San Diegans cut the ribbon today on new trail improvements in Ruffin Canyon.
“It's a win, I think, for relationship with the canyon itself. For so many of us, the way we have come to love and know our natural spaces, the plants and animals that inhabit them, is because of a trail,” said Peter Hulburt, director of the San Diego Mountain Biking Association. “It gets us in there. It allows us to participate. We become part of this space rather than just something outside of it.”
Unlike some canyons in San Diego overrun by invasive plants, Ruffin is teeming with native plants – monkey flower, lemonade berry, California sage and broom baccharis.
Kevin Johnston lives nearby and volunteers with Friends of Ruffin Canyon. He’s been pushing for these improvements for almost two decades.
“Oh my god. Sometimes I thought it would never happen, you know? But this is just one of the greatest days I've had in years,” he said.
Before the upgrades, it was nearly impossible for hikers to safely cross between Serra Mesa and Mission Valley.
Workers relocated parts of the trail, added three footbridges and restored a portion of the wetlands. The trail is primarily accessible to hikers, but bicycling is permitted.
“We're super excited about what this means, not only for encouraging people to protect and preserve our canyon, but also connecting our two communities,” Johnston said.
A new trailhead is now open within the Escala community. The community is gated, but a public access tunnel under Friars Road provides trail users access to the community during daylight hours from the Fenton Marketplace shopping center.
Which also means big news for some Serra Mesans – they can now hike to Costco for hotdogs.
