Best Walking Trails in Balboa Park San Diego
Last updated 1/5/2025
A San Diego Hiking Guide
Want to know what the best walking trails in Balboa Park are? These are the 5 best walking trails that you can’t leave San Diego without experiencing yourself.
Casa Del Prado Theater in Balboa Park.
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Balboa Park is one of the most beautiful areas in the city of San Diego for a gentle and interesting walk.
After living in the city for over 4 years I’ve had time to explore scenic walks in Balboa Park and find some real hidden gems, including gardens and lesser known trails.
I’m sharing my favorite walking trails in Balboa Park so that you can find my favorite hidden gems, plan a memorable trip to San Diego, and save time and effort by following my personalized recommendations in the post below.
After this post you’ll be ready to go to the park yourself and experience all the best walking trails that Balboa Park has to offer.
In this post I’m going to go over the best walking trails in Balboa Park, personalized recommendations for walking trails, the best times to visit, and tips to make your trip fun and memorable.
5 Best Walking Trails in Balboa Park
1. Palm Canyon Trail
Looking into Palm Canyon from the walkway that leads down to the walking trail.
Mileage: ~0.5 miles
Trail type: Loop or out and back
Difficulty: Easy
Time: Less than 30 minutes
Dogs: yes, on a leash
Map: Google
Take a winding footbridge from the Spreckels Organ Pavilion down to a lush canyon with over 450 palm trees. This trail feels like an escape from reality and a submersion into a light dappled tropical oasis.
Along the way you’ll find the original group of Mexican fan palms – so prominent in the canyon – that date back to 1912. This is a great trail to take if you’re looking for a break from the heat of the day as it’s not very challenging and offers lots of shade and often a light breeze as well.
How to Get Here:
There are two ways to access the canyon:
Starting at the bridge by the Spreckels Organ Pavilion and head down the canyon to circle back up from where you started.
Take a downhill trail from Kate O. Sessions Cactus Gardens behind the Balboa Park Club building. From there it will meet with the main trail at the base of the canyon where you can follow the clearly marked path.
Note: To get the full experience, we suggest starting at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion bridge, following the trail along the canyon and back, and then exiting via the path towards the cactus garden. The view from that trail is gorgeous!
Map of the Palm Canyon trail in Balboa Park. By Navigation None.
Highlights:
Footbridge and platform
Shaded walk
Unique plants and gorgeous views
2. Japanese Friendship Garden
A Koi pond in the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park.
Mileage: ~2.5 miles
Trail type: Loop
Difficulty: Easy
Time: About 1 hour
Dogs: No, ADA service animals only
Map: Google
Tucked into a canyon near the Spreckels Organ Pavilion lies a true gem of Balboa Park; the Japanese Friendship Garden. Established in 1991 as a symbol of enduring friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama, Japan, the garden was created to promote understanding and friendship between the two cultures.
Within the garden’s walls you’ll find 12 acres of traditional Japanese garden features including koi ponds, bonsai trees, waterfalls, zen gardens, and a traditional tea house.
Walk over bridges, under archways, and take in the natural beauty and unique cultural experience that define the Japanese Friendship Garden. Although there is a small fee for entrance (more info here: https://www.niwa.org/visit), we think it’s more than worth it- it’s truly one of my favorite walking trails in Balboa Park!
If you’re able to time your visit for the beginning of March you might get to see the blossoming of the Cherry Blossom trees- an experience that is sure to become a core memory.
Map of the Japanese Friendship Garden trail in Balboa Park. By Navigation None.
Highlights:
Koi Ponds
Traditional Japanese garden features
Shaded walkways
3. Cabrillo Bridge and El Prado Walk
View of California Tower from the Cabrillo Bridge.
Mileage: ~1 mile
Trail type: Loop
Difficulty: Easy
Time: About 1 hour
Dogs: Yes, on a leash
Map: Google
One of the best ways to get to know the essence of Balbao Park is to walk along El Prado and cross the Cabrillo Bridge. This walk offers views of the historic architecture in Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival style, with the bridge offering views of downtown San Diego skyline.
To get the most out of this walk, I highly suggest that you make these stops along the way (see map for details):
The Old Globe Theatre
Modeled after Shakespeare’s iconic Globe Theatre in London, the unique architecture truly stands out. The theater's lush surroundings in Balboa Park, including the California Tower, make it an interesting landmark worth exploring.
