Head to Imperial Beach for this week’s hike — and bring a pair of binoculars to spot some wildlife along the way.
The Bayshore Bikeway is a 24-mile route that travels through Coronado, Imperial Beach and Chula Vista and along the Silver Strand. This roughly 2-mile out-and-back walk follows a section of the bikeway, passing by the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Imperial Beach. It also includes the Bayside Birding and Walking Trail, a 0.4 mile path featuring informational panels on the area’s migratory birds and salt marsh.
This hike is a mix of a paved bike path and gravel trail, but I tried to walk on the gravel as much as possible for a more outdoorsy experience.
I chose this hike partly because this week is the San Diego Bird Festival, a five-day event that brings together birders from across the country to celebrate the region’s avian wildlife. While I was on my walk, I saw a group of birders on the Bayside Birding and Walking Trail spotting the birds that were enjoying the refuge.
In the winter, visitors to the refuge may see wintering ducks and shorebirds such as terns.
To begin this hike, park at the northern end of 13th Street in Imperial Beach. There are several parking spaces near where the bike path begins, as well as street parking. The walk starts and ends near a coffee shop, which might make for a fun addition to your journey — or serve as a treat once you’re done.
Once parked, walk to the end of 13th Street — through a parking lot for the coffee shop and a gym — where there’s access to the Bayshore Bikeway.
Hikers can choose to head west along the paved Bayshore Bikeway, or opt to walk straight, slightly northwest, onto a gravel path called the Habitat Heroes Trail, which goes for about 0.2 miles. I opted for the Habitat Heroes Trail since it was closer to the San Diego Bay and I could more easily look out onto the water.
You’ll have to return to the Bayshore Bikeway for the next section of the walk, which passes by the bay as well as some commercial buildings. But around the 0.5-mile mark, hikers can again choose to walk on the paved Bayshore Bikeway, or opt for a dirt trail that runs just parallel to it.
This trail eventually turns into the Bayside Birding and Walking Trail, which hikers will take until its end, located just beyond the intersection of 7th Street and Boulevard Avenue.
You can continue on the Bayshore Bikeway from here, but I chose to turn around. The return hike was just as lovely as the journey out.
