Staying Active in San Diego

For me, part of self-care means staying active. I’ve lived in southern California for my entire life and I am completely spoiled by the amazing weather we have, so I try to take advantage of it by exercising outdoors as much as I can. Here are some of my favorite places to exercise and be active in San Diego:

Mission Bay

I like to jog around Mission Bay with friends. I ran a half-marathon in May and this was my main spot for training. It gets crowded on weekends, but everyone is always friendly. It’s a great spot for people-watching, rollerblading, and strolling along.

Cowles Mountain

Cowles is located not too far from Mission Valley. It’s 1.5 miles up, so around 3 miles altogether. I’ll be honest with you…it is a steep climb, but the views from the top are totally worth it, especially on a clear day! You’ll see a wide variety of people climbing the mountain, from young students to elderly hikers. It gets crowded fairly quickly, especially around sunset and on weekends. There is no shade on this trail, so dress accordingly and bring extra water always!

Sunset Cliffs

Sunset Cliffs is an area in Point Loma/Ocean Beach. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset, eat a picnic, or gawk at gorgeous mansions. You’ll see a lot of people jogging, pushing strollers, and walking dogs. Certain areas are fenced off, but there are spots that you can climb around on the cliffs.

Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain is located in Poway, so it’s a bit of a drive from central San Diego, but I feel it’s worth it every once in a while. This hike is longer than Cowles with more of a gradual steepness. In my experience, it has always been less crowded. Again, definitely wear a hat and sunscreen (which everyone should do every day) because there’s almost no shade on this trail!