Shepard Canyon Loop

I wanted to explore another urban trail, so I returned to my old neighborhood and decided to hike Shepherd Canyon. I opted to link up North Shepherd Canyon to East Shepherd Canyon, then onto a trail that would skirt Mission Trails Regional Park and back to the start. I parked on Portobelo Street, right near Sheperd Canyon Mini Park. The trail dropped down into the canyon and headed southwest. It always amazes me how quickly the sounds of the neighborhood disappear and the sounds of nature emerge. The trail reached Villarrica Way after a short bit, and I crossed over to continue on the North Shepherd section. I continued along the trail until it reached Antiqua Boulevard. This was the southern terminus for this portion. But at the corner of Santo Road and Antiqua Boulevard, was the entrance to the East Shepherd Canyon trail. I crossed the street at the stoplight. A bit further south along Santo Road was the entrance to West Sheperd Canyon, but I would explore that another day.

I entered the canyon and learned that this part of the trail is also a nature plant trail. Along the first portion of the trail are about 22 signs that will help you identify the plant life. These information panels were installed about a decade ago by a local Girl Scout Troop. Originally, they were black with silver lettering, but exposure to the weather has stripped the black away. To learn more about this project visit shootingforsilverstars.wordpress.com.

Some of the local residents were out enjoying this wonderful trail. The stream was flowing just a bit, and it meant a few easy water crossings. I came to the turnoff to see Dishwasher Pond. A couple of benches were here to sit and enjoy the canyon view.

I continued on until I climbed out of the canyon and back onto Portobelo. While I could have followed the street back to the car, I was not done exploring. Just past the church, I crossed the street and picked up a trail heading east. Side trails would link to the houses nearby.

Soon the surrounding houses ended as I crossed over into MTRP. A few trails led off into the park, but I headed north until the trail turned west alongside some condos. From there I cruised along until I exited back to where I had parked. This was a lovely loop that should be in a book.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

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 both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer). I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.

Navajo Canyon Trail

Continuing my exploration of some of our urban trails, I decided to hike the Navajo Canyon Trail. This short hike is tucked away in one of many little canyons near SDSU. I found some parking near the trailhead, grabbed my gear, and headed over to the signboard. Since the weather is starting to warm up, a warning about hiking with your dog was posted. The trail was fairly wide at this point, and the drainage was flowing with some run-off from the recent rains. As I left the trailhead, the sounds of cars faded away. Instead, the occasional chirps from the various birds filled the air.

I soon started to have some simple water crossings, and at one point had to shift to hiking along a narrow path above the stream bed to avoid the water flowing along the rocky main section. There were a couple of side trails, but they were marked as access paths to the utility poles.

As the trail neared its end, there was a small climb to the trail’s end at a church’s preschool. From here, you are provided with a nice view of the canyon you just hiked through. There is another portion of the trail (an additional 0.2 miles) that you can continue hiking on, or simply turn around at this point. I opted to continue, so I walked past the preschool and then past their parking lot, to where the trail picked up again. The trail dipped down and across the drainage, then ended at Carthage Street. With the full trail done, I then retraced my route back to the trailhead. As I drew near the start, a family and their dogs were just heading out. I logged this hike at 2.5 miles, with a nice gain of 250 feet.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Sweetwater River Trail

After hiking some of the Sweetwater River Trail the day before, I decided to hike another section today. I started at Eastview County Park, which is next to the Sweetwater Campground. I spoke with the Ranger at the entrance kiosk who helped direct me to the proper parking lot. Several families were setting up for their children’s birthday parties. I wondered if I might be able to get a slice of cake when I get back from the hike? Since I hiked Dictionary Hill earlier, I needed to top off my water bottle before heading out. The trailhead was just a bit north of the entrance kiosk. I scanned the trailhead board for any notices and then paused to let two trail runners come up the trail. The ranger mentioned that I should keep an eye out for any ‘danger noodles’ along the trail, as it was starting to be snake season. With that in mind, I set off down the hill toward the river bottom.

The trail cruised, and just before a bridge that spans Hwy. 125, a connector trail from the actual campground joined. Once across the bridge, a large plaque told the story of Mary Augustine, who was instrumental in getting a trails system in place throughout Bonita. In fact, this bridge was named in her honor. The trail descended a bit more, with another trail joining, this time from the nearby baseball field. Once at the river bottom, the trail passed a set of horse stables before following the Bonita Golf Course. I cruised along the flat, wide trail and did indeed encounter two women on horseback. I stepped aside and hid my trekking poles from view, as I have learned that trekking poles can spook a horse. A few other folks passed by, some running, some on mountain bikes. I came to my turnoff onto the Blue Heron trail which would take me to Morrison Pond, my intended destination. I had hiked around the pond a couple of years ago for the Tour Our Trails Challenge. The trail was now a narrow, sandy one as it drew closer to the water. I reached the junction with the trail that would take me to the north side of the pond, but like yesterday the river was flowing too much to allow me to cross. In fact, there was another hiker on the other side who stopped at the water’s edge. We chatted a bit before we both retreated from the river.

