San Diego Best Attractions

written by Scott Gressitt

San Diego is one of the best cities in the world for serious hikers. The attractions start at the coast with beautiful sections of sandy expanses, coastal escarpment such as Torrey Pines State Park, and move to advanced free-climbing in the Laguna Mountains. There are, in between, thousands of miles of trails that meander through the open chaparral that runs from the Mexican border north to Camp Pendleton, and east to the Anza Borrego Desert.

I have a few favorites that include some strenuous vertical trails, but reward some hikers with a place to launch a para glider for an easy flight back to a trail head. My absolute favorite is Black Mountain Open Space Park, situated east of Del Mar between Ranch Santa Fe and Rancho Bernardo. Local hang glider and para glider pilots call it “Little Black”, differentiating it from the much taller Black Mountain in Ramona, which we call (you guessed it) “Big Black”.

If you live anywhere in San Diego County, there is a good chance you’ve seen Little Black. When you look from the Del Mar Fairgrounds, it’s the mountain to the east with a huge antennae array. Hiking there is comfortable and relatively safe year round. There is, as most of San Diego County, a healthy population of rattlesnakes and coyote, but in my twenty-two years hiking and flying there quite regularly, I’ve never heard of anyone being injured by the locals.

There is an improved dirt road that one can hike from the pavement at the end of Laurentian Drive in Rancho Penasquitos. The communications companies that service the array on the highest point of the mountain, 1558 feet above sea level, use the road exclusively. There are several trails that run north and south over the more than two thousand acre park property, and countless coyote trails run between them. In the winter after the rains, the view, looking out in every direction, is spectacular. While there is ocean view from most of the trails, the whole area turns green after a heavy rain and the color is breathtaking. The best part of the day is getting home after a great hike, enjoying beautiful scenery, and smelling the sage on my clothes.

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Torrey Pines Reserve is a state owned park that is right on the beach. It is the home of our nation’s rarest pine tree – Pinus Torreyana or Torrey Pine.

It is an awesome place to go hiking and take great pictures. You can’t bring food in, but you can always have a picnic on the beach after your hike. Do bring water and wear good, steady shoes as there are dirt trails and hills.

There are free, docent led tours on Sat, Sun, and holidays at 10 AM and 2 PM. Typically they last 1 to 1-1/2 hours and can be tailored to the abilities of the participants.

The Los Peñasquitos Marsh is part of the reserve but there isn’t much to see there.

For more information and hours click here…

Torrey Pines State Reserve