There are plenty of fine trails to hike within the near vicinity of central San Diego, but when I’m feeling a bit more adventurous, I like to branch out east. One of my favorite destinations east, involves a scenic drive up Highway 79 to the town of Julian. Just past Julian, you’ll reach an even smaller town of Santa Ysabel. My weekend exploration brought me here, to the Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve, a day trip-worthy destination any hiker will want to add to their bucket list.
Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve features 3,800 acres of oak woodlands, wildflowers in spring, and plenty of foliage in the fall. There are two different staging areas at Santa Ysabel, both the East and West side. Hikers can traverse more than 13 miles of hiking trails across the whole preserve and complete two loop trails and a section of the Coast to Crest Trail. For this trip however, we tackled the east side of the preserve, completing the West Vista Loop Trail, a 4.2-mile loop trail.
After parking at the Santa Ysabel East Preserve Hwy 79 staging area, head east past a wooden information kiosk and through a large cattle gate. The first section of the trail is barren, passing through an open field where you’ll likely see cows grazing freely. You’ll soon begin to approach oak woodlands, which you’ll see throughout the rest of the hike and this is where the true climb begins.
Follow the trail as it begins to quickly ascend, gaining 700 feet within the first 1.1 miles. The climb is a bit rigorous, even for an experienced hiker, but the views make it worthwhile. Take a moment to look back every once in awhile to admire the sweeping views of Santa Ysabel in the near distance. At the top of the climb, you’ll find a wooden bench where you can take a quick breather before completing the West Vista Loop portion of the hike.
We chose to complete the loop clockwise, however either direction will give your legs some reprieve as the majority of your elevation gain has been completed. The trail is straightforward for the next 0.8 miles until you reach a “T” junction at a small picnic area. The trail to the right will take you along the Coast to Crest Trail which leads to the Kanaka Loop Trail on the west side of the preserve. Some hikers choose to leave a car on the east side of the car and hike all the way to the west side of the preserve where they’ll have left another car. Today, however, we headed left at the junction to continue the West Vista Loop Trail.
The next 1.4 miles will take you beneath a canopy of oaks, seldom seeing other hikers and allowing you to simply enjoy the sounds of the wind brushing through the leaves of the oak trees above. Once you close the loop, retrace your steps down the steep hill to the staging area.
West Vista Loop Trail Tips
- Bring a picnic lunch. There are multiple places on the trail with picnic tables to rest, grab a bite to eat, and admire the views.
- Wear hiking boots. The hike up to the top of the West Vista Loop Trail is technical and hikers will benefit from wearing sturdy hiking boots.
- Bring plenty of water. There are no water stations along this trail.
- Complete this hike in the fall or spring. Fall brings beautiful foliage and spring will present wildflowers.
Driving Directions
From downtown San Diego, take CA-163 N for 11.2 miles. Merge onto I-15 N. In 4.9 miles, use the right lane to take exit 17 for Mercy Rd toward Scripps Poway Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto Scripps Poway Pkwy. In 8.6 miles, Use the left 2 lanes to turn onto CA-67 N. Continue on CA-67N for 11 miles. Continue onto CA-78 E/Julian Road for 14.4 miles. Turn left onto CA-79 N. The destination will be on your right in 1.2 miles.
Difficulty: Easy
Total Distance: 4.4 miles
Dog-friendly: Yes
Trailhead Address: Santa Ysabel East Preserve, Hwy 79 Staging, CA-79, Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
Trail Map : Available here