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: Under 5 miles
Foster Point
Just a few hundred feet off the Pacific Crest Trail in Mount Laguna stands Foster Point, a fantastic vantage point from which to take in views of the nearby Anza-Borrego desert and many of the area’s prominent peaks. To aid you in identifying these peaks, there is a rustic direction finder that was installed by the Sierra Club. Foster Point is an easy side-trip if you happen to be hiking this stretch of the PCT, but it also makes a fun hike all on its own if you’re looking for something easy with a big payoff. Continue reading Foster Point
Ysabel Creek to Raptor Ridge
Someday the Coast to Crest Trail will run continuously from the summit of Volcan Mountain to the ocean, but for now the longest contiguous segment of the trail is the 22-mile span between Highway 78 and Santa Fe Valley. A 22-mile point-to-point hike makes for an awfully long day hike, so we’ve been tackling this section in smaller segments. Continue reading Ysabel Creek to Raptor Ridge
Morrison Pond
Sweetwater Regional Park in Bonita has an extensive network of trails along the Sweetwater River. While much of those trails are adjacent to roadways, this short loop around Morrison Pond provides a slightly more quiet and secluded spot to enjoy nature and watch the birds. There are plenty of options for extending your hike along some of the connecting paths if you’re so inclined, but even this little loop can make an enjoyable excursion. Continue reading Morrison Pond
Lake Poway Loop
Most hikers know Lake Poway as the starting point for the famous Potato Chip Rock (Mount Woodson) hike, but there are some other adventures to be had there. If you want to enjoy the scenic views and rugged landscape that surrounds Lake Poway but avoid the Mount Woodson crowds, this loop around the lake is a good choice. There is little shade and some steep hills, so an early start during warm weather is advised. Continue reading Lake Poway Loop
Old Coach to Raptor Ridge
This segment of the Coast to Crest trail through San Pasqual Valley picks up where our last hike, from Mule Hill to the Old Coach connector trail, left off. This segment starts off almost perfectly flat as it continues along the San Dieguito River, then ascends to the Raptor Ridge Viewpoint where you have fantastic views of the San Pasqual Valley below. As you can guess from the name, it is an excellent spot to view hawks soaring by as they hunt. Continue reading Old Coach to Raptor Ridge
William Heise County Park
William Heise County Park in Julian has a number of shorter trails running throughout. We had previously explored the Kelly Ditch Trail, which runs from Heise to Lake Cuyamaca, and several trails on the northern side of the park including the Desert View Trail. That left us with three remaining trails to explore: the Fern Trail, the Potter Loop, and the Cedar Trail. Since all three of these trails connect, we elected to combine them into one larger loop. The result was this moderate 3.2 mile hike with a wonderful variety of scenery. Continue reading William Heise County Park
Monument Peak
Monument Peak in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area may not be the most pristine peak, topped with numerous antennae and towers – not to mention a satellite laser facility – but it is still a beautiful destination. The peak sits along the edge of the Laguna Mountains, with the Anza-Borrego desert lying below to the east. Continue reading Monument Peak
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
Canyon Oak and Desert View Loop
William Heise County Park in Julian suffered significantly during the 2003 Cedar Fire, but the damage is mostly evident only on the outer portions of the park, away from the campground. The northeastern end of the park contains three intersecting loop trails – the Canyon Oak Trail, Desert View Trail, and a Self-Guided Nature Trail – where you can witness nature’s recovery. The trails travel through a mix of oak and pine woodland and thick chaparral. The trails are rather steep in sections, but you will be rewarded with some beautiful panoramic views from the “Glen’s View” viewpoint in the middle of the Desert View Trail. Continue reading Canyon Oak and Desert View Loop