Hiking the Peñasquitos Waterfall

One of the hikes that always seems to be on those “Top 5 Hikes of San Diego” lists is out to the Los Peñasquitos waterfall. For me, it is just down the road and one I do when I don’t feel like climbing Black Mountain. Starting from the dirt parking lot at the west end of the baseball fields, I head west down the North Side Trail. If I am doing this hike in the morning, there is usually the smell of bacon in the air from the nearby houses. This side of the canyon has less shade than the south side, so I am mindful of that as I hike along. Single-track trails break away from the main, wide trail from time to time. Those side trails are meant for hikers and horses only (although, I have encountered a mountain biker or two on them). These are nice during busier times, to get away from the crowds. Just be aware that they tend to be a bit more overgrown and doing a tick check is highly recommended. On the flip side, you will be closer to the creek, so you will probably find some nice spots to watch the water flow past.

As I make my way along whichever route I am following that day, I pass by Carson’s Crossing, one of 5 formal crossings of Peñasquitos Creek. This is almost the halfway point to the waterfall. Soon, I should start to see the small rocky hill that stands to the north of the waterfall, and my destination. At the junction just before the waterfall, a trail leads off to the north. This would take me up to the Duck Pond and Del Mar Mesa (see this trip report). The North Side Trail continues westward, and as the sign will point out, the water is just to the south.

You can climb down the rocks to the water, but I personally would avoid contact with it, as most of the water is urban runoff. On the other side of the creek, you should see some stone steps leading down. You can rock hop over the creek if the water level is low enough, but just watch out for poison oak that lines much of the shore. The Park Rangers have placed signs warning of this for a reason. On the weekend, this area can be quite crowded. You might spy a bench to the west from the main waterfall area. This spot will offer not only a better view of the falls, but usually a more peaceful experience. I leave the main waterfall area behind and walk back to the North Side Trail, continue west for a very short bit, then take the side trail leading south to that bench.

I like to return to the car using the South Side Trail, since it has a bit more shade, so once I reach Carson’s Crossing, I take it to cross over. If I want a longer hike, I could keep going west to the Sycamore Crossing and use it. Once on the south side of the canyon, the trail system is very similar. The main, wide trail and the narrow hiker and rider only trails that dart off to the side. The South Side Trail is also more likely to have some horse encounters, as there is a private stable to the east of Black Mountain Road. As you near the Peñasquitos Creek crossing, which I use to return back to my car, you will pass Eichar’s Grave. Although not the actual grave, this is a small memorial for John J. Eichar, who was believed to be a cook for the occupants of the Los Peñasquitos Ranch House in the late 1800s. An interesting bit of hidden San Diego history. There are some nearby benches on which to rest, but the trailhead isn’t too far ahead. Once across the creek, the trail splits. If you care to visit the Ranch House (check for when it is open), you can follow the trail to the left and it will take you to it. Or stay straight and you will find yourself at the parking lot. Typically, this entire loop covers about 7.7 miles, but if you meander along the side trails, or explore the falls, you might have a slightly different mileage recorded on your tracker.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.

Strolling the La Orilla Trail

When I hiked Annie’s Canyon from the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center a few years ago, just after crossing the bridge over the lagoon, I noticed that the trail split. We followed the route that led over to Annie’s Canyon, but I wondered where the other trail went. I decided to take a look online and find out the answer. It turns out that it turns southward along the freeway for a short distance before linking up with the La Orilla Trail. Being focused on climbing peaks, I often miss little hidden gems that might be close by. This trail follows La Orilla Creek as it flows into the San Elijo Lagoon and has a trailhead on El Camino Real, just north of San Dieguito County Park. I made the 15-minute drive over to the small parking area and set off down the trail. Right at the trailhead, near the informational kiosk, is an ADA-accessible picnic area. I learned later from the Park Ranger I spoke with upon my return, that this was just recently added, in part due to the requests of some users.

The start of the trail passes through a section where most of the views are blocked either by trees or other plant life. Along the way, benches would line the side of the trail, each dedicated to someone. At about .4 of a mile, the La Orilla trail intersects with the Santa Helena Trail which runs a short distance to the south, and ends at the Santa Helena Trailhead, while the Stonebridge Trail heads to the north. Continuing westward, I passed several pinyon pines, and their smell hung pleasantly in the air as I passed.

