Trail Report: Our new newsletter about San Diego County’s outdoors, from hiking reporter Maura Fox

This newsletter is something I’m incredibly stoked about. Each week, I’ll share my latest hike, plus my favorite new stories ...

Maura Fox: 101 hikes in San Diego County, and we’re not done yet

More than 270 miles, close to 110 hours of hiking time and over 38,000 feet of elevation gain. Those are the numbers behind ...

Ocean views, lush canyons and dusty peaks: 35 hikes in San Diego

These hikes from Maura Fox’s Hike of the Week column can be found in City Heights, La Jolla, Tierrasanta and other San Diego ...

Hike of the week: Make a backcountry day of it with a hike up the Lagunas’ Garnet Peak

The roughly 2-mile hike can be complemented with a slice of Julian pie on the way back to. Enjoy the scenic drive to the ...

Maura Fox: Seek out fresh air and easy exercise during the holidays at this San Diego County preserve

Once the dishes are cleared from the table after Thanksgiving dinner and you’ve had a proper amount of time to snooze on the ...
San Diego Union-Tribune

Hike of the week: Climb Cowles and Pyles peaks on this twofer through Mission Trails

I hike alone quite a bit for this column. And when I’m on the trail by myself, I like to play little mental games. For one, I quiz myself on the different plants that line the route — from laurel ...
San Diego Union-Tribune

A short and sweet end-of-day walk near the Sweetwater River

My assignment to do a new hike each week is, admittedly, one of the perks of my job. But it also means that I sometimes don’t return to tried-and-true hiking spots for months on end. That has been the ...
San Diego Union-Tribune

Learn about San Diego’s past while admiring its present beauty on the Historic Flume Trail

Lovers of local history and scenic country landscapes will find both in equal measure on this week’s hike in East County. The Historic Flume Trail is a roughly 5.7-mile moderate route that overlooks ...
San Diego Union-Tribune

Mission Hills Open Space will be a spring and summer staple

It’s always a pleasant surprise when I discover a trail in a place that I’ve visited or passed by dozens of times. I find it happens relatively often in San Diego, where natural spaces can be ...
San Diego Union-Tribune

Climb to one or both of Poway’s Twin Peaks for sunset or sunrise

As I was hiking with a friend in Poway for this week’s column, I began to fully appreciate how nice it is to have a distraction from difficult tasks. We were heading up a steep grade toward one of the ...
San Diego Union-Tribune

Decompress from a stressful day, week or month at the peaceful Orilla Trail

This week’s hike explores one of the trails in the San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve. Located in Encinitas, the reserve encompasses 979 acres and is home to several wildlife species, including ...
San Diego Union-Tribune

Despite its modest height, South Fortuna Mountain is still a tough climb

Crows soared overhead as I made my way up the steep staircase leading to South Fortuna Peak in Mission Trails Regional Park. The mountain is only 1,094 feet tall, the smallest of the five peaks in the ...