The trail - with less than 10% of the use of the Cowles Mountain’s Golfcrest trail - starts on a gravel park service road off Barker Way. About 300 paces along the service road look on your left for the Barker Way/Cowles Mtn. trailhead sign. This fun single track - hiking only - trail starts out down into a basin, crossing a small bridge before climbing - with the help of twenty-five switchbacks - 1.05 miles to its intersection with the Cowles Mountain main trail.
Follow the Cowles Mtn. trail .44 miles to its summit. Ignore the two trails that lead off from the main Barker Way trail. For information, they are: Wingspan, heading west, down to Wingspan Drive and eventually Navajo Road. The other trail leads you north to the Cowles Mountain summit access road (turn left) and Big Rock trail (turn right), that will lead you down to the the ity of Santee.
