Jerry Schad and Park Ranger Casey Smith led hikes along Balboa Park’s new trail system yesterday following their inauguration at Sixth & Upas. One of the additions is the Juniper Staircase (at right). The beautiful granite creation brings hikers back to the west mesa from Cabrillo Canyon.
Five numbered trails (ranging from 1.5 to 6.5 miles) radiate out from the NW corner of Balboa Park at Sixth & Upas. Each trail is suitable for walking, running and sometimes skating or biking. The routes utilize everything from smooth sidewalks to rough paths darting up and down the park’s steep canyonsides. All are configured as loops, and their designated direction takes maximum advantage of the scenery.
A satellite image-based map was merged with a series of GPS-documented routes, a significant advancement in park signage designed to highlight topography, incorporating park landmarks to help guide the user and gauge the level of difficulty of the trails. The routes are marked with color-coded numbered signs to show distance, degree of difficulty and change of route direction. A committed group of community volunteers envisioned and developed this system in partnership and with guidance from the Department of Park & Recreation and the Balboa Park Committee.
Across Florida Canyon a second gateway serving four more trails is located at the Morley Field sports complex. More trails emanating in Golden Hill, the Park Administration parking lot and Marston Point are planned. The longer trails tend to visit the more hidden areas, such as the “Marston Hills Addition” section of the park, a branching canyon bottom that touches several of Hillcrest’s residential streets.
Maps of the trails (and more) may be obtained as PDF downloads when visiting www.balboapark.org/maps/maps.php or check out the fold-out maps in this book. FYI: Jerry Schad’s “Afoot and Afield San Diego County” is the definitive guidebook for local and regional hiking. (An article on the new trail system by Jerry will be in the next copy of HillQuest, an Urban Guide, which will begin distribution at our advertisers the end of this month.)
