Otay Lakes County Park is a small park on the southern shore of Lower Otay Lake in Chula Vista. In addition to the usual playground and picnic areas to enjoy, there are some nice views to be gained by hiking to the top of a small hill on the southeastern edge of the park. Hopefully someday Otay Lakes County Park will be connected to the extensive trail system at nearby Otay Valley Regional Park, but for now this little summit is still a fun hike. Continue reading Otay Lakes County Park
Category Archives: South County
Cactus Hill Loop
Sweetwater Summit Regional Park has 15 miles of trails to explore, open to hikers, bikers and equestrians. The nearby Sweetwater Reservoir provides a scenic backdrop to the park’s rolling grass-covered hills. The park is also prime territory for vernal pools – temporary pools of water that form only during the wet season and provide important habitat for endangered and threatened species like the San Diego fairy shrimp. Continue reading Cactus Hill Loop
Dictionary Hill Open Space Preserve
Dictionary Hill Open Space Preserve in Spring Valley is the newest addition to the County’s open space parks. Thanks to the dedication and perseverance of the Dictionary Hill Open Space Advocates, the County Board of Supervisors recently voted to acquire and preserve these 175 acres.
In the 1800’s, Dictionary Hill was known as Lookout Mountain. Rufus King Porter, one of the founders of Spring Valley, would climb the mountain to check whether the steamer was in port before making the trip into Old Town to pick up mail and sell produce. Today, standing atop the hill, one can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of southeast San Diego.
There are several access points to the new open space, but we chose the trailhead at the end of S Barcelona Street as it appeared to offer the longest hike to the hilltop, and incorporates a stretch along Bancroft Creek. The trail began at the road’s end, leading into a dense grove of eucalyptus trees.
We followed the trail through the trees and turned right, heading west.
The trail climbed a short hill through the chaparral.
Before long it leveled out. There was a dry creek bed on our right, full of brush – Bancroft Creek.
Around .25 mile the trail crossed the dry creek bed and continued through the canyon.
Around .4 mile we came to a 4-way junction.
We took the left fork to begin making our way up the hill.
The path was steep and rocky. We were glad we’d bought our trekking poles as the footing was a bit challenging.
Around .55 mile we came to a “T” junction and turned left. Up the hill, we could see a small water tower.
Taking a moment to pause and catch our breath, we admired the stunning view to the east.
The trail wrapped around the southwestern flank of the hill.
Soon we were able to see Sweetwater Reservoir to the south. Here there was another wide junction, and we turned right to make our way towards the summit.
We passed a few more intersections but stayed straight, aiming for the high point.
Finally, right around the 1 mile point we reached the wide, open top of Dictionary Hill. We looked around for a benchmark or peak register but didn’t find anything other than rocks and brush.
The real destination though appeared to be on the western edge of the hill top, from where we had an outstanding view of the city below and the coastline beyond. We began picking out local landmarks and were even able to spot our house. In the distance, we could see the Silver Strand, Point Loma, the Coronado Bridge, and the Coronado Islands off the coast of Mexico.
We walked around the hilltop, taking in the panoramic views all around. To the north was Cowles Mountain and other peaks of Mission Trails.
Mount Helix was closer, to the northeast, and Iron Mountain and Mount Woodson could be seen far in the distance to the left. We were also able to pick out the distinctive forms of El Cajon Mountain and Cuyamaca Peak. All in all, we were extremely impressed with the view given the short climb that had brought us here.
After exploring the hilltop we decided to take a slightly different route down. We found another rough path leading down the northeast side of the hilltop, heading towards another water tower (different than the water tower we had passed on our climb up).
There was quite a network of interconnecting trails up here, but we just headed for the water tower.
Upon reaching the tower, we turned right and followed the fence line east down the hill.
We continued downhill, reaching a “T” junction with another utility road and turning left.
This road curved around and continued west down an extremely steep hill. The dirt was very loose and slippery, being that it hadn’t rained in pretty much forever, and we were once again thankful for our trekking poles.
Finally we reached the bottom of the hill and turned right.
We were now in the canyon through which we had come in, and in just a couple hundred feet passed the turn-off we had first taken to begin climbing the hill. From here, we retraced our route back to the start.
