When the temperature starts to rise, we like to find shorter, easier trails we can do in the evenings once it starts to cool down. The San Diego River Trail offers some great options for easy hikes that are perfect for warm summer evenings. This 2.1 mile loop along the river in the Mission Valley area is a nice spot to bring the dog or to enjoy some nice views of the river as the sun sets.
While this is more of an urban hike – passing by trolley tracks, condos, and shopping centers – it is still a relaxing and scenic path along the San Diego River with some good opportunities for bird watching. Be aware you are pretty much guaranteed to pass by some homeless folks while walking along the river here. While we didn’t encounter any problems and the vast majority of homeless are perfectly nice people who are just trying to get by, if it makes you uncomfortable you will want to make sure you do this trail with a buddy.
We were looking for an easy hike we could bring the dog on at the end of a hot day, and this route fit the bill perfectly. We parked on the street along Hazard Center Drive, then headed east.
We crossed Mission Center Drive and picked up the trail on the corner. (Note that the trail also heads west from this intersection, we plan to come back and explore that direction in the future).
The trail went through a parking lot, and on the other side we found a kiosk with some information about the area.
It was a nice, paved path through lush vegetation. On our left a row of houses was mostly hidden by the brush, and on our right was the river, also largely obscured by trees and bushes. It was nice and cool in the shade.
Around .6 miles we came to a road – Camino Del Este. We could see the continuation of the trail just across the street, but turned left to walk a short way up to stop light and crosswalk to cross there.
We came back down the other side of the road and picked up the trail again heading east. There were picnic tables and trash cans all along the trail, which is especially nice when you’ve got your dog with you.
We continued east until we came to another road – Qualcomm Way – at approximately 1 mile. We turned right to cross the river and head back along the trail on the south side of the river.
As we crossed over the river, we finally got some unobstructed views of the water.
On the south side of the river, we made a right turn onto the path and began heading west.
There were condos on our left and the river on our right.
Around 1.3 miles we reached Camino del Este again, and turned left to make our way to the nearest crosswalk.
We made our way to the continuation of the trail on the other side of the road which passed behind a shopping center, and under the trolley tracks.
It was getting close to sunset, and the sky was putting on a beautiful show to the west.
We also spotted a handsome blue crowned night heron perched in dead tree near along the river.
Around 2 miles we reached Mission Center Road again.
We turned right, crossing back over the river, giving us another nice view of the water.
We continued up the road the corner of Mission Center Road and Hazard Center Drive where we had begun our loop, and headed back to the car.
Directions:
From Highway 163 go east on Friars Road for approximately .3 mile. Turn right onto Frazee Road, then left onto Hazard Center Drive. Park on the street along Hazard Center Drive. Once parked, walk east on Hazard Center Drive and cross the road to the southeast corner of the intersection of Hazard Center Drive and Mission Center Drive. map
| Total Distance: | 2.1 miles |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Total Ascent: | Negligible |
| Dog Friendly?: | Leashed dogs allowed |
| Bike Friendly?: | Bikes allowed |
| Facilities: | None |
| Fees/Permits: | None |
For more information, visit:
San Diego River Park Foundation
View route or download GPX from CalTopo
