The Luiseño name for Palomar Mountain was Paauw and High Point was called Wikyo.

[5] The peak was once called Mount Joseph Smith but reverted to its Spanish name, Palomar, in 1901.

[8][9] Palomar Mountain, especially in the state park area, is densely wooded with abundant oak and conifer tree species (pine, cedar, fir).

In the 1950s and 1960s, Palomar Gardens was made famous by its owner and resident, UFO contactee George Adamski.

[12] Adamski had a self-built, wooden observatory at Palomar Gardens and photographed objects in the night sky that he claimed were UFOs.

Adamski co-authored the bestselling Flying Saucers Have Landed in 1953,[13] about his alleged alien encounter experiences, and in particular his meetings with a friendly "Space Brother" from Venus named Orthon.

[15] High Point, in the Palomar Mountain range, is one of the highest peaks in San Diego County.

It may be reached via Palomar Divide Truck Trail, a dirt road that starts off Highway 79 near Warner Springs, California.

The trip is 13 miles one way with 3000 feet of elevation gain via Palomar Divide Truck Trail.

The humid climate supports a forest of oak, pine, fir and cedar on large swaths of the mountain.

[22] Higher elevations receive considerably more moisture than the coastal and inland valley lower slopes, with 30–35 in (76–89 cm) of precipitation.