The trail soon made a small climb up, and then split. I took the right fork which led off to Tern Point. From this vantage point, you can see the eastern end of San Elijo Lagoon. Two benches provide a nice resting spot. After snapping a few photos, I continued westward, making my way down the hill and back to follow the lagoon’s edge. Here the trail became quite sandy for a section, and a couple of times quite swampy. The trail came to a T junction, with the trail to the right taking you out to another viewpoint, while the other trail became the Santa Inez spur trail. After enjoying the viewpoint, and seeing some of the waterfowl a bit closer, I followed the Santa Inez Trail. This took me past the native plant nursery that is located near the Santa Inez Trailhead, and the trail that follows the freeway and links up the trails that take you onto Annie’s Canyon or to the Nature Center. I opted to turn back at this point, as I still had some work to do. As I neared Tern Point again, I took the other trail I had bypassed earlier and passed by two massive eucalyptus trees, before rejoining the main trail. This trail certainly fits the bill as a “hidden gem”. I logged the entire trail at 3.4 miles.

Hiking the Duck Pond Loop

With the predicted rain coming (yay!), I decided to get in a quick mid-day hike. I drove over to Elizabeth Rabbitt Park and set off down toward the Duck Pond. This is a popular route for mountain bikers, but on a Wednesday afternoon, I doubted I would see but one or two. Quickly, I found myself at the pond, and after a brief survey of it, I continued on down to Peñasquitos Canyon.

This route drops you almost directly at the waterfall. I circled around to the south side and took a few photos in the afternoon sun.

I continued westward through the canyon, passing several large pools that lined the trail. At times, the trail would split, with one path for horses and another for other users. I passed the Sycamore Crossing and continued until I reached the Side Hill Trail that I would use to climb out of the canyon and back onto the mesa. It did afford a nice view of the canyon from near the top of the trail.

Once back at the mesa, I followed the wide and well-groomed trail that follows the road. From time to time, dry vernal pools would line either side of the trail. If we get enough rain, this might be worth revisiting. Soon, I was back at my starting point, having logged 4.3 miles in just over 1:20.

Strolling along the Tidal Trail

With the trails dry enough to hike on, I made the short drive toward Del Mar to explore the new Tidal Trail. This trail was recently opened as part of the Coast to Crest system and it shares the trailhead with the Dust Devil Nature Trail. I brought our dog along to enjoy some trail time. We began along the North Loop of the Dust Devil Trail for about 0.2 miles to the junction with the Tidal Trail. The well-groomed and wide dirt trail went northward for a short bit before turning eastward, following the edge of the estuary. Birds could be seen probing the mud and the shallow water in search of a tasty morsel. The route is basically flat, so we cruised along. While the sounds of the cars whizzing along El Camino Real could be heard, they were mostly out of sight. The trail made another turn northward before coming to an end.

We turned back and continued to enjoy the views. Since I had an injection the day before in my knee, I opted not to continue hiking on the Dust Devil Nature Trail and called it a day. Plus, I would not have to edit the GPS track to only show the Tidal Trail. The hike was just about 2.3 miles and with a few dog-related breaks we did it in 45 minutes.

Hiking the Glider Port Loop

I decided to wrap up 2024 with another hike around Black Mountain. There were a few cars in the parking lot for Miner’s Ridge when I pulled in. My general plan was to take the Miner’s Ridge trail, then connect over to the Glider Port Trail and loop back to the start. As I cruised along the trail, I spent some time reflecting on the year, but those are my thoughts… When I reached the junction with the trail that would take me to the summit, I decided to go ahead and take it. The legs still felt good as I climbed the rocky path upward. Once at the summit, I snapped a couple of photos and headed back down.

I made the quick side trip to summit Peak 1376, because why not? I then continued hiking down toward the Glider Port itself. Living nearby, we see parasailers soar around the skies. Leaving the launching area behind, I headed to the Lilac Canyon Trail and followed it back to the Miner’s Ridge Trailhead. A nice loop to cap off 2024! To kick off 2025, I am thinking of a two-fer; Woodson Mountain, followed by Volcan Mountain if my legs feel good.

Lopez Canyon

The parking lot was half-filled, mostly with mountain bikers, judging by the bike mounts on the cars. We took the trailhead out from the east end of the parking lot, passing by some nice riparian growth. The trail quickly came to a T junction with one fork heading toward PQ Canyon and the waterfall, and the other into Lopez Canyon. We took the Lopez Canyon trail. The trail crossed over the dry Lopez Creek and then hugged the steep side of the canyon. We followed the old road for a while until we reached another junction. The right fork led out of the canyon, while the other stayed in the canyon. There were signs of habitat restoration underway as we stayed in the canyon

We crossed the dry creek a few more times until we reached the point where the trail faded into the stream bed. Anita and Rocky stopped here, and I pushed on for the last 1/4 mile or so to the bridge. I did spot a few ticks on my legs, which I quickly removed. The trail thankfully left the stream bed and I took a single-track trail toward the bridge. Once I was close enough, I retraced my route and rejoined Anita and Rocky. Our return was uneventful, passing two other hikers enjoying the trail. Once home, we plucked several more ticks off all of us. Ugh!