I continued westward, where I knew I would have some nice views of the pond. From there I kept going until the trail turned southward and rejoined the wide trail I was on earlier. I retraced my route, climbing back up the hill to the trailhead. When I reached the trailhead, I went to turn off my tracker, only to discover it had glitched and not recorded. Instead, I snapped a photo to use its timestamp to figure out my hiking time (I had taken one at the start). I would have to draw my route in GaiaGPS to resolve my distance. On the way back home, I stopped at Han’s & Harry’s Bakery for a nice apple strudel, since I did not score a slice of cake from the birthday party.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Florida Canyon

With my wife and daughter away in Arkansas, I took advantage of that and decided to hike Florida Canyon in Balboa Park. This is all part of my effort to explore more of our urban hikes in San Diego. Somehow, I found parking near the Spanish Village on a Sunday. I grabbed my gear and headed to the pedestrian bridge near the fountain. I took a quick look around the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden before heading through the Desert Garden and into the trail. The paved trail works its way down Florida Canyon and the road. I crossed over Florida Road and re-joined the trail.

I headed east until I reached a junction that took me up a draw toward the top of the mesa. The trail was moderately busy, walkers, runners, and mountain bikers were all out enjoying the nice spring day. Once on the mesa, I looped around until I reached the trail that would take me back down another draw to rejoin the trail that parallels the road. I then crossed Florida Drive and began hiking back up the switchbacks toward the start. Partway up, I spotted two hikers heading down with packs larger than one would need for this simple trail. I asked if they were training for something, and they replied they were off to Spain shortly to hike the Camino de Santiago. We chatted a bit about their upcoming adventure before parting ways. I reached the cactus garden and crossed back over Park Boulevard. Now, cars were circling for a parking spot. I tossed my gear in and headed home. There is another section of the canyon I plan to come back to and explore at a later date.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Dictionary Hill

With the storm that blew through the day before leaving a light dusting of snow on the mountains and the flowers blooming out in Anza-Borrego, neither of those destinations sounds appealing for a hike, so I decided to finally hike Dictionary Hill. This peak is tucked away in Spring Valley, so the drive to the trailhead was very similar to the one I made the day before when I hiked Steele Canyon. I parked the car at the end of the road, gathered my gear, and set off. I stopped at the trailhead signboard to check if there was anything I needed to know about. There were several posts about dealing with coyotes, so I guess that was a local issue. The trail passed under some eucalyptus trees and a small stream flowed past. I flowed the trail westward, first up a small hill, then along the stream bed. Signs pointed you toward the summit, so finding my way was not very difficult.

The trail now turned south and began its climb in earnest. After a bit, the grade eased and I could enjoy more of the views rather than my footing. Some plant restoration was occurring along this section. Up the hill to my right was a water tank, which I knew sat a bit below the summit. The trail reached a crest and the Sweetwater Reservoir was now visible to the south. I spotted another trail sign further up the mountain, ignoring the service to the water tank. As I was making my final push to the summit, a large coyote did in fact cross the road. It was about as big as my Australian Cattle Dog. Thankfully, no road runners or ACME products were spotted.

Soon I found myself at the summit. The actual top of the mountain is a small butterfly preserve, so entry onto it is not permitted. The summit did give me some sweeping views of southern San Diego. I took one of the other trails down from the summit as part of my research, but after rejoining the trail I used during my ascent, decided that doing this peak as a simple out-and-back was the best choice. I passed a few more people making the climb to the summit. This was a nice neighborhood hike.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Steele Canyon

I have driven past this trailhead numerous times, as I headed out for some of the peaks located further east. Finally, I had a chance to stop and explore the trails here. One of the main attractions for this hike is the historic bridge at the trailhead. I pulled into the smaller parking lot as there were a few spots available. I grabbed my gear and strolled across the bridge. The Sweetwater River flowed underneath it. Just past the bridge, was the larger parking lot. I wandered over to the signboard and checked out the plans to extend the trail system. It is always great to see new trails being planned.

