Stretching from Morena Boulevard near Interstate 5 to the heart of Clairemont, Tecolote Canyon Nature Park is an outdoor oasis that offers city dwellers the chance to get away from it all, just a few miles from home.
The park is divided into three parts, by Mount Acadia Boulevard and Balboa Avenue, and there is plenty to explore.
You can start from the south end of the canyon if you want a more educational approach. This portion of the trail begins in Tecolote Community Park, which provides a variety of public services, including sports facilities and a recreation center. Just before the trail head, a Nature Center offers visitors a glimpse of the park's plant and animal life.
The center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.
The well-manicured trail features a replica of an Indian grass hut and several gardens, some of which are fenced off because of a revegetation project in the canyon. As you follow the path east, the University of San Diego is visible dominating the canyon rim to the south. The Immaculata church, the university's most distinguishing feature, towers over the landscape.
About a mile and a half on, you will encounter the Tecolote Canyon Golf Course, which parallels the trail. If you want to continue, you will have to climb a rather steep hill. This section of the park ends after about a mile, at Mount Acadia Boulevard.
There are several marked places to exit or enter this part of the park, including two on Genesee Avenue, and one on Boyd Avenue.
The middle section of the canyon is accessible via an entrance on Mount Ararat Drive.
The far north section of Tecolote Canyon is best reached by parking at North Clairemont Community Park, on Bannock Avenue near Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. The trail head there is at the end of a large grass field behind the community center building, marked by a Tecolote Canyon Nature Park sign. This trail is a little tricky, beginning by going down a steep hill. It's negotiable, but watch your step.
Soon you will find yourself in a tree-shaded creek bed. As you follow the creek – some parts parched and others alive with cool water – you may notice discarded beer cans and other trash. The area is home to vagrants, so you may not want to hike alone.
A little further is a creek crossing, a path of steppingstones. You can head south here, or continue northeast for a shorter excursion. The northeast path will bring you through a small forested stretch that is well-shaded with the creek snaking through it. Your hike will wind up at Genesee Avenue, a couple of city blocks from the Clairemont Community Center on Bannock.
The south route is flat all the way and also interesting, along a brook.
The only obstacle to watch out for is a damaged wooden bridge, apparently a victim of vandalism. It remains passable, but treacherous. From the bridge, the trail winds gently through the wooded basin before ending at Balboa Avenue.
The Tecolote Canyon Nature Park is one of San Diego's natural treasures that shouldn't be missed.
Declan Desmond is a freelance writer who lives in San Diego.
