San Diego is an outdoor lover’s paradise with its varied terrain and temperate climate. No matter what time of year it is, you’ll be faced with several options for hiking, from refreshing swimming holes deep in canyons to beach hikes that bring you up close to bottlenose dolphins and seals cavorting in the Pacific Ocean. Consider these favorites – including easy and super-hard, in town and out of town, dry and lush, when nature calls you to the trails in San Diego.
Here are some of the best hikes in San Diego:
Cowles Mountain
Join the fearless local runners who grind their way up Cowles Mountain in the name of fitness. It’s just 1.5 miles to the top, but 1,595 feet, making for a brutal lunch-hour workout. The rewards are great, though, with 360-degree views.
Palomar Mountain
Feel like you’re in the midst of the Sierra Nevadas while staying close to the city. The trail is surrounded by large Douglas fir and cedar trees and offers views of the San Jacinto peaks. If you climb the 6,140-foot peak in the evening, you can visit the Palomar Observatory at 4.5 miles in, where you can do some incredible stargazing with the 200-inch reflecting telescope.
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
It’s easy to pick up this trail from Ladera Street and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in Ocean Beach. Work the 1.5-mile hike into your busy day and you’ll escape to a natural world of sea cliffs, tidepools and fresh mountain air. In the evening, you can usually glimpse bottlenose dolphins and seals.
Balboa Park Trails
Within the confines of this 1,200-acre cultural landmark in San Diego, you’ll find more than museums and art exhibits. There are botanical gardens, as well as five trails to hike, from 1.5 miles to 6.6 miles. Wind up and down canyons and pass through oak and pine forest as you discover this incredible urban green space.
Borrego Palm Canyon
This is the quintessential San Diego hike, with its ripe cactus gardens, wildflowers and namesake bighorn sheep (borregos). Plus, it’s relatively easy, flat terrain for 3.2 miles, leading you to the third largest palm oasis in California.
Mount Woodson
Known locally as “Potato Chip Rock,” the photogenic rock formation at the top of Mount Woodson is a favorite local hiking destination. Follow the zigzagging, 6.4-mile trail through massive boulders to one of the highest peaks in the county – you can see Lake Poway and Palomar Mountain from here.
Iron Mountain
Come to Poway for this family-friendly, 6-mile hike showcasing diverse California natural landscapes. The lilac-strewn trail is well maintained and marked and is a favorite of horseback riders. Start early to avoid the heat.
Cedar Creek Falls
The best part of this hike may just be the end, where you can cool off in a fantastic swimming hole beneath a 75-foot-tall waterfall. The 4.2-mile, roundtrip hike takes you through exposed dry areas before reaching the gouged-out pool and oasis area.
Torrey Pines State Reserve
One of the natural crown jewels of the San Diego area, Torrey Pines State Reserve offers 8 miles of hiking across multiple trail choices. For the most picturesque lookouts, head to Razor Point (1.3 miles) or Guy Fleming (0.7 miles). Or, had to the beach (1.7 miles). The whole park is blanketed with rare pine trees, native flora and jagged sea cliffs. The 2.4-mile loop trail is a favorite for combining all the elements of the reserve. Next door, you’ll find one of the last salt marsh areas in southern California, the Los Penasquitos Marsh Natural Preserve.
El Cajon Mountain
For the most grueling hike in the San Diego area, point your GPS to El Cajon Mountain (or “El Cap”). An 11-mile trail follows an old mining road to the top of the 3,675-foot mountain. It can get so hot here that the trail is closed during August. You’ll feel worthy once you reach the stunning views and realize why IRONMAN triathletes use this trail for training.
Annie’s Canyon
A fun one with older kids, this 2-mile loop trail in Solana Beach takes you through an impressively narrow slot canyon, then up a metal ladder for a gorgeous lagoon and ocean view. You’ll gain only 100 feet of elevation, but enjoy vistas of the ecological preserve and wetlands as you walk.
Three Sisters Waterfall
Love a good water hike? Try the 4-mile roundtrip Three Sisters Waterfall trail in Cleveland National Forest. It’s particularly popular in late spring when snowmelt makes the cascades gush larger than usual. It is steep getting in and out of the canyon, so be prepared to scramble a bit – there are some rope holds available, but hiking poles are a good idea. There are three tiers to the waterfall in the canyon, so once you’re down there, be on the lookout for marked trails to lead you around.
Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge
This is a fantastic hike in March for the wildflowers blooming on the 7-mile loop trail. It’s a local favorite in the Anza Borrego desert, so start early to avoid the heat and the crowds. Be prepared for steep sections and scrambles, as well as portions that go through old train tunnels and across a trestle bridge.
Batiquitos Lagoon Trail
Take a day trip to Carlsbad for this 3.3-mile roundtrip that is fully accessible for families, leashed dogs and those in wheelchairs or strollers. Within the 544-acre reserve, you’ll see intertidal mudflats, coastal marshes, sagebrush, yucca and more.
Blue Sky Ecological Reserve
Northeast of San Diego, this 5-mile out-and-back trail at the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve is close enough to neighborhoods to feel convenient, but remote enough to feel like you’ve escaped the urban grind for awhile. The nearly 700-acre canyon offers a partially shaded hike on a wide, easy trail through oak woodlands, coastal sage scrub and native chaparral. If you’d like to learn more about the flora and fauna in the reserve, take a guided hike on the weekend. From the more open sections of trail, you can see Lake Poway, Lake Ramona and the town of Poway.