Julian (original) (raw)

Julian is a town in San Diego County, about one hour inland from San Diego.

Julian was founded by Confederate veterans after the Civil War, and enjoyed a boom when gold was discovered in the area a few years later.

A mountain town situated among Cleveland National Forest, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Julian gets the kind of seasonal weather that is rare in Southern California. Leaves change color in fall, snow falls in winter, flowers bloom in spring and the summer months are hot.

Map

From San Diego: take I-8 E to CA-79. Turn left onto CA-79. CA-79 goes through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, past Lake Cuyamaca, and eventually to the center of Julian. Or, take I-15 N to Scripps Poway Pkwy. Take Scripps Poway Pkwy to CA-67N, which turns into CA-78 - which also goes through the center of Julian.

An extremely limited bus service is available via MTS. Route 891 runs once weekly, on early Friday afternoon, from El Cajon with a journey time of just under two hours. In the opposite direction, the bus departs Borrego Springs early Friday morning.

Once you arrive in Julian the best thing to do is find parking and stroll Main Street. To visit the local wineries, state parks, and Julian Train you will need to drive.

Apple picking (in season)

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Julian is known for its apple pie. Visiting for even an hour and not having any would be a serious oversight. Most are on Main Street and cannot be missed, since there are often lines outside the store fronts.