A great gem to boulder outside locally. Managed to send some boulders that were most likely v0-v1s…read moreout there. Although a few felt like v2s & up, hah! Park in the West Hills Park parking lot. Quaint park w/ clean bathroom then head your way out the park across the street. Spoke to another climber who informed us where some of the beginner boulders were. Basically about a 10 minute walk, set up, & have fun. Sunblock & hydrate especially around this time. Also, we were told there were coyotes so be careful. Luckily, we didn't see any. Stay safe & have fun!!!

I'm a beginner to rock climbing and been doing it indoors for few months now; bouldering, top rope…read moreand traverse climb. I was invited to try the Santee Boulders today and this is my first time to do it outdoors. I drove to Santee to check it out and meet new climbers as well. It was a nice day, super hot though about 89 degrees. I met the coolest climbing group and introduced myself. After watching them climb, it was little dragon's turn to climb the 5.6 boulder- oh boy the climbing starts, WOW what a workout! I did pretty good for a beginner and got to the top, awesome view. Now I have to buy a crashpad to practice my outdoor bouldering skills. It was fun and I enjoyed it. Another nice day in San Diego.

Hubby and I hiking spot Cowels mountain beautiful place to…read morevisit Bring your hiking boots and night light for evening trails after sunset

A local and tourist fav!…read more Cowles Mountain is a San Diego classic and the highest point in the city (~1,593 ft.), which means this short hike hits HARD! The main trail is about 3 miles round-trip with a steady, rocky incline. Be prepared to have your heart pumping fast with some heavy breathing. Who needs a warm up? Just come here! There are other trails in the surrounding areas and the popular 5-Peak Challenge. It's on my bucket list for sure! Cowles is one of the most popular hikes in San Diego, so the timing matters. Early weekday mornings are ideal unless you enjoy crowds. Parking is usually easy with street spots and a small lot if you're lucky. There's a restroom, but not fully stocked or well-maintained. So use if absolutely necessary. Bring enough water (especially on a hot day), wear good shoes with grip since it can get rocky along the trail. Don't forget to stop a few times to admire the view on the way up! The payoff is worth it. You get a 360 degree view of San Diego from the oceans to the mountains. Short, steep, sweaty, and effective! 4 stars on a good day and still one of my favorite quick workouts to get the adrenaline pumping!

I live across from the park and I will state that the trails are amazing. There are trails for…read moreeveryone with different types of difficulty. Go early in the morning or after 5ish as it gets very hot in the summer. Happy hiking!

I was excited to discover this park recently, and had a fun time checking out the Visitor's Center…read more(mostly the outside as it closes at 5 pm and we arrived a few minutes before on our first visit) .We took a short hike nearby (the Visitor's Loop, about 1.5 miles). This park encompasses a mind-boggling 6,000+ acres, with 43+ miles of trails...the rugged, hilly landscape is pretty amazing. We're looking forward to hiking some of the other trails, one near a historic dam (Old Mission Dam) and a lake or two (or more). There is a campground somewhere. I'd bring water and sunscreen and a hat, as there isn't a lot of shade. There are several places I think you can park but it's confusing...I'd start with the Visitor's Center parking lot. There was construction going on when we last visited. Most of the parking lots closest to the Center and nearest the trailheads close at 7 during the summer (earlier during the winter months, check out the website for accurate hours). I'm only giving the park four stars for its limited and confusing parking after hours and lack of helpful information provided when I was at the visitor's center on a subsequent visit. There is no parking or entrance fee, though, so that is a plus....

This is a very nice neighborhood park at the base of Big Rock Trailhead. I stopped by the park for…read morea walk and to watch some pickle ball at play. The park has a nice grass area for dog play, but dogs must remain on a leash. There is volley ball court, basket ball court, a playground with equipment, picnic tables that can be reserved for events, restrooms, tennis or pickle ball court, plenty of shaded areas, and a bike rack to lock up your bikes. I liked that the grass area was very well maintained, but the parking area had several pieces of trash lying around. It is said that people just drop their trash when there are public trash cans in sight. At any rate, this is a very nice community park.

This park is great, there's a large field, playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, and table…read morearea. A few years back I rented out the table spaces for a baby shower. There's also a little creek area. This park is great to visit on the weekends and during the week as well.

