William Heise County Park

Julian, San Diego County, CA

Parking$5 day-use parking
Source
Dogs6-ft leash rule
Source
Hours9:30 a.m. to sunset (day use)
Source
Size
1,021 acres Source
Managed by
San Diego County Parks and Recreation

About William Heise County Park

A 929-acre park at 4,200 feet in pine and oak forest, one of the few county parks with snow every year. Source

This 929-acre park is located 4,200 feet above sea level in a forest of pines and oaks at the northern edge of the Laguna Mountain Range. It is one of the few parks in San Diego County that gets snow every year. Forests of oak, pine, and cedar surround quiet mountain meadows. It offers a peaceful setting for nearly 11 miles of hiking and horse-riding trails.
— William Heise County Park, official page (checked Oct 15, 2026)

Know before you go

William Heise County Park covers 1,021 acres in Julian, San Diego County. Closing follows the sun here: sunset at William Heise County Park is around 4:41 p.m. in mid-December, 6:53 p.m. in mid-March, 7:55 p.m. in mid-June, and 6:54 p.m. in mid-September. 6 named trails add up to about 4 miles inside the park; the longest is Desert View Trail at 2.1 miles, and Desert View Trail has the most up and down (about 1,261 feet). Mapped trails range from 3,996 to 4,928 feet in elevation. OpenStreetMap shows 1 parking area, plus 2 restrooms.

Facilities

  • Horseshoes
  • Picnic Area
  • Playground
  • Restrooms

Facility details: OpenStreetMap

William Heise County Park at a glance

PWCWC
  • PParking · 1
  • WCRestrooms · 2
  • Named trails · 6

© OpenStreetMap · CPAD · About this map

Trails

TrailMapped lengthElevationSurface & uses
Desert View Trail2.1 mi1,261 ft up & down4,356–4,928 ftNo bikes
Harrison Park Fire Road0.8 mi435 ft up & down3,996–4,390 ft
Cedar Trail0.6 mi290 ft up & down4,126–4,289 ftUnpaved
Cabin Access Trail0.2 mi65 ft up & down4,116–4,179 ftUnpaved
Playground Access Trail0.2 mi77 ft up & down4,097–4,174 ftUnpaved
Cedar Trail (estimated)0.1 mi31 ft up & down4,118–4,152 ftUnpaved

How trail figures are measured

Compared with nearby parks

Among the 3 other parks in this guide within 10 miles, William Heise County Park is number 3 of 4 by size at 1,021 acres. 2 nearby parks have more mapped trail mileage than its 4 miles.

Closest places for what William Heise County Park doesn't list:

  • Skate Park: Jess Martin Park (2.4 mi)

How comparisons work

Rules & reservations

Official park page
  • Dogs

    At William Heise County Park: 6-ft leash rule, under the San Diego County Parks FAQ. Source

Camping 24 hours a day.

Map & directions

4945 Heise Park Road, Julian, CA 92036

1Location overview · map data © OpenStreetMap

33.036959, -116.595027Get directions

Nearby parks

Straight-line distance
Vallecito County Park14.5 miCollier Park15.4 miEl Monte Park17.8 miAgua Caliente County Park18.2 miDos Picos Park20.2 mi

Continue exploring

San Diego County parks Parks in Julian Playgrounds

Sources & verification

Last verified: Oct 15, 2026
  1. California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026aname, county, agency, access, acres
  2. San Diego County Parks park page (read in a browser)official_url, hours, hours_note, fees, address, description
  3. San Diego County Parks FAQ (dogs in County parks)dogs
  4. OpenStreetMap facilities and trailsfacilities.horseshoes, facilities.picnic-area, facilities.playground, facilities.restrooms, trails
  5. U.S. Census Bureau place boundaries (nearest place)city
  6. OpenStreetMap: parking, restrooms, water, trailheads, trail lines, and bus stopsvisit
  7. Terrain Tiles elevation (USGS 3DEP), sampled every 20 m along OpenStreetMap trail linestrails.elevation
  8. Official park page (introduction excerpt)intro
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