Yesterday we ventured to Marian Bear Memorial Park, but it was not easy to get there. I planned to enter at the parking lot from Genesee St., but it was closed due to construction. Then we tried to enter the west parking lot from Regents Rd and there were several construction vehicles blocking the parking. Finally we entered the east parking lot from Regents Rd. This probably ended up being a better place to enter since it has a large parking lot with restrooms.
The park is in the San Clemente Canyon and stretches from highway 5 to 805. It was named after Marian Bear who was an active community member and environmentalist. She worked to preserve the canyons.
Upon entering the parking lot we parked close to the restrooms and entered the trail. After walking a short distance we entered a wooded area and came upon a creek with a wood platform across it. We walked across and had the option to take the San Clemente Trail to the right or left. We chose to walk to the right. The trail continued through the woods, across some rocks, and then opened up to a field with brush on either side and the highway overlooking it. This section was completely without shade and a bit desolate.
We continued and came across another wooded area where we found a log for Sunny to climb on. As we continued walking we entered another open area. We walked until we nearly reached Genesee St. Then we turned around and retraced our steps back to the creek overpass. Instead of crossing the creek we followed the trail until it ended a short distance. We turned around, returned to the original creek crossing, and headed back to the car. Our total walk was just over 2M.
The San Clemente Trail is mostly hard packed dirt and fairly narrow. It has some sharp inclines so the trail would not be good for strollers or those with mobility or stability issues. You also may encounter mountain bikers on the trail. For most of the hike you can hear the highway and in some areas you can see the cars racing by.
Our Rating
Sunny and I rate Marian Bear Memorial Park 2.5 out of 4 paws up. Although it’s a nice trail that seems to go for several miles and there is a creek running through it, it felt slightly unsettling. It may just have been the time we selected to go, but all the other people there were individual men in their forties and fifties. Although most everyone was friendly, it was just odd and made me a little uncomfortable. Despite that the trail is nice, although much of it runs along the highway and you can hear quite a bit of road noise. This is a great place to go if you are in the neighborhood, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to stop here.
How Do I Get There?
The section of the Marion Bear Memorial Park that we visited is off Regents Rd. From I-52E take exit #1B for Regents Rd toward Clairemont Mesa Blvd Keep right, follow signs for Clairemont Mesa Blvd and turn right onto Regents Rd. Take a right into the west parking lot and follow the road under Regents Rd to the east parking lot.
For more information about the Marian Bear Memorial Park check out the City of San Diego website.