This trail is relatively easy. Paved road all the way through with little to no incline. The dam…read morewas absolutely gorgeous Wish I had been here earlier in the fall season when the leaves started changing colors. Would definitely do it again for a nice stroll/ leisure exercise

This is one of my favorite places to hike in San Diego because, I truly enjoy seeing and hearing…read morewater . It has such a relaxed feel about it . Different level of trails here from easy family friendly to more challenging with incline . It's a great place to view nature with an easy nature stroll if you want to take it easy . Some benches are set up for taking a rest near the dam or down the paved path. Bicyclist , runners, walkers and hikers can come out to play and go home happy . I did notice also a few picnic benches setting near the damn parking lot as well a water fountain is available . Porta potty's available there as well . The visitor center has regular bathrooms and maps for the trails .

At 1,369 ft, Pyles Peak is located near Cowles Mountain…read more There are a couple of ways to get to this hike, but I went through Cowles. I believe the other way is going to less trafficked route, the Barker Trail. At Cowles summit, if you follow the path near the antenna, it will lead you to Pyles Peak--a quieter 1.5+ mile out-and-back hike from Cowles summit. To get to Cowles summit you can either take the scenic route, which is a 1.5 mile hike to the summit or the service road, which is a 1 mile hike. There is a parking lot you can park in or street parking. There's restrooms at the entrance near the scenic side. There is not much shade so be aware of that. This hike is kept very clean. I just find it to be a little more on the boring side. This was the last hike I did for the five peak challenge! That could have influenced my feelings towards this hike.

Instead of following the traditional route of hiking up the front (south) side of Cowles Mountain,…read moreI started my trek from the end of the Mesa Service Road on the east side of Mission Trials Regional Park. The Mesa Trail actually had more shade to protect you from the heat and sunlight than if you started from the main trail head at the corner of Golfcrest Drive and Navajo Road. The tough part began when you ascended west on the Cowles Service Road towards the summit of Cowles Mountain. It was nearly a mile stretch in which the incline became rather steep in a couple of spots. As soon as you pass the top of Cowles Mountain, you keep going west for a few hundred more yards before you see a sign that directs you to a trail towards Pyles Peak. From that point, it was another 1.5 miles of decline and incline before you reached the summit of Pyles Peak. About halfway into this part of the trek, there was a view point (i.e. Pyles View Peak) where you could branch off back east for maybe a 1/4 mile until the path ended in a cul de sac. At that location, you get a wonderful view looking back towards the top of Cowles Mountain. It's a nice rest stop and photo opportunity. There was about 3/4 mile left to hike before reaching Pyles Peak. A sign posted 1/4 mile from the summit warned hikers that this was a difficult climb. I actually didn't find it any worse than the ascent up the Cowles Service Road. The sign at the Pyles Peak summit indicated you were 1379 feet above sea level. After taking several pictures and eating some snacks, I started my journey back to where my vehicle was. In total, this hike took approximately 3.5 hours with breaks to cover about 6.5 miles.

This is a great place to go for a walk or run. I started on the east side of Lakeside. The trail…read moreleads all the way to Santee and past The Lakeside Base Ball Park. What I really liked about the trail was that it was well maintained and the scenery was very nice. It's a great place to walk and talk. On the trail there are sections where there are small lakes and ponds with wild life to check out along the San Diego River. I observed a few benches a long the the trail. There's dirt parking on both ends and a lot more at the base ball field that I mentioned. Oh yes! I did spot a coyote on the trail, so be on alert if you bring a small pet or child.

Such a beautiful trail to walk in the early morning! The trail is well kept for bikes and bringing…read moreyour pets. You can look out to the lake as you walk along the trail. Although being right next to the lake there aren't many mosquitoes. Along the trail they have benches, informational signs, and dog poop bags!

This was my second time visiting San Vicente Reservoir, and it's quickly becoming one of my…read morefavorite places. Admission is $10 per person (for adults), and there's plenty of parking available. The reservoir recently expanded the dam, and the lake is absolutely beautiful. There's people fishing, wakeboarding, tubing, jet skiing, swimming, or simply relaxing by the water. Just keep in mind that Monday through Thursday is reserved for fishing only while the weekends are open for recreational boating and water sports. The scenery is gorgeous, and the atmosphere is incredibly peaceful. It's the perfect place to escape the city, spend time with family or friends, or just unwind and enjoy nature. If you're looking for a relaxing day on the water in San Diego County, San Vicente Reservoir is definitely worth the visit.

I looked up spots to fly drones in town and this one popped up. It's a nice reservoir. If you…read morehave boats and water toys this is your jam. I believe there are entrance and other fees for using them. Since I was not using any of those I got a free pass in to look around. Definitely a nice back drop to just chill and observe even if you do not have any water toys. I hear drone enthusiasts dig this spot. I can see why.