{"id":440277,"date":"2026-08-22T08:02:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T08:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/440277\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T08:02:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T08:02:35","slug":"hike-of-the-week-5-of-my-favorite-hikes-in-san-diego-county-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/440277\/","title":{"rendered":"Hike of the week: 5 of my favorite hikes in San Diego County \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

The sunset from my favorite East County mountaintop was truly spectacular this week.<\/p>\n

It always is. Year after year, I\u2019ve found it\u2019s the best place to see all the different colors the sky can make \u2014 the deepest oranges and purples and the most delicate forms of pinks and yellows.<\/p>\n

Unlike most of the hikes I\u2019ve done over the last nearly three years, this one, overlooking my hometown, was just for me. I wanted to come to a familiar hike to take a moment to reflect on the places I\u2019ve been and where I started.<\/p>\n

This is my last Hike of the Week column for The San Diego Union-Tribune. It\u2019s not that there isn\u2019t more hiking to be done \u2014 there are endless possibilities to hit the trail here in San Diego. But I\u2019m leaving the newspaper and moving to a position at the San Diego Natural History Museum.<\/p>\n

The column will be on hiatus for the near future.<\/p>\n

It has been one of the greatest gifts to report for my hometown paper, and even more so to write consistently about hiking and the outdoors. Over the course of more than 130 hikes, this column has become a key part of my life and has reaffirmed my love of San Diego\u2019s trails and open spaces.<\/p>\n

You, the readers, have been so steadfast in your support, and I am immensely grateful you\u2019ve come along with me on the journey. I hope you continue to explore and stay curious about the world around us \u2014 I know I will.<\/p>\n

Before I go, here are five of my top hikes.<\/p>\n

Red-Tailed Roost Loop<\/p>\n

This 5-mile loop<\/a> in the Laguna Mountains has a little bit of everything: black oak and conifer forests, grassy meadows and the perfect place to set up a hammock for a quick lunch-and-snooze. It\u2019s moderately strenuous and close to nearby campgrounds, making it a good option for campers.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe beginning of the Red Tail Roost Trail, heading west. (Maura Fox \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nBig Rock and Mesa Trail Loop<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that Mission Trails has excellent hiking, but this quick 2.7-mile moderate loop<\/a> near the eastern side of the park was a real delight when I hiked it last spring. The abundant mountain lilac, laurel sumac and sage kicked this to one to my favorites list. You can reach Cowles Mountain from these trails, too, beating the crowds at the peak\u2019s main trailhead.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Big Rock Trail starts behind the Big Rock Park in Santee. (Maura Fox \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nOceanside Trail<\/p>\n

A roughly 1-mile out-and-back trail<\/a> runs from the Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook to the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument. It\u2019s a great little trail, but the views of the ocean and Coronado Islands seal the deal for me. I\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it again: Cabrillo is one of the most beautiful places in all of San Diego County.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Oceanside Trail is located on the western side of the Cabrillo National Monument, offering sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. (Maura Fox \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nSanta Margarita River Trail<\/p>\n

Looking for a shady spring or summertime hike? Or a moody fall or winter walk? Look no further. Fallbrook\u2019s 5-mile Santa Margarita River Trail<\/a> has you covered year round \u2014 literally. The river is one of the few perennial rivers in Southern California. It\u2019s magical \u2014 I\u2019d be here everyday if I could.<\/p>\n

\"MostMost sections of the Santa Margarita River Trail South are shaded with oak trees. (Maura Fox \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nWhale Peak<\/p>\n

I love (love, love) the desert, so you better believe this tough climb in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is one of my most-cherished hikes. It was an 11-mile round-tripper<\/a>, with Class 2 to 3 rock scrambling and huge views from the 5,300-foot peak. Start early and grab a slice of pie in Julian on the drive back.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Whale Peak summit offers 360-degree views of the surrounding desert and beyond. (Maura Fox \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Happy trails!<\/p>\n

Readers interested in hiking and outdoors coverage are invited to share their thoughts and ideas with the Hike of the Week editor at abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The sunset from my favorite East County mountaintop was truly spectacular this week. It always is. Year after…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":440278,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[7,18116,74,84,76,75,420,1696],"class_list":["post-440277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-california","tag-hiking","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-county","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-things-to-do","tag-top-stories-sdut"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=440277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/440278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=440277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=440277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=440277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}