Directions:
From 94 east take the Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Head south on Sweetwater Springs Blvd for approximately .9 mile. Turn right onto Austin Drive and continue for approximately .7 mile. Turn left onto S Barcelona St and proceed about .3 mile to the end of the road where you will find the trailhead. Park along the street. map
| Total Distance: | 2.1 miles |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Total Ascent: | 565 feet |
| Dog Friendly?: | Leashed dogs allowed |
| Bike Friendly?: | Bikes allowed |
| Facilities: | None |
| Fees/Permits: | None |
For more information, visit:
Dictionary Hill Open Space Advocates
View route or download GPX from CalTopo
Mother Miguel Mountain (aka The Rock House)
Mother Miguel Mountain is a modest prominatory in the shadow of the much more impressive San Miguel Mountain (aka Mt Miguel). Since San Miguel Mountain is sadly not open to the public, Mother Miguel is one of the few easily accessible hikes with notable elevation gain in Chula Vista. This distinction, along with the photogenic Rock House (a large man made pile of rocks complete with flagpole) at the summit, make Mother Miguel Mountain a highly popular trail. Don’t expect to find solitude on this hike, but you will be rewarded with a great workout and fantastic views of the South Bay. Continue reading Mother Miguel Mountain (aka The Rock House)
Otay Valley Delta
The Otay Valley Delta once held farmland, but over the years the land was neglected and soon filled with invasive, non-native plants. In 2012 55 acres were restored, the weeds replaced with native plants and trees, creating a beautiful stretch of riparian habitat. This short loop explores the restored section of the Delta where the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the Otay Valley Regional Park meet. Continue reading Otay Valley Delta
Tijuana Estuary
The Tijuana Estuary is an internationally known bird-watching destination in our own backyard, home to threatened and endangered species such as the California Least Tern, Snowy Plover, and Ridgway’s Clapper Rail. While over 90% of California’s coastal wetlands have disappeared, the Tijuana River National Estuarine Reasearch Reserve is protected by several government agencies (including California State Parks, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and provides a wonderful opportunity to explore a wetland environment. Continue reading Tijuana Estuary
Tijuana River Valley Regional Park – Southwest
The Tijuana River has a reputation for being a rather unclean watercourse, and deservedly so. A multitude of political and socioeconomic factors contribute to the pollution of the river, which flows north from Mexico into the U.S. before reaching the Pacific Ocean. While both countries have been working together to clean up the river and address the sources of pollution, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
When one hears about the trash and sewage contamination that plagues the Tijuana River, its natural to assume this is not a desirable area to visit and hike. But despite these issues, the Tijuana River Valley is home to miles of fantastic trails that wander through a variety of landscapes. There are paths with dense vegetation close to the river, large ponds and coastal wetlands full of migratory birds, open grasslands, and beaches. Here, nature demonstrates its incredible resiliency with a showcase of birds, mammals, butterflies, flowers, shrubs, and trees.
Continue reading Tijuana River Valley Regional Park – Southwest
Rice Canyon
As much as we love San Diego’s back country, we don’t always have the time and energy to drive out to the mountains or desert to hike. Fortunately, even the more developed areas of the County are rich with opportunities for hiking and exploration. Chula Vista’s Rice Canyon Open Space Preserve is home to a two-mile section of the California Riding and Hiking Trail (CR&HT) in the middle of a large suburban residential area. The canyon provides a peaceful patch of natural beauty you can enjoy with minimal effort. Continue reading Rice Canyon
Tijuana River Valley Regional Park (Northeast)
Tijuana River Valley Regional Park (which is NOT actually in Tijuana) is an almost 1700 acre park in the South Bay region of San Diego. The park hosts over 20 miles of interconnected dog-friendly trails open to hikers, bikers, and equestrians. The park is adjacent to the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and offers some great opportunities for bird-watching. Continue reading Tijuana River Valley Regional Park (Northeast)
Tijuana Estuary/Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge – North Coast Trail
We had recently hiked the coast on the southern side of the Tijuana River in our visit to Border Field State Park, and decided today that we’d check out the north side. The North Coast trail is part of the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, which, along with Border Field State Park and some county owned land to the east, make up the the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR). Continue reading Tijuana Estuary/Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge – North Coast Trail