San Diego is a city of canyons. With more than 150 of them located throughout the region — covering thousands of acres between neighborhoods, freeways and bustling intersections — these open spaces are situated where urban development meets nature. City Heights is home to four of these canyons: Manzanita, Swan, Hollywood and Olivia. This week, I set out to explore two of them, Manzanita and Hollywood, for a roughly 2.5-mile loop. Along the way, I got to know City Heights, as the route passed by markers such as community art pieces, gathering spaces and a water conservation garden. Jamie’s Way Trail is marked with a small garden and bench honoring a child who died in a car accident in 2022. (Maura Fox / The San Diego Union-Tribune) The path was mostly easy, but there are several sections where hikers must walk through a rocky wash and up steep hills to exit the canyons. For a longer trek, there is a 4-mile loop through all four canyons. San Diego Canyonlands, a nonprofit that advocates for protecting the open spaces, held a community hike-a-thon along the loop trail on Saturday. Related Articles Things to do | More than four months ago, they left San Diego to hike the PCT. Here’s where they are now. Things to do | Hike of the week: Beat the heat with this easy, breezy walk along Mission Bay Things to do | Hike of the week: 5 favorite hikes from Carlsbad to Point Loma Things to do | Hike of the week: Trails at Kate Sessions Park offer a quick nature getaway with coastal views Things to do | Hike of the week: Sandstone cliffs and native plants are on display at the Manchester Preserve Canyonlands has also created a trail map of the canyons, which I recommend bringing with you on the hike: sdcanyonlands.org/looptrail. The map guides hikers through the unique features along the trail. Plus, the route can be difficult to navigate at times. To begin, park on Thorne Street, near Manzanita Place and the Ocean Discovery Institute Living Lab. There is a trailhead that heads southwest into Manzanita Canyon. Before hitting the trail, consider visiting the Manzanita Gathering Space, on Manzanita Place, where benches and mosaic sculptures overlook the lab and canyon below. The turn for Jamie’s Way Trail is located about 0.3 miles after starting the hike. (Maura Fox / The San Diego Union-Tribune) From here, start walking through Manzanita Canyon, continuing for about 0.3 miles before coming to Jamie’s Way Trail, which heads southeast and is lined with rocks. At the top of the short, steep trail, hikers reach Jamie’s Way, where there is a small garden space honoring Jamie Morgan Mychael Bratton-McNeeley, who died in a car crash in 2002 when he was 5 years old. Walk down Jamie’s Way to cross Poplar Street and reach Pepper Canyon, which is marked with a sign and a mosaic trash receptacle. Once across Pepper Canyon, head toward Hollywood Canyon. To get there, you must cross Pepper Drive and walk along a narrow path located directly behind residential homes, so be respectful of neighbors as you pass. Descend a set of stairs into Hollywood Canyon, then walk south into the canyon, following signs for Sumac Drive and Violet Street Trails. Cross Pepper Drive to reach the trail to Hollywood Canyon, then head down the set of stairs to the canyon floor. (Maura Fox / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Hikers will walk to Hollywood Park, crossing a large field to reach an open gate and a path leading toward Violet Street. Once on Violet Street, walk west for about 500 feet before turning left onto Pepper Drive. Immediately turn into the alley on the right side of the road; murals, done by Gloria Muriel, mark the spot. This leads you to the Azalea Water Conservation Garden and Azalea Community Park. Once here, continue west, toward the 805 and 15 freeways. At the far west side of the park, there is a trail that leads back into Manzanita Canyon. Continue northeast for about a mile to return back to where you began. Once on Violet Street, head west and then left on Pepper Drive, where there is an alley with a series of murals. (Maura Fox / The San Diego Union-Tribune)