A refreshing alternative to the well-traveled trails of Cowles, Mt. McGinty offers a 4.8-mile round-trip hike about 25 minutes east of downtown. An ascent of about 1300 feet means views across Proctor Valley to the south and, on a clear day, the harbor and ocean shimmering to the west. The trail can easily take over three hours if you stop to take in McGinty’s aromatic collection of native flora and numerous mines along the way. A dirt lot and trailhead are located a quarter-mile west of Jamul Community Church. Turn right at the gate where the hill crests.