I wanted to explore some more new-to-me trails, so one afternoon, I decided to finally hike the Old Coach Trail in Poway. I pulled into the empty staging area just north of Espola Road and set off to the north. Initially, this trail (technically “Justin’s Trail” for this section follows the road for 1/2 mile. Then, on the other side of the road is a signpost for the Old Coach Trail. My route now skirted the edge of a neighborhood, following an old dirt road along a riparian stream bed of Sycamore Creek. The Old Coach Trail served as the route for Butterfield Stage service between Poway, Escondido, and San Diego in the late 19th Century before being replaced by the coastal railroad and the rise of automobiles.







I climbed up and down, winding through another of those fine old oak groves which, according to the City of Poway, are some of the oldest in the city. After crossing a very fine bridge over Sycamore Creek, I could see the Maderas Golf Club off to the east. I even found an errant golf ball on the trail (I mean really errant!). It was now I would begin a good climb toward Heritage Drive.







The trail made a turn to the east along this road before turning northwest again onto a paved fire access road. I made my way down the steep grade, with a view of the Highland Valley before me. Once at the bottom, I passed around the border of the AQUA 2000 Research Facility, which was an experimental aquaculture water treatment facility that is currently inactive. From there, I hiked through the nursery, following the signs until I reached Old Coach Staging Area on Highland Valley Road. I grabbed a quick snack and retraced my route. Beyond one lone mountain biker, I had the trail completely to myself. Due to a miscommunication with a friend, I had to hustle the last mile and a half to make it back for a dinner engagement. With that said, this was still a great hike with 7.75 miles and a healthy 1,125 feet of gain.
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.