San Diego is considered to be California's 2nd most populous county; home to more than 3 million people. In order to keep its citizens entertained, there are 360 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails within the county!
I hope to hike many of the trails in San Diego so this post will be continuously updated. Check back often to find out where I have hiked!
Table of Contents
1. Eagle Rock Trail/Pacific Crest Trail - 6.2 miles
The Pacific Crest Trail is one of the most daunting but exciting hikes offered on the West Coast of the United States. A mere 2,653 miles that connects the Canadian and Mexican borders by one trail, this hike is definitely not for the faint-hearted and requires significant preparation.
However, most hikers accomplish the Pacific Crest Trail in sections, and I started with Eagle Rock Trail.
Information
Length: 6.2 miles (2.5 hrs)
Elevation Gain: 836 ft.
Route type: Out & Back
Fee: Free
Dog-Friendly: YES
Location: Warner Springs, California
The trail to Eagle Rock is an easy hike through both private fields and public lands and the rock definitely lives up to its name! With any hike, I recommend heading out early in order to miss the noontime crowds, although I hiked it on a Thursday (around noon) and there was a minimal amount of hikers.
This is an amazing hike for dogs as the trail does not have many sharp rocks or other debris that would injure them! My 15-year-old mutt, Sheba, was loving it!
Since the trail leads around the backside of the Eagle Rock formation, we took the time to find a shaded area to drink some water and eat some snacks before snapping a couple of photos and heading back to the trailhead.
The landscape was a mixture of a dense grove of trees bordering a small creek that gave way to vast meadows that were surrounded by soaring mountains. Although maybe not considered the most beautiful of hikes, Eagle Rock Trail is a great way to start checking off sections of the Pacific Crest Trail!
2. Torrey Pines/Broken Hill Trail - 3.3 miles
Torrey Pines State Reserve is a must-visit location for lovers of the ocean, flora, and San Diego. Between Black's Beach (notorious for its nudity and good waves) and Del Mar, this protected area has multiple hikes for its visitors.
However, since my parents and I have visited the Reserve before, we wanted to venture out on one of the hikes we had never experienced and thus choose the Torrey Pines/Broken Hill Trail. This trail is located on the south side of the Reserve and is accessible from both the main parking lot as well as the beach.
Information
Length: 3.3 miles (1.3 hrs)
Elevation Gain: 390 ft.
Route type: Loop
Fee: $20 for parking - can be accessed for FREE from the beach.
Dog-Friendly: NO
Location: La Jolla, California
I recommend starting the trail from the beach since this means that you will get to amazing ocean views at the beginning and end of the hike! Make sure you start at low tide, however, otherwise you might not be able to stay dry.
This is a very popular location as many of the places near the beach are prone to be, however, since this trail is not the most popular of hikes within the Reserve you will most likely meet only a handful of people along the way.
Although Torrey Pines State Reserve is one of only two locations in the world that the Torrey Pine grows, there is not a lot of shade to offer its visitors. The sea breeze that flows from the ocean across the cliffs minimizes the heat from the sun, but hikers should come prepared with lots of water and a hat.
The other hikes offered in the Reserve include:
The Guy Fleming Trail - 0.8 miles
Yucca Point Trail - 1.2 miles
Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop - 2.3 miles
In order to make complete use of Torrey Pines State Reserve, make sure to head into the water for a cool refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean after a long day of hiking.
3. Oak Canyon to Grasslands Loop Trail
Located in the Mission Trails Regional Park, this hike is more about the journey than the destination. However, don't let this deter you from enjoying the hike as it has enough charm and changes in scenery to intrigue all visitors.
This hike actually connects two separate trails into one continuous loop that incorporates a river, dam, waterfall (only after heavy rain), and open prairie into one fun trail.
Information
Length: 3.7 miles (1hr 34min)
Elevation Gain: 344 ft.
Route type: Loop
Fee: FREE
Dog-Friendly: YES
Location: Mission Trails Regional Park
This area of the Mission Trails Regional Park is covered in trails and places to explore so don't worry if you choose your own path while visiting the park. But ALWAYS stay on the designated trails in order to protect the natural landscape.
