Eagle Rock
Elevation: 3,520′
Mileage: ~6.5
Dates Hiked: 09/30/2017, 01/05/2020
Trailhead: Eagle Rock Trailhead
Agency: Vista Irrigation District (PCT access)
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PLEASE NOTE

Eagle Rock is a sacred site for our indigenous brothers and sisters, specifically the Kupa, Kumeyaay, and Mountain Cahuilla people, and contains their creation stories. The Kupa were relocated in 1903 from this area to the Pala Indian Reservation.

My Kumeyaay friend let me know back in 2020 it’s called ewii eshipaa, which literally means “Eagle Rock.”

Please:

Do not climb the eagle
Do not litter the area
Do not vandalize the rocks

Leave No Trace principles obviously cover the latter two bullet points, but not climbing the rock is something that I only recently learned, and of which I am guilty.

As of 2024, I don’t believe a sign has yet been erected in the area to signify its importance and ask hikers not to climb the eagle.

I cannot overstate how important it is to treat the area with reverence. A letter from the Kupa people to the Pacific Crest Trail Association is included below for reference.

09/17/2017
On a warm day in early fall, Soph and I headed out to Warner Springs to hike to Eagle Rock. We had our usual conversations, looking out the windows at the usual inside-reference landmarks through Ramona, the camel dairy, a piece of land I’ve been looking at for over a decade, the goat farm, the paint, the hop farm, the Julian Pie Company in Santa Ysabel.

We passed Lake Henshaw and parked across from the Warner Springs Fire Station. It was a warm day, and the shady oaks were a great start to the trail.

Like we always do, we chat about everything. There were butterflies all around and the wild cucumbers were growing along the trail. We wondered what the area would look like if the creek was really flowing.

Now and again, the trail would open up to grassy hillsides. We chatted about what it would be like to hike the PCT, which we were on at the moment. We wondered how many pairs of feet and eyes have seen this part of the county.

Before long, we were in the open grasslands. The breeze carried the promise of cooler evenings, but today still held on to the warmth of summer. We rested under the shade of the final tree before the open rolling hills.

Open grasslands on the way to Eagle Rock

There’s something nice about opening to wide open spaces. It’s like your mood stretches out and breathes in extra air. The rolling trail curved around and we could see Eagle Rock in the distance.

We made it to Eagle Rock and, even though we had seen many pictures of it, were amazed at how much it look like an eagle. We sat in its shade for a nice lunch. We could see the Palomar Massif in the distance, as well as Lake Henshaw.

We had the place to ourselves for an hour and decided to head back.

The grasslands near Eagle Rock with Lake Henshaw in the background

Now back into the shade of the oaks, it started to get chilly, but it still was beautiful. It’s a special place.

A 2022 letter from the Kupangaxwichem people to the Pacific Crest Trail Association

Dear Pacific Crest Trail Association,

Eagle Rock, located in what is now known as Warner Springs, CA along the Pacific Crest Trail, is a known traditional hunting and gathering area of the Kuupangaxwichem (the people who slept here). The Kupa people (for short) gathered plants and hunted near the Eagle Rock when preparing for ceremonies, social gatherings, and death rituals. The Kupa people made sacred bundles called masvut. The masvut bundles hold the most sacred objects used for ceremonial purposes. Some of the sacred objects, and some of the materials used to make the bundles, were gathered around Eagle Rock.

Gathering and hunting around Eagle Rock is significant. For the Kupa people, natural resources around Eagle Rock are only to be used for special occasions. Acorns, medicinal plants, and wild game harvested near the sacred site fed people who traveled to attend ceremonies, gatherings, and other revered rituals. Although Eagle Rock is not recorded by the state as a sacred or culturally significant site, it is. In some instances, keeping the location and/or significance of certain sites confidential is a way to protect those areas, as is the case with Eagle Rock. Without divulging any more information about the power that exists at Eagle Rock, the Kupa people require that Eagle Rock be treated with the respect and veneration to which such a sacred site is entitled. This is especially important due to the high volume of hikers passing through who only see it as a cool rock formation, often attempting to climb it, thereby desecrating the site.

The Kupa people were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in 1903 and relocated to the Pala Indian Reservation. We, the Kupa people, continue to fight to protect our homelands and hope to someday take back ownership of what is rightfully ours. We would like to work with any organization, such as the Montezuma Valley Market and PCTA, willing to help monitor the site to prevent littering and further vandalism. Knowing that hikers, whether it is intentional or not, vandalize and disrespect such a sacred site is disheartening and causes us much pain. We ask that your organization please help us post signage near the site. Something as simple as "Eagle Rock, please show respect when visiting this site that holds great value to the Indigenous people of this area, and please take your trash with you" can make all the difference. With the support of the Pala Cultural Resources Committee, we would like to work together to protect Eagle Rock.

Respectfully,

Elijah Duro, Pala Tribal Member and Cultural Bearer

Christopher Nejo, Spokesperson, Pala Cultural Resources Committee

CC: Robert Smith, Chairman, Pala Band of Mission Indians