Ocean views, lush canyons and dusty peaks: 35 hikes in San Diego

San Diego’s hiking options range from lush canyons to dusty mountain peaks. There are hikes with ocean views as well as paths surrounded by vibrant native vegetation.

Maura Fox has written about all these things in her Hike of the Week column, which can be found online on Fridays and in print on Saturdays. So far, she’s done more than 100 hikes for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

To celebrate, a list of 101 hikes has been published online at sandiegouniontribune.com/101hikes. For the next few Saturdays, these hikes will be published in print in four regional groups: San Diego, East County, North County and South County. Here are her hikes in San Diego.

Balboa Park

Five Balboa Park gardens

This roughly 1.4-mile paved loop through the park takes walkers past five gardens: the Botanical Building and lily pond, the Alcazar Garden, Zoro Garden, Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden and Desert Garden. Visitors may have stopped at these green spaces individually, but it’s a special experience to see them all in one go and admire them for their differences and similarities.

Morley Field Trail

Located among the many hiking and walking paths in and around Balboa Park, the Morley Field Trail is a win for hikers and mountain bikers alike. The moderately-challenging loop, at about 1.5 miles, travels along a packed-dirt trail with views of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, Balboa Park and, in the spring, blooms of crown daisies.

Presidio Park

A walk through Presidio Park takes visitors on a journey through the past and offers a look at some of San Diego’s native flora. This roughly 2-mile, easy hike follows a mix of dirt trails and sidewalks and includes moments for hikers to stroll through the park’s green grass. Visitors should feel encouraged to choose their own adventure on this walk; there are several paths to explore in the area.

City Heights

City Heights canyons 

City Heights is home to four of these canyons: Manzanita, Swan, Hollywood and Olivia. I set out to explore two of them, Manzanita and Hollywood, for a roughly 2.5-mile loop. Along the way, I got to know City Heights, as the route passed by markers such as community art pieces, gathering spaces and a water conservation garden.

Clairemont

Marian Bear Trail 

Located in San Clemente Canyon in north Clairemont, the 467-acre park stretches west to east between Interstate 5 and Interstate 805. The 1.6-mile out-and-back hike explores the section between Regents Road and Genesee Avenue, but there are more than three miles of trails throughout the whole park. This trail is mostly flat and easy with substantial shade, but there are some exposed sections, so it’s best for an early morning or evening walk.

Tecolote Canyon

With about 6.5 miles of trails, Tecolote Canyon is located between the communities of Bay Park, Linda Vista and Clairemont.  The canyon’s proximity to neighborhoods and busy roads may be a downside to this hiking area for some, but it is accessible, especially for a weekday hike. The nearly 3-mile easy loop travels through a section near the northern end of the canyon, starting at a trailhead behind Mount Etna Park.

Del Cerro

Navajo Canyon Open Space

The hike through the Navajo Canyon Open Space isn’t lengthy, but it is rewarding, offering hikers stream crossings and solitude despite the busy nearby neighborhoods. The roughly 2.3-mile easy out-and-back trail that travels through the canyon is lined with healthy vegetation and it’s quite peaceful.

La Jolla

La Jolla Heights Open Space

This roughly 1.3-mile out-and-back hike, located in the La Jolla Heights Open Space, is a quick and moderately challenging climb that offers sweeping views of the ocean, La Jolla Village and the mountains to the east. The preserve is located within a tranquil neighborhood just south of Torrey Pines Road and Prospect Place, so even the walk to the trailhead — passing by beautiful homes — adds to the quality of the experience.

Mission Bay

Bayside Walk

The easy 4-mile paved Bayside Walk is a tranquil stroll around the bay with several benches to pause for a rest or to take in the view of the boats floating on the water. On a weekday afternoon, it likely won’t be too crowded, even as it passes by a playground and across the typically busy West Mission Bay Drive.

Old Sea World Drive Bay Trail

Bring binoculars to spot a variety of birds on this easy coastal stroll that passes the San Diego River and heads toward the Pacific Ocean. The Old Sea World Drive Bay Trail, at roughly 4.5 miles, is a paved out-and-back path that is shared by walkers, runners, cyclists and other wheeled visitors, such as those on rollerblades or pushing strollers. The trail is sandwiched between the San Diego River and a few busy roads, but walkers can find serenity by admiring the lush vegetation lining the path and views of the river and distant ocean.

Mission Hills

Mission Hills Open Space

This is a moderately difficult, half-mile trail through the Mission Hills Open Space, located across from Pioneer Park. This trail keeps to itself — it’s only marked with a sign advising visitors about the city’s open space regulations. Depending on the map you use, it’s called both the Robyn’s Egg Trail and the Monastery Trail.