The trail crossed a small stream, and off to the side, a horse and its rider were taking a break. Once over the bridge, I began noticing signs along the sides of the trail. One of the trail options is to take an interpretative nature trail, and these signs highlight the local flora and fauna. Some were created as part of an Eagle Scout Project, and others by a collection of agencies.

I cruised along until the trail reached a marked junction. Here you could continue back along the nature trail, viewing the southern portion of the area, or keep heading west. After about .2 miles I reached the other bridge that crosses back over the river. Once across I stopped to see explore my options, when a couple and their dog caught up with me. We chatted a bit, they actually hike these trails a lot and invited me to join them. Rosci (named after the ship from The Expanse) trotted along ahead of us. The trail was now the service road for the water district, so we had plenty of room to chat about the network of trails and other hikes. Soon we reached where the road was gated. Rosci had a well-earned drink. My new hiking companions told me more about the plans to connect the trail to the west. We headed back once we all had a nice drink. They pointed at a small trail that goes down to the river and a spot that was crossable, but once there the river was running too high. I returned to the service road, and I caught back up with them, as they stopped to give Rosci another break. We chatted some more until we reached the junction again. They stayed on the service road while I crossed back over the bridge and followed the trail to the river and west. After crossing a small stream, the trail climbed a small distance to a nice overlook. From here you can get a great view of the valley. I kept on hiking west for a bit, but it was getting closer to lunch and some chicken enchiladas from Mi Ranchito were calling my name.

Back at the initial junction, I took the trail to the south. The interruptive signs, once again started to dot the sides of the trail. I took a side trail up to a nice shaded bench near one of the other trailheads. I cruised back to the trailhead tossed my gear into the car and headed home. This hike was another great reminder that San Diego is filled with so many great trails tucked away throughout the county.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Kitchen Creek Falls

Since we just had some rain recently, I figured why not go see one of our few waterfalls? The hike to Kitchen Creek Falls seemed mild enough for my neck, so Ted and I headed out for the trailhead. We pulled into the parking area just before the Boulder Oaks campground, grabbed our gear, and darted across Old Highway 80. It was still a bit nippy as we cruised along the PCT. The trail took us under the 8 and then began the steady climb toward the falls. Soon we spotted our first NOBO hiker. PCT season had just started, so I fully expected to encounter a few while we were along the trail. We chatted with the gentleman from Florida for a bit. He was planning to hike as far as Kennedy Meadows. We bid him a good journey and continued on ours.

A PCT marker denoted the turn-off down to the falls. We spotted a few empty campsites near the junction. The trail descended steeply toward the falls, which came into view fairly quickly. They certainly were flowing nicely.

We poked around the area, enjoying the sounds of the flowing water. There was a nice campsite on the other bank that would be lovely to pitch a tent on. But soon it was time to climb back up to the PCT and down to the car. Along the way, we passed quite a few folks headed to the falls. We also stopped and chatted with several more PCTers making their way northward. Finally, back at the car, we tossed in our gear, changed, and set off to Hess Brewery in Alpine for some well-earned pizza and a flight of their beers.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Rass Benchmark

We made the short drive down from the Pena Springs Trailhead to the Hellhole Canyon/Maidenhair Falls Trailhead. I slipped the $10 into the fee slot, while Ted used the facilities that those fees help fund. Four cars were in the parking area already. I wondered if they were hikers out to view the falls early, or were they out hiking some grander adventure? This is the same trailhead that we use when climbing up to Webo Benchmark. After grabbing our gear and snacks, we set off. Soon we reached the junction with the California Riding and Hiking Trail and began our climb up toward Rass Benchmark.

The trail was in better condition than the section we were just on, as being lower, there was less water damage. We could see various plants and cacti starting to begin their spring blooms, but it was still just a bit too early for anything of note. After about 1.3 miles, I began scanning ahead, trying to spot the benchmark. The CRHT basically passes right over it, so I knew I would have to look too hard for it. There, just to the north of the trail, stood a small cluster of rocks. Checking our map, that appeared to be it, so I walked over and spied a reference mark. Welcome to the summit of Rass Benchmark.

Scrambling up, I found the actual benchmark and a register tucked down in the rocks. As I ate my snack, I thumbed through the register, reading many familiar names, and then on a blank page added our own. We snapped our photos and began our descent. The neck was doing ok, but we were starting to think about a real lunch. I had planned to hike over to Hans Benchmark which was nearby, but neither of us felt like doing it. Instead, I pitched driving over and doing Woods Benchmark. It is located near the Borrego Air Ranch, southeast of town. We made the short drive over, sticking to the dirt road that goes around the Air Ranch, and parked at the base of the bump. It really is just a bump on the desert floor. Although we could have driven up, we chose to walk the ¼ mile to the top. There was a concrete block with a mark embedded, so we felt somewhat rewarded.

