Southeast San Diego isn’t exactly renowned for its outdoor recreational opportunities. But like so many other areas in the county, one can find small islands of natural areas tucked away amid the urban sprawl. One such example is Chollas Lake Park, located about a quarter mile up the road from a large shopping center in Oak Park, just off Highway 94. Continue reading Chollas Lake
Category Archives: San Diego
South Fortuna Mountain (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Although South Fortuna is the smallest of Mission Trails’ five peaks, topping out at “only” 1094 feet in elevation, it is still a very popular choice for hikers seeking a workout. The main attraction of South Fortuna is the impressive set of wooden steps that leads up the peak’s western flank. Known by some as the “Stairway to Heaven,” this route travels unapologetically up the steep mountainside and is great for working those leg muscles. Continue reading South Fortuna Mountain (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Oak Grove Loop and Visitor Center Loop (Mission Trails Regional Park)
In our many trips to Mission Trails over the years, we’d always overlooked the Oak Grove trail
due to its short length. Deciding it was high time to rectify this oversight, we leashed up one of the dogs and headed to the park for a short hike combining the Oak Grove and Visitor’s Center Loop trails. Continue reading Oak Grove Loop and Visitor Center Loop (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve (West)
Of the many canyon open spaces in the City of San Diego, Los Penasquitos is the largest. Stretching some 7 miles between the 805 and 15 freeways, the Preserve contains a wide array of interesting scenery to enjoy. It is home to grassy hillsides, chaparral covered slopes, enormous groves of Sycamore trees, and expansive stands of oaks. Penasquitos Creek, a year-round stream, runs through the center of the canyon and provides the Preserve’s most alluring feature: an easily accessible waterfall. Continue reading Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve (West)
Kwaay Paay Peak (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Kwaay Paay Peak in Mission Trails Regional Park doesn’t receive nearly the amount of traffic that its more popular neighbor Cowles Mountain does. This makes it a great alternative for hikers looking for a quick mountain climbing workout but who don’t want to contend with an overcrowded trail and a dearth of parking. Kwaay Paay is somewhat shorter and not quite as tall as Cowles, but in my opinion actually makes for a more intense workout since it lacks the gentle switchbacks of its nearby cousin. Continue reading Kwaay Paay Peak (Mission Trails Regional Park)
East Shepherd Canyon
East Shepherd Canyon is another one of San Diego’s many neighborhood canyon areas that helps maintain a touch of nature in our otherwise urban and suburban neighborhoods. Unlike many hikes in San Diego, however, East Shepherd Canyon has the unique advantage of being fairly well shaded for much of the route. A short, tree-lined hike sounded perfect for one of our monsters, so we were joined by the ever-handsome Apollo. Continue reading East Shepherd Canyon
West Sycamore (Mission Trails Regional Park)
The West Sycamore extension of Mission Trails Regional Park was formally opened to the public in December of 2014. The park is immediately adjacent to the Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve and the two are interconnected by several trails. While the West Sycamore extension is not currently connected to the main Mission Trails Park, there are long term plans to procure land that will link the two. Continue reading West Sycamore (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Black Mountain via The Nighthawk Trail
Black Mountain is a relatively small yet scenic peak in the Rancho Penasquitos area. It’s antenna clad crest stands out prominently amid its lower lying surroundings, and can be easily seen and identified from other nearby San Diego peaks like Mt. Woodson and Iron Mountain. Continue reading Black Mountain via The Nighthawk Trail
Rancho Mission Canyon
Rancho Mission Canyon is one of San Diego’s many little neighborhood open space canyons that provides a small swath of natural space within our urban landscape. The nearby Mission Trails Regional Park draws most of the crowds, so you’ll likely have some quiet solitude in which to enjoy the chaparral covered hillsides and chirping birds. Continue reading Rancho Mission Canyon
Winter Solstice at Cowle’s Mountain
Winter Solstice is technically the exact moment in time the sun is precisely over the Tropic of Capricorn, however most people generally recognize the entire day on which this occurs as the Solstice. It is also the shortest day of the year, and the first day of winter. In many ancient cultures, the Winter Solstice was an important day that signified rebirth and the transition into winter, and was commonly celebrated with great festivals and feasts.
For us, Solstice, like most other holidays, is a great excuse to go for a hike! We woke up super early this morning to join the San Diego Natural History Museum’s Canyoneers who led a hike up Cowle’s Mountain to observe the Winter Solstice. Continue reading Winter Solstice at Cowle’s Mountain