Mission Trails Regional Park

Big Rock Trail

This is a roughly 2.7-mile moderate loop that follows the Big Rock Trail and the Mesa Trail, located on the eastern side of the park in Santee. The Big Rock Trail gradually climbs a hillside and features rocky terrain — perhaps how it got its name. Both trails were lined with some of my favorite native vegetation, including mountain lilac, laurel sumac and sage.

Cowles Mountain: Barker Way Trail loop

Aim to avoid the crowds on Cowles Mountain by hiking up the peak’s eastern side, which offers a tough workout and views of Santee and East County beyond. The roughly 3.5-mile moderate loop follows a mix of the Cowles Service Road, Barker Way Trail and the Cowles Mountain Trail. This route is a welcomed change from the more well-known out-and-back route up the peak that starts on Golfcrest Drive.

Cowles Mountain and Pyles Peak

This is a roughly 6-mile out-and-back hike in Mission Trails, which stops first at Cowles Mountain, the tallest peak in San Diego at 1,593-feet and certainly one of its most popular. From Cowles Mountain, I hiked north to the 1,379-foot Pyles Peak, named after a San Diego County cartographer in the 1970s.

Kwaay Paay Peak

This hike on the eastern side of Mission Trails Regional Park is an easy-to-access, effective workout with rewarding views from the top. At 1,194 feet, Kwaay Paay Peak is the fourth-tallest summit — out of five — in the park. On the roughly 2.5-mile hike, visitors will hike a well-maintained trail, with some sections featuring wooden stairs, as well as encounter a few plateaus to catch their breath on the upward trek.

Mission Trails Regional Park loop

Mission Trails Regional Park is home to quintessential chaparral vegetation, the San Diego River and a popular rock climbing crag — all of which can be explored on this moderately challenging hike. The roughly 2-mile loop takes hikers along four of the park’s trails. Each trail features different terrain and offers new sights, though the standout moment was the view from the Climbers Loop, which overlooks the western side of the park and the rushing San Diego River below.

North Fortuna Perimeter Trail, Oak Canyon Trail and the Grasslands Loop

Take advantage of the interconnected trail network at the nearly 8,000-acre Mission Trails Regional Park with this easy 3-mile hike. The walk combines sections of a few trails on the northeastern side of the park offering a slightly different terrain and perspective, including mountain views, an open prairie and oak trees lining a riverbed.

North Fortuna peak

This roughly 4.5-mile out-and-back moderate hike climbs to the top of North Fortuna, which sits at 1,291 feet and is one of the five peaks in Mission Trails Regional Park. There are several ways to hike to the summit. I chose to start on the Oak Canyon Trail, located on Father Junipero Serra Trail.

South Fortuna Mountain

The mountain is only 1,094 feet tall, the smallest of the five peaks in the park. But as I watched the birds fly along the mountain’s rock face — and as I looked out to the sprawling Mission Trails Regional Park behind me — I felt like I was on a much grander adventure. This 5-mile loop is entirely exposed to the sun and follows several different trails, passing by oak trees and coastal sage scrub.

West Sycamore 

West Sycamore is a 7-mile trail network located in the northern section of the park, northeast of Scripps Ranch and adjacent to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and the Sycamore Canyon/Goodan Ranch County Preserve. Rolling hills make up most of the terrain, and much of the roughly 2-mile out-and-back hike was flat and easy.

Oak Park

Chollas Lake Park trail

At Chollas Lake Park, in the Oak Park community located south of El Cerrito and Rolando, hikers can do a 2.3-mile easy loop that passes by tall eucalyptus trees and families of ducks and geese. The route goes around the lake and near the North Chollas Community Park and provides a view of downtown San Diego and the San Diego-Coronado Bridge.

Pacific Beach

Kate Sessions Park 

Kate Sessions Memorial Park in Pacific Beach is a beloved spot to enjoy a picnic, fly a kite and watch the sunset, but it also has trails that make for a convenient way to get some exercise. This hike follows a 0.8-mile, easy route at the park that overlooks the ocean and Mission Bay along with downtown San Diego and Point Loma in the distance. The trails aren’t connected to the main park — meaning there’s more of a chance to find some solitude.

