Cowles Mountain via Big Rock Road

Start by plugging 8125 Arlette St, Santee, CA into your GPS. This takes you to Big Rock Park, a convenient parking spot for the Cowles Hike. From here you want to walk through the park, and around the right side of the tennis court. This will take you to the fenced entrance to the hike. Head south for about a half mile( residential houses will be on your left for this small stretch) then link up with the trail that officially starts your hike. The trail is fairly well maintained, and easy to navigate, but the route is steep, rocky, and depending on the time of year you go, hot! The flora regrowing along the trail provides much needed shade at times, so take advantage of these areas for breaks! 

Continue following the trail for roughly 1.5 miles until you get to a service road. Turn right, and enjoy a beautiful, less strenuous mile or so hike up to the antenna station. Once at the top, rocks and boulders lining the edges double as natural chairs to sit back and enjoy the scenery. You have views of every single peak and mountain range in San Diego from this vantage point, so take some time to soak it all in! Once you've had your fill, head back down the service road(easier going down than up! ), and turn left back onto the Big Rock Trail which will take you back the way you came. Be mindful of the time, as the trail will get dark shortly after sunset, and more difficult to descend.