We snapped a couple of quick photos, then back to the car and into town. We opted to try Carlee’s for lunch. With our hunger resolved, we bid farewell and made the uneventful drive home.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Wee Benchmark

Initially, I considered hiking Volcan Mountain to get it done for this year’s 6-pack of peaks challenge. But I realized I could hike it almost anytime, so instead I looked at some options out in Anza-Borrego. I still needed to be mindful of my neck issues, so I settled on trying a few easier ones on the Borrego Benchmark club list. First up was Wee Benchmark. Ted carefully drove up the dirt road to the Pena Springs Trailhead and parked at the turnaround. We grabbed our gear and set off.

Our route followed the California Riding and Hiking Trail for about a mile, making its way up. Soon, Wee Benchmark came into view, we continued on until we were directly south of it, then made the short cross-country climb to its summit.

There we found the benchmark and two registers. I signed us in, while Ted wandered around snapping a few photos. We gazed over toward Hellhole Flats and the various summits that stood out. Since we were hoping to climb a couple more peaks today we headed back down. Once back at the car, we tossed in our gear and headed to our next adventure, Rass Benchmark.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Pyramid Peak

Decided to try to knock off one of my 20 remaining San Diego Sierra Club x2 peaks on Sunday. Susie also needed to climb Pyramid Peak again, so she opted to come along. Sadly, Ted wasn’t feeling up to a hike of this difficulty and waved off joining us. We pulled into the same parking area used to start the long journey up Villager Peak. About 4 cars were already parked here, as well as Rick and Andrea who would be joining us on this trek. I had hiked with them a few times in the past, and since they were also working on both the 100 Peak Challenge and the San Diego Sierra Club 100 peak list, why not try to coordinate some attempts together? After introductions were made, we all finished getting ready. They run a YouTube channel, so they would be stopping from time to time to set up a camera for various hiking shots. The first part of the hike was across the flat open desert toward the wide Palo Verde wash, about a mile or so to our northeast. Since the sun was up, I had no trouble navigating us toward it. Once in the semi-rocky wash, I kept an eye out for the exit out of it onto an old Cahuilla trail. Around some smoke trees, I spied it, double-checked my GPS track, and climbed up.

The trail would steadily climb about 650 feet over the next ½ mile. Part way up, across the canyon, we spotted the remains of an old molybdenum mine. On some maps, it is referenced as the Prospect Mine, but many just refer to it as the Moly Mine. As in Derek’s trip report, we also spotted a bone along the side of the trail. Andrea was not feeling 100% and was hiking at her pace. We would stop from time to time to regroup and verify that we were still good to continue. Once we reached the pass between the two washes, we got our first glimpses of Pyramid Peak off in the distance. After a short flat section, we dropped down into Smoke Tree Wash. This section took a bit of care, as the trail was narrow and the drop-off was pronounced. Thankfully, we were quickly across this portion and down in the wash. We again verified that we were still good to continue on up the wash for a short bit.

A cairn marked the exit from the wash onto the first of two ridges we would take to the summit. The trail would become steeper, with about 1,300 feet of gain over the next 1.1 miles, and the footing a bit looser. After a bit, it was clear our hiking paces were diverging, so we opted to split up. The route was fairly clear, and I did not feel that navigation was going to be an issue for anyone. I plodded along the trail, keeping my head down, in part to avoid the wind, and pushed toward the next ridge. Once on the second ridge, we looked back for Rick and Andrea and saw they remained a good ways back. After about 1⁄4 of a mile, we reached the summit. A nice-sized cairn stood there, with an ammo back holding the register. The views were sweeping, but the wind was blowing around 30 mph, so we knew we were not going to linger too long. We had our snacks and snapped some photos. In signing the register, we learned that Steve Fausset had passed. Susie had hiked with him once and I was familiar with his name from various registers scattered across a myriad of desert peaks.

As we made our descent, Rick and Andrea were still pushing toward the summit. We knew they were experienced hikers and we did not need to worry too much about them, so after chatting a bit we let them keep climbing while we made our careful descent.

The descent went fun until I slid and got a collection of chollas stuck into my left hand. That was painful to pluck out! Finally, we reached the wash and the 1.5 miles back to the car. I sent a text to Rick that we were down, and sometime later they did the same. Overall my neck and back did pretty well. I logged the hike at 8.1 miles with 2,824 feet of gain. Our total travel time was 7:13, but that included several breaks as we regrouped.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!