Point Loma

Cabrillo National Monument’s Coastal Trail 

Consider a stroll along the monument’s Coastal Trail, a roughly 1-mile out-and-back hike on the western side. Along the way, hikers can stop to investigate tide pools, sit on the rocks and take in native Mediterranean coastal sage scrub and maritime chaparral plants. The Coastal Trail is not difficult, though it does have some rugged sections and stairs to climb.

Cabrillo National Monument’s Bayside Trail 

Breathe in the sea air and learn about the history and vegetation of Cabrillo National Monument on this scenic hike. The Bayside Trail is a 1.86-mile out-and-back hike that takes visitors along the southeastern side of the monument and offers rewarding views of the San Diego Bay, Coronado, Ballast Point and the Coronado islands off the coast of Tijuana. The hike follows a wide dirt path and is mostly easy, though there are some inclines on the second half.

Cabrillo National Monument’s Oceanside Trail

This trail at Cabrillo National Monument makes it easier for visitors to access the tide pools on the peninsula’s western side. The Oceanside Trail, a roughly 1-mile out-and-back path, runs from the monument’s Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook to the tide pools, presenting hikers with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and an impressive display of wildflowers. The trail is more difficult than the other two hiking routes at Cabrillo National Monument, the Bayside Trail and Coastal Trail.

Liberty Station

There’s a roughly 2-mile out-and-back walk on the southeastern side of Liberty Station along the San Diego Bay. Visitors can travel on the hard-packed dirt trail that runs closest to the water, or opt for the sidewalk, which offers equally pretty views. The route starts near the USS Recruit, a Navy ship located at the southern end of Liberty Station.

Shelter Island

This walk along the San Diego Bay passes by several art pieces and offers views of downtown San Diego and Point Loma. The roughly 2-mile out-and-back walk follows a paved path along the southeastern side of the Shelter Island. It’s not much of a hike, but it took about 45 minutes to complete, so the excursion felt like an easy way to add some quality outdoor time to the week.

Sunset Cliffs

Never lose sight of the ocean and admire pretty native and nonnative plants on this coastal San Diego hike. The Sunset Cliffs Trail is a 2-mile easy walking path in Point Loma, featuring a mix of dirt trails and sidewalks. Some may argue this isn’t a hike as much as it is a stroll, but it offers one of the best views in San Diego.

San Carlos

Rancho Mission Canyon Park 

Explore one of San Diego’s dozens of canyons on this short hike that would be especially inviting for students, with a location not far from the San Diego State University campus. In Rancho Mission Canyon Park, near the neighborhoods of San Carlos and Allied Gardens, the 2-mile out-and-back trail takes hikers across the canyon on a well-maintained path, including over a few wooden bridges.

Serra Mesa

Stonecrest Village Trail

The Stonecrest Village Trail takes visitors along a 1.5-mile out-and-back walk behind the community of the same name. The path is located directly next to homes, but it also offers pretty views of wild vegetation growing within a canyon separating Stonecrest Village from surrounding neighborhoods.

South Park

Switzer and Juniper canyons

San Diegans can enjoy one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and its canyons on this short walk. The path lets walkers traverse Switzer and Juniper canyons, located within South Park, as well as explore the neighborhood and admire its historical homes. Both canyons are teeming with nature.

Tierrasanta

East Shepherd Canyon

I explored East Shepherd Canyon in Tierrasanta along an almost 2.4-mile out-and-back trail. It was an easy route that I completed relatively quickly, but I imagine I’ll be back for another hike or a run. The trail offers a mix of shaded forest along with moments to bask in the sun, and it was quiet, despite its location near roads and neighborhoods.

Torrey Pines

Broken Hill Trail at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

The Broken Hill Trail and the North and South Fork trails at Torrey Pines make up a mostly easy 3.3-mile loop. Most of the hike is on dirt trails, but hikers must access them via the paved Torrey Pines Park Road. Known as the “Gateway to San Diego,” it’s a roughly 2-mile road that was a part of the Coast Highway in the early 1900s.

Razor Point and Yucca Point at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

With its close proximity to the ocean and rugged native vegetation — including chaparral, coastal sage scrub and Torrey Pine woodland — the reserve showcases some of the county’s best features that can be especially enjoyed during the summer season. This easy-to-moderate 1.5-mile loop lets hikers take it all in, but the scenic overlooks at Razor Point and Yucca Point are the main highlights.

University City

Rose Canyon Open Space Trail

This is an easy out-and-back hike through Rose Canyon, located in University City between Interstates 5 and 805. The roughly 4-mile journey doesn’t offer too much of a retreat from the city, but there were sweet spots of nature: I saw hawks soaring overhead along with several native plants being restored on the hillside.