed December 25.
Map & directions
15805 El Monte Road, Lakeside, CA 92040
Nearby parks
Straight-line distanceContinue exploring
San Diego County parks PlaygroundsSources & verification
Last verified: Oct 15, 2026- California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026aname, county, agency, access, acres
- San Diego County Parks park page (read in a browser)official_url, hours, hours_note, fees, address, description
- San Diego County Parks FAQ (dogs in County parks)dogs
- OpenStreetMap facilities and trailsfacilities.playground, trails
- U.S. Census Bureau place boundaries (nearest place)city
- OpenStreetMap: parking, restrooms, water, trailheads, trail lines, and bus stopsvisit
- Terrain Tiles elevation (USGS 3DEP), sampled every 20 m along OpenStreetMap trail linestrails.elevation
- Official park page (summarized in our words)narrative