The mountain is named after George A. Cowles, a rancher and businessperson in southwestern San Diego County during the 1870s and 1880s.

[3] In April 1942, during World War II, the military ordered the "S" covered up for national security, as it could serve as a potential reference for enemy aerial attacks for strategic sites.

The main trail to the summit is a popular hiking destination taking hundreds of people per day to a 360-degree panorama of San Diego County.

Small plateaus on the south and east slopes are the remnants of an extensive terrestrial, near sea level erosional surface called the Poway Terrace that are now about 1,200 feet (370 m) in elevation.

A prominent former seacliff on the west side rises above a now-dry wave-cut terrace, now mostly covered with suburban developments, at about 600 feet (180 m) in elevation.