One of my favorite weekend activities is hitting the trails on hike with the family!
And there are some amazing views in San Diego.
Here’s a list of my favorite places to hike with a view:
Torrey Pines State Park
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a wilderness island in an urban sea. This fragile environment is the home of our nation’s rarest pine tree – Pinus torreyana. Once this tree covered a larger area. It now grows only here and on Santa Rosa Island off the coast near Santa Barbara. The park preserves not only the trees, but also one of the last salt marshes and waterfowl refuges in Southern California. The reserve features high broken cliffs and deep ravines on headlands overlooking the ocean. Hikers can follow trails through stands of wind-sculpted pines. A picturesque, pueblo-style structure that served as a restaurant when it was built in 1923 houses the visitor center, featuring interpretive displays. Picnicking and camping are prohibited in the reserve. The reserve’s rich plant community features wildflowers in the spring and visitors can see the California quail gathered in coveys in the early mornings of fall and winter.
Mission Trails Regional Park
Encompassing more than 8,000 acres of both natural and developed recreational areas. Its rugged hills, valleys and open areas represent a San Diego prior to the landing of Cabrillo in San Diego Bay in 1542.
Centrally located and only eight miles northeast of downtown San Diego, Mission Trails Regional Park provides a quick, natural escape from the urban hustle and bustle.
Sunset Cliffs Coastal Trail
Sunset Cliffs Park Trail is 2.4 mile long and a heavily trafficked trail. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Cowles Mountain Trailhead
The scenic pathway up Cowles Mountain is one of the most popular trails in San Diego County. The trailhead starts in the San Carlos neighborhood on the corner of Golfcrest Drive and Navajo Road and summits the highest point in the City of San Diego. Visitors will enjoy great views during the entire ascent but the summit offers 360-degree panoramic views of downtown San Diego, Mexico, North County, and Orange County on a clear day. The trail can get steep and rocky towards the summit but the views are worth it! Because of its popularity, there are often many hikers on the summit. If you want to avoid crowds, make sure to hike early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The trail has been eroded due to the constant foot traffic, so users suggest watching your footing. It is a good workout and a great hike to beautiful views.
Los Penasquitos Canyon Trail
Located just 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego, Los Penasquitos Canyon Trail in Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve is a popular destination for runners, walkers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. The trail is well-maintained, generally flat and offers a mixture of shade and sun along the route. Visitors can stay on the main drag or head off on the single lane trails that meet up with the two main trails. The trail is great for kids and a pleasant route for enjoying the gorgeous blue skies stretching across San Diego County. Roads and trails in this area do periodically close due to flooding and wet conditions. There is a $3 parking fee at the parking lot off of Black Mountain Road.
Iron Mountain Trail
One of San Diego’s most popular hikes, the Iron Mountain Trail leads to the second highest peak in Poway and offers great views of Northern San Diego County. On a clear day, hikers can see Mt. Woodson as well as the Catalina Islands. The hike takes place just west of the Boulder Oaks Preserve and the Iron Mountain trailhead is accessed just south of the intersection of Poway Road and CA – 67. There is no shade on this hike so bring plenty of water and sunscreen. The trail starts flat along a wide sandy trail heading east, eventually getting steeper. There are some very rocky and washed-out sections, so sturdy boots are recommended. Hikers soon reach the Ellie Lane Trail and take a right towards Iron Mountain. There are numerous switchbacks before reaching the summit. Visitors can also access the Wildwood Mountain and Ellie Lane hiking trails from the Iron Mountain trailhead.
Lake Poway to Mount Woodson
This is by far the most popular hike for photo ops and beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean in all of Southern California. The steep and narrow hike up to Potato Chip Rock and the Mt. Woodson Summit is a must-do for locals and visitors alike. Potato Chip Rock is certainly one of the most unique rock formations in the area and draws scores of visitors looking to get a photo at the top. Located in northern San Diego County, the Mount Woodson Trailhead starts at the end of Lake Poway Road and offers hikers and trail runners a challenging route up to the famous boulder shaped as a potato chip. You’ll start along the Sumac Trail before turning left to follow the Lake Poway Trail for a short distance. Once you reach the intersection of the Mt. Woodson Trail, the route begins to ascend. This is a great hike that provides a good workout and is a fantastic option for those looking to train for longer hikes and runs. The Mount Woodson Trail is also very exposed so it is highly recommended that you bring plenty of water and sunscreen.
Cedar Creek Falls to Devil’s Punchbowl
The hike to Cedar Creek Falls is a challenging 6-mile roundtrip and is not for the faint of heart. The trail winds through a narrow canyon and can be very strenuous and dangerous in some sections. You start by hiking down into the gorge until you get to the falls, which means you will have to hike out of the gorge to get back to the trailhead. The dirt path is well-maintained, and there are regular mile markers along the way.
Cedar Creek Falls is a beautiful place, but it needs to be approached with the necessary knowledge and preparation. The cliffs in the area are dangerous and should not be climbed or jumped off of. The is little shade, and the brutally hot summer temperatures have been known to cause heat stroke, so bring plenty of water.
Please look online before making the trek out to make sure there are no warnings, closings, or advisories. This hike can be very dangerous on a hot day.
Three Sisters Falls Trails
Three Sisters Falls is a great hike for rock scramble lovers and a popular waterfall destination in the Cleveland National Forest of Southern California. The falls slow to a trickle in the late summer months but the views are incredible year round! Hikers will find a variety of native desert plants and lots of animal life. Start early or late in the day as it gets hot, bring lots of water, and use caution as this is a challenging hike that involves scrambling, rock traversing— particularly if hiking to the third waterfall or traversing the rocky bottom. This route is not recommended for kids or dogs due to these sections. The trail has been greatly improved and rerouted so ropes are no longer needed. The road leading to the trailhead is rocky— while a 4wd vehicle is not required, a vehicle with reasonable clearance is recommended.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
From Borrego Palm Canyon Campground, a great beginner’s hike leads into Borrego Palm Canyon, a leafy oasis fed by underground springs and shaded by California fan palms, the only palm native to California. The 3-mile/4.8-km round-trip trek leads through a sandy wash dotted with barrel cacti and ocotillo (look for hummingbirds flitting to the plant’s crimson flowers) to a grove of dozens of soaring, shaggy palms. Scan the high ridges and you might catch a glimpse of a bighorn sheep, and note the noisy chattering of birds—more than 80 migratory species use Palm Canyon as a watering stop on their flight through the desert.