There are a number of bridges along the trail that are the work of local San Diego Boy Scout troops and the trail is perfect for dogs!
I would love to be able to explore more of Mission Trails Regional Park since there is a lot more offered than this single trail. Visit the Mission Trails Visitor Center and pick up a map that lists all of the available hikes so that you don't become lost while exploring the park!
4. Garnet Peak Trail/Pacific Crest Trail
Looking for beautiful scenery and snow only an hour away from San Diego Beaches? Head out to Mt Laguna and tackle this section of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Garnet Peak is a beautiful destination year-round but I would definitely recommend heading out in "winter" (Jan. & Feb.) in order to beat the heat and to enjoy a bit of a winter wonderland!
Information
Length: 4.0 miles (2hrs 5min)
Elevation Gain: 688 ft.
Route type: Out & Back
Fee: FREE
Dog-Friendly: YES
Location: Mt Laguna
There are three separate ways to access Garnet Peak, however, we chose to incorporate part of the Pacific Crest Trail in order to enjoy more of our time on the hike. This was the best choice since the road to the rest of the trailheads was closed past the Garnet Peak/PCT trailhead due to snow.
The Pacific Crest Trail portion was relatively flat and hugged the side of a large canyon that rose from the Anza-Borrega Desert. This made for an interesting contrasting view since we were hiking through snow but were gazing out onto a completely barren desert.
Once we got to the turn post and started the ascent to Garnet Peak, the trail became a little more tricky due to the fact that not many people had traversed the trail before us and the snow was deep in some areas. This did not deter us from scrabbling to the top of the peak and gazing out on the surrounding landscape.
Make sure to bring waterproof hiking boots, since the trail is almost completely covered in snow and the parts that were bare were muddy. Although I had read on a couple of other websites and trail guides that the Peak would be very windy and we would need to come prepared for the cold, in actuality, I was pleasantly surprised how temperate the weather was. The wind did not start picking up until we were heading down and even then I stayed warm by simply hiking!
If you are unsure what to pack for a hike make sure to check out my blog post Hiking Essentials!
Similar to Eagle Rock Trail, Garnet Peak is a hidden gem of a hike that you should take the time and explore. If you want to make a day out of your trip to Mt Laguna, there are multiple places off of Sunrise Highway to go sledding and make snowmen. In the summer, there are multiple picnic locations.
Iron Mountain Trail
As one of the more popular hikes in San Diego, Iron Mountain is great for hikers that are looking for a challenge but are not ready to tackle Mt. Woodson (which is famous for its gravity-defying "Potato Chip Rock"). This trail was the least maintained of any of the hikes listed above, but don't let this stop you from reaching the peak.
My biggest piece of advice is to start early. The parking lot at the Iron Mountain Trailhead fills up quickly, especially on the weekends. An early morning start prevents you from getting stuck at the top of the mountain in the strong mid-day sun. With little shade and a large elevation gain, this hike can become tough if hikers are unprepared.
Information
Length: 5.2 miles (3hrs)
Elevation Gain: 1,102 ft.
Route type: Out & Back
Fee: FREE
Dog-Friendly: YES
Location: Poway
As most hikes located in San Diego County, there are multiple hikes that start and end at the Iron Mountain trailhead. I personally have only hiked Iron Mountain twice, but I will probably venture out and try one of the other hikes on my next trip.
Since this hike had a 1,000 ft elevation gain, there were some amazing viewpoints along the trail. However, I think the best view is from the peak looking south. At times a layer of fog might obstruct the surrounding mountain ranges, but this leads to some interesting imagery of the emerging peaks.
There are a couple of picnic tables located at the top and an Eagle Scout project that allows visitors to learn the names of the surrounding mountains.
Heading down the path is a lot easier than the climb to the top, so take advantage of the extra time by enjoying the ever-changing scenery.
Great descriptions Sam. I wish I was near enough to go on some of those hikes! It will have to be a plan for the future.