Oceanside Trail

The long-awaited trail from the Pt. Loma Lighthouse down to the tide pools finally opened. This trail was constructed by crews from Joshua Tree National Park, the California Conservation Corps, and the San Diego Urban Corps. We drove out and parked near the western end of the parking lot and followed the trail beyond the Military History Exhibit toward the Lighthouse. Just past the Kelp Forest overlook, the trail began its 350-foot descent. We passed by one of the World War II observation posts, and the trail provided a sweeping view of the coast and the current lighthouse. A couple of benches were strategically placed, probably more for those making the steep climb back up. Soon we reached the end of this trail and the start of the Coastal Trail. We wandered along for a bit, before beginning our climb back up the point.

Just as we set off, a rattlesnake slithered off the trail. Our wives were not pleased. As we neared the top, a man was walking down the trail with his two dogs. I stopped to inform him that dogs are not allowed on the trail and he responded, “that is in dispute “. I responded, “no it is not, so feel free to enjoy a ticket from the Ranger. By the way, there is a rattlesnake near the trail.” He continued on down the trail, and when I glanced back, another hiker was also speaking to him. We then wandered over to the newly reopened Visitor Center for a bit before heading down to Shelter Island for a picnic. It is nice to be able to more fully explore Cabrillo National Monument on foot.

Ruffin Canyon

We still had some gas in our legs after hiking Rice Canyon, so we opted to explore Ruffin Canyon in Serra Mesa. The trailhead was next to Taft Middle School and began by wandering through a small garden before passing by the school and then dropping into the canyon. Wooden stairs helped guide us down the canyonside. After ducking under some overgrowth, the trail kept working its way south.

Finally, we came to the canyon floor and the trail became very rocky. This was common along canyon floors, but usually, the trail would leave the stream bed. As we kept pushing on, no such luck. Checking the map, we knew we were almost at the trail’s end, so we kept trudging along. Finally, we reached the northern end of Portofino Apts. Neither one of us had any desire to walk back up the canyon through those rocks, so we opted to hail a Lyft to take us back to the car. I know my ankles thanked me.

Rice & Snake Canyons

I decided to explore another one of our urban trails – this time Chula Vista’s Rice Canyon. Ted and I pulled into the parking lot for the Rice Canyon Demonstration Garden. The trail headed almost due west, and brown wooden posts capped with yellow let us know this section of the trail is a part of the California Riding and Hiking Trail. We cruised along the wide, well-groomed trail until we reached North Rancho Del Rey Parkway. The trail picked up on the other side and continued west until it ended at East H Street.

Then, we followed the road to the Snake Canyon trailhead. Unlike Rice Canyon, this trail is a single-track, and judging by how it’s been modified by mountain bikers, we kept an ear open for any that might be riding down. The trail finally popped out of the canyon near a fire station, and from there it was a short road walk back to the car.

Tecolote Canyon North

I decided to explore Tecolote Canyon North today. While I had hiked Tecolote Canyon South a few weeks ago, roads and a golf course prevent you from easily hiking it end to end. I found the trailhead at the south end of a field behind the North Clairemont Rec. Center and took the steep and rocky trail down into the canyon. Once there, the trail quickly became a lovely stroll under the canopy of oaks and other trees.

The stream flowed along the trail, fed by the recent rains. The trail mostly continued south, with the occasional runner passing me. I had one stream crossing that took some care, as the banks were a bit slick from the mud. Once safely across, I kept enjoying this trail’s scenery. Eventually, the trail ended at Balboa Ave. While you can walk along Balboa Ave, to Clairemont Blvd., then back again to explore, I choose to take the trail that led up to Mt. Etna Park.

After a short climb, the trail sidehills along Balboa Ave. for about ¼ mile before dropping into another side canyon. I cruised along this trail, crossing over a nice steel-framed bridge. Once at the park, I began to retrace my route. It was then I remembered we have our mobile mechanic coming to my house to work on the car that was parked at the trailhead. I picked up my pace, and thankfully made it home only a little late (I did text him of my forgetfulness).