So I have to admit, when I think of great places to hike in San Diego, Chula Vista doesn’t always pop up real high on the list. But since we often find ourselves with the desire to go outisde and play, but not a lot of time to spend driving out to the mountains, I was happy to find a large swath of green showing up on Google Maps within a short distance of our house.
Further investigation showed that swath of green to be Otay Valley Regional Park, a riparian expanse straddling the southern border of Chula Vista. After a quick perusal of the available trail map, and with Google’s assurance that it was but a brief 15 minutes away, we grabbed our packs and headed out to explore. Continue reading Exploring Otay Valley Regional Park→
Oakoasis is a small preserve in Lakeside that offers a short, relatively easy hike through a mix of tall chaparral and a peaceful oak grove. Some great views of San Vicente Reservoir can be found from a scenic overlook near the halfway point. Oakoasis is part of the growing San Diego Trans County Trail, which will provide a 110 mile trail from the coast to the desert once its completed. This is one of our favorite hikes to take our dogs on because the trail is wide and in generally good shape, the distance is just about right for our older dogs, and its never crowded when we go early in the morning. Continue reading Oakoasis Preserve Trail→
Located just north of downtown Julian, the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve is a 3,000 acre Preserve run by the San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department. While many parts of neighboring Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and the Laguna Mountains have suffered from the devastating wildfires of recent years, the unscathed Volcan Mountain offers an increasingly rare trek through lush oaks and conifers. Continue reading Volcan Mountain Summit/Five Oaks Trail→
So I have to admit, when I think of great places to hike in San Diego, Chula Vista doesn’t always pop up real high on the list. But since we often find ourselves with the desire to go outisde and play, but not a lot of time to spend driving out to the mountains, I was happy to find a large swath of green showing up on Google Maps within a short distance of our house.
