This week took me to the Del Mar Mesa Preserve, a web of canyons, trails and vernal pools at the northern edge of the city of San Diego.
Most of the nearby Del Mar Mesa community was developed in the early 2000s, but large swaths of land remain open space — despite some litigious development near the preserve’s boundary.
As I made my way under the thick canopy of oak branches, I wondered: How has it taken me so long to find this gem?
I’ve been dancing around it, hiking at the nearby Los Penasquitos Canyon County Preserve and Black Mountain Open Space Park (both lovely in their own right), but have never stopped by this charming wildlife haven. My nearly 4.5-mile route followed a narrow, wooded path with a few creek crossings — practically out of a children’s storybook.
I’m a big fan of visiting places like this — preserved open space surrounded by more developed areas — because they serve as a reminder that you don’t have to travel far outside of central San Diego to escape to nature.
Read more about my hike around the preserve in this week’s Hike of the Week column. And if you’re not already getting this newsletter sent to your inbox, you can sign up to get it there first every week.
I’m also thinking this week about some new reporting from my colleagues at the La Jolla Light about efforts to reduce unsafe interactions between people and La Jolla Cove’s sea lions.
The animals have been on my mind lately. Last month, while in Baja Sur, I swam in the Sea of Cortez near a colony of sea lions. In Spanish they’re called lobos marinos, which translates directly to “marine wolves.” (Why does a wolf sound so much more daunting than a lion?) All said, it was an incredible experience to appreciate the animals up close, if a bit unnerving.
My inbox is open for suggestions for my next hiking column or news story. You can reach me at maura.fox@sduniontribune.com, or reply to this email.
Enjoy the last full week of 2025!
—Maura
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