When you write a weekly hiking column like I do, you start to look for trails everywhere.
I’ve spotted walking paths snaking through the trees on the side of a road, paved trails at community parks and even short dirt routes connecting neighborhoods — and thought to myself, “I better add that to my to-do list.”
That’s how I came across a trail near Golden Hill Park on the southeastern end of Balboa Park. I used to live in the area and would frequently drive by the canopied path along 26th Street that ends near Pershing Drive at the Bennington Memorial Oak Grove, which commemorates a 1905 gunboat explosion in San Diego that killed more than 60 crew members.
This week, I decided to check it out.
I completed a roughly 1-mile loop, including the half-mile dirt trail that lines 26th Street and a paved road that encircles Golden Hill Park. Along with the memorial oak grove, there’s quite a bit of history in and around the park. On its southwestern side, visitors will find the Fountain Grotto, Balboa Park’s oldest design feature built in 1908.
The trail leading from Golden Hill Park toward 26th Street, near the park’s southeastern corner. (Maura Fox / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Begin at Golden Hill Park, located on Golden Hill Drive, where there are also picnic sites and public restrooms. Once parked, I set off on the paved road toward the park’s entrance where Golden Hill Drive intersects with 26th Street. There’s a dirt trail that heads north, descending down 26th Street.
Because the path is located right next to the road, this isn’t exactly a peaceful walk. But as hikers head further toward the oak trees, the noise of the cars seems to dull. They’ll reach the Bennington Memorial Oak Grove at the half-mile mark.
There is a route that heads south from the oak grove, up a steep hill into the center of Golden Hill Park. But because the trail is more rugged and unmarked (I happened upon what appeared to be a small homeless encampment), hikers could also choose to retrace their steps back along the trail they just walked.
The trail travels along 26th Street, down toward the Bennington Memorial Oak Grove. (Maura Fox / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Once back at Golden Hill Park, I joined the other San Diegans who were out for a sunset stroll. The paved road around the park is open to vehicles, but walkers and runners also enjoy its use.
After walking for about 0.8 miles, I saw the Fountain Grotto, a sunken garden feature made of stone and concrete. The grotto offers some seating for those who want to stay awhile. There’s an informational placard near the grotto, and it was neat to learn more about the neighborhood’s beginnings.
I continued to wrap around the park’s grassy field until I returned to my car. The easy excursion took me about a half-hour, and it wasn’t much of a hike. But I’m glad that, at long last, I explored a trail I’d been eying for years.