SAN DIEGO — It’s always exciting to find a new trail in an unexpected place.
This week, I went to the Emerald Hills Open Space, near Encanto, for a roughly 1-mile out-and-back hike. I’ve seen this area while driving on State Route 94, but always figured it was just an undeveloped, inaccessible plot of land.
But there’s actually a trail network across the open space, running along the hillsides below Emerald Hills Neighborhood Park and west of Johnson Elementary School. While it’s hard to escape the sound of the freeway traffic and the trails are exposed to the sun, this area is a sweet option for neighbors looking for a quick morning walk or evening stroll.
I hit the trail around 9 a.m. — which was too late, by my standards, at least for a summer morning. Keep the heat in mind when checking out this hike, and note that the open space’s dry vegetation this time of year can add to the warm temperatures.
My route started at a trailhead located on the west side of Kelton Road, just north of Bethune Court. The trail begins across the street from the Emerald Hills Neighborhood Park, but you can park there, or find street parking like I did.
The path is marked with a large Emerald Hills neighborhood sign and a bench, as well as with a sculpture project called “Stone Histories.” Completed in 1993, the sculptures sit at the entrance to Emerald Hills and were designed in collaboration with local school children. There was some trash at the trailhead, but this is a really lovely spot to rest in the shade, especially after hiking through the open space.
Begin by heading west away from Kelton Road. The narrow trail is slightly rocky and slick as it descends, steeply at first, down a hillside.
Once near the bottom of the hill, there were several routes for me to choose from. I could see that the trail network was interconnected, so I didn’t stress too much about the route I followed, more so invested in the exploration of the hike.
At one point, just near the 0.3-mile mark, I took a trail that seemed to veer toward State Route 94, so I turned around, opting to proceed southwest. Just a few steps later, I reached two sets of of wooden stairs that crossed a more thickly vegetated section of the open space.
After climbing up the second set of stairs, trail markers pointed me in the direction of Elwood Avenue. This piqued my interest, as I love trails that can serve as connectors between communities and neighborhoods.
I continued along the well-marked trail as it descended toward Elwood Avenue, ultimately reaching the road after hiking 0.7 miles, ending in a rocky creek bed. I retraced my steps back quickly, eager to return to the shade and air conditioning of my car.
Despite the heat, I enjoyed this hike and could imagine it serving as a bustling open space for neighbors to explore on cooler days.