Barker Way Trailhead in San Carlos provides the quietest eastern approach to Cowles Mountain, the highest point within the City of San Diego at 1,593 feet. The 3.2-mile out-and-back route gains 849 feet of elevation through a series of switchbacks on the south flank of the peak, connecting to the service road along the east ridge before merging with the main Golfcrest Drive trail near the summit. Hikers on the Barker Way route encounter roughly 10 percent of the foot traffic that the Golfcrest trailhead draws, making it the preferred access for runners and dog walkers who want a workout without the weekend crowds. The same trail network connects to Kwaay Paay Peak Trailhead, a 1,194-foot summit one ridge north that draws less than half the traffic of Cowles. A clearly marked fork 100 yards past the trailhead splits the Barker Way trail left from the steeper fire road right, and experienced hikers loop the two routes for a varied 3-mile circuit that finishes back on Barker Way in San Carlos. The trail surface alternates between hard-packed decomposed granite and rocky single-track, with no shade cover on the upper half and minimal tree canopy below, so sun protection and water are essential in every season. From the 1,591-foot summit, the 360-degree panorama spans the Pacific coast off downtown to the south, Tijuana and Mexico beyond Point Loma, and the eastern mountain ranges past El Cajon. The Barker Way access sits within the 92119 ZIP at the southern edge of Mission Trails Regional Park, with street parking lining both sides of the road in a residential neighborhood off Navajo Road. Post-hike foot traffic filters down to Lake Murray Boulevard, where Cowles Mountain Coffee runs a counter built for the grab-and-go recovery crowd heading back into the San Carlos residential grid. The trailhead entrance sits at the intersection of Barker Way and Boulder Lake Avenue, with no restroom facilities, no water, and no defined parking lot — a raw start to a route that gains 400 of its 849 vertical feet in the final quarter mile.