Hike of the week: Walk or run through the tree-canopied Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve

Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with running.

On the one hand, I love it for the mental benefits. My mind always feels clearer after a run and it can be an escape from the rigmarole of life. But on the other hand, it seems that every few years, some mild injury befalls me that slows my momentum, or I move to a new city and lose the routine of running at a time and place.

This year, though, I’ve started calling myself “a runner” again. Am I running every day? No. Do I run especially long distances? Certainly not. But after a decade, the feeling of hitting my stride or finishing a fun run is still one of my favorites. So I’ve welcomed running back into my fitness routine.

This week, I went to Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve for a run-hike-mashup. I wanted to run, and I needed to hike for this column, so I figured I’d make the most of my roughly 4-mile loop through the canyon. The route was mostly flat, but there was an incline at the start and finish, so I’d consider this a moderately challenging route.

The canyon is a great place to explore at the end of a warm summer day, too. Most of the route was shaded by a tree canopy and the creek crossings helped make the temperature feel cooler.

I dropped into the canyon via the Camino Ruiz Neighborhood Park in Mira Mesa. There’s a trailhead on the southwestern side of the park, near the entrance, marked with a kiosk. The park has amenities such as restrooms, picnic benches and its own walking path.

The Camino Ruiz Trail is slightly rocky as it descends the southern side of Los Peñasquitos Canyon. It’s a blast to run down, as the trail dips and winds through the trees.

After half a mile, I reached an intersection with the South Trail, marked with a sign. I opted to go right toward the Peñasquitos Creek crossing, which was about 500 feet ahead. The trail headed into the shade and toward a wooden bridge over the creek.

At the 0.8 mile mark, I reached another intersection. Again, I went right, or northeast, in the direction of the Peñasquitos Ranch House, an adobe home from 1823. I ultimately didn’t reach the Ranch House, though, opting instead to complete a small loop in a network of trails to the west of the house.

I made my way back to the previous intersection near the creek crossing. This time, I headed west, toward the canyon’s waterfalls. I visited the waterfalls on a hike last year and considered reaching them again, but I wanted to use this week’s hike as a chance to explore the canyon’s other attractions.

I ran along the trail on the north side of the creek, called the North Trail, for about a mile before coming to an intersection with Carson’s Crossing, which veers to the south to connect with the South Trail.

This is where I saw the highlight of this hike: a deer grazing in the tall grasses alongside the South Trail. After admiring her from afar, I continued on this trail for another mile before again connecting with the Camino Ruiz Trail, which led me back to the start.