The hike through the Navajo Canyon Open Space isn’t lengthy, but it is rewarding, offering hikers stream crossings and solitude despite the busy nearby neighborhoods.
Navajo Canyon is one of San Diego’s open space preserves that I’d driven by dozens of times but never thought to visit. Now, after this week’s hike, I regret not going sooner. The roughly 2.3-mile easy out-and-back trail that travels through the canyon is lined with healthy vegetation and it’s quite peaceful. I had it all to myself, only sharing with a few rabbits and birds that were enjoying the space, too.
It was also the latest hike that more firmly solidified my love for San Diego’s canyons. It’s a special thing to still have some natural places, even with the city built around them.
To begin, park at the canyon’s southern trailhead, located on Adobe Falls Road where it meets Alvarado Canyon Road. Street parking is available, and the trailhead is marked with a few signs and a gate.
Start hiking northeast through the canyon on the wide dirt path. At first, hikers will hear the traffic from the nearby Waring Road and Adobe Falls Road, but it soon fades the farther you go into the canyon.
Near the 0.4-mile mark, the trail crosses over a small stream. There wasn’t much water there, but later in the hike, I crossed over two more that were fuller and required a somewhat technical jump across.
There is a particularly rocky section of the canyon, which some hikers may not enjoy. I didn’t mind it, since it was short and made me more mindful of where I was placing my feet, but keep in mind that it could be considered more difficult to navigate.
After almost a mile, the trail begins to ascend up the canyon. This is the steepest part of the hike, but it only lasts about 0.2 miles before the trail reaches a stopping point near the Sagebrush Children’s Center, located off Easton Court.
This is where I chose to turn around — the view looking south into the canyon felt like the hike’s pinnacle — though hikers can continue for a short distance longer on the trail before reaching its end on Mound Avenue.
On my return hike, I chose to take a slightly different route. At the 1.8-mile mark, near where I’d previously seen the first stream crossing, I followed another trail that ran parallel to the path I’d hiked in on. This other trail ended on Waring Road, near the intersection with Adobe Falls Road.
Once on the street corner, I followed Adobe Falls Road back to where I parked my car.
