Explore the best trails near San Diego with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you.
walking
hiking
trail running
kid friendly
views
dogs on leash
birding
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wild flowers
mountain biking
wildlife
beach
road biking
river
dog friendly
lake
wheelchair friendly
forest
Easy hike. Ok views from the top. Too many mountain bikers.
@kenknecht you are spot on with your review. Definitely the down side of Cowles
❤️ this trail! It is our "go to" for a "down & dirty workout" as my boyfriend says. Takes about an hour and you get a fantastic workout. Working on doing the 5 peak challenge. Has anyone else done it??
After doing Cowles, this is a walk in the park. Was expecting more of a challenge. I guess it depends on your fitness level, but we found this trail to be very easy.
I like doing Pyles when I don't have time to drive further away from the city and I still want to get in a hike with decent distance and elevation gain. Traffic drops off considerably after you leave the summit of Cowles and if you hike it from Barker Way you can avoid the crowds all together. I've found you can have the summit of Pyles all to yourself even on a weekend morning, which is hard to beat given that you're still within city limits.
Great little hike!
Great park with lots of museums and other things to do. Great place to visit when in San Diego.
Agree with other poster, it's a nice hike in the beginning but gets harder as you go. Suggest if you are going to do Pyles to start early to miss the heat and crowds on Cowels. We started at 6am and think it was perfect.
Nice views. More a walk than a hike. Lots of people. Wonderful breezes. Take the camera. Learn a little history.