California tower
Just in front of the Old Globe theater is the California Tower, which stands out in the park for its striking design and towering height. If you feel so inclined to climb to the top, the Museum of Man just across the street allows paid access, giving visitors a panoramic view of the park, the downtown area of the city, and evn the Pacific Ocean on clear days.
View of California Tower with the Old Globe gift shop in view on the right.
Alcazar Garden
Once you’ve crossed the Cabrillo Bridge and are headed back on El Prado, I highly suggest stopping at Alcazar Garden. A formal garden in the Spanish style, this garden is a hidden little gem that offers fountains, beautiful flowers, and benches to sit, rest, and enjoy the beauty.
dahlia flowers in the Alcazar Garden in Balboa Park.
Cabrillo bridge and El Prado walk. Balboa park map.
Once you’ve had your fill of the stops mentioned above, we suggest continuing down El Prado until you hit our next favorite walking area, the Zoro Garden and the Bea Evenson Fountain.
Highlights:
Part of the Balboa Park gardens loop
Unique architecture
Gardens
4. Zoro Garden to Bea Evenson Fountain Loop
Casa Del Prado Theater along one of the best walking trails in Balboa Park.
Mileage: ~1.5 miles
Trail type: Loop
Difficulty: Easy
Time: About 30 minutes
Dogs: Yes, on a leash
Map: Google
Known for its plentiful butterflies, tiered flower beds, and unique blooms, the Zoro garden is a bit of a hidden gem in Balboa Park.
Just off of El Padro, this little nook is one of my favorite places to relax and read a book or just take a rest in Balboa Park. But what makes this one of the best walking trails in Balboa Park is the loop you can take to circle back to the Bea Evenson Fountain.
This is a short and sweet loop that take less than 30 minutes to complete and takes you past more gorgeous Spanish Revival style buildings, and ends at a large fountain. Beginning at Zoro Garden, take Village Plaza Rd past the Casa del Prado Theater, with an optional stop at the Spanish Village Art Center.
This is a great little detour that takes you into a small village with art galleries, colorful buildings, and a free public restroom if anyone needs a quick break.
From there you can loop back to the Bea Evenson Fountain via a small walking path beside the Moreton Bay Fig Tree. This is essentially a very large fig tree that’s gated around its base and is hard to miss!
Highlights:
Beautiful gardens
Large fountain to end the walk
Gorgeous and unique architecture along the way
5. El Prado Bridge to Desert Garden and Rose Garden
Mileage: ~0.5 mile
Trail type: Loop
Difficulty: Easy
Time: About 30 minutes
Dogs: Yes, on a leash
Map: Google
Just on the other side of the Bea Evenson Fountain is the El Prado walking bridge, which takes pedestrians over a busy road and drops you off right into a gorgeous cactus garden.
Once you cross the bridge follow the path to the right, which will circle back to the other side of the cactus gardens allowing for an easy loop. In this garden you’ll find a variety of unique cactus species, along with a mountainous view in the far distance.
If you’re able to come in late March there will be many cactus that have gorgeous blooms on their tips, and the variety in color might amaze you.
Following along the pathway you can continue to the Memorial Rose Garden which features over 100 different Rose varieties. Keep in mind that this is a memorial garden, so please be respectful with your words and your actions.
Highlights:
Walk across a bridge
Rose garden
Unique cactus plants
Tips for Walking in Balboa Park
Best times to visit the park
Unsurprisingly, the park can get very busy. Not just on weekends, but on the weekdays too! We suggest that if you’re looking for a less crowded experience, that you go in the morning, later in the afternoon, or on a weekday. While you’re never guaranteed more park to yourself during these times, we’ve found that it is noticeably quieter before noon, closer to sunset, or on a weekday.
What to bring/wear
Most of the walks we suggest below are paved and offer different levels of shade and protection from the sun. To make sure that you have the best experience possible, we suggest wearing and packing the following:
Comfortable shoes that you can walk miles in. Keep in mind that walking on pavement can get tiresome, so make sure that you have plenty of support. And if you end up walking the Palm Canyon trail there will be hills, dirt, and elevation gain. Be prepared by wearing comfy shoes!
Comfortable clothes. It’s better to wear something that you can do a variety of activities in so that you’re not limited by your wardrobe.
Water. While there are shops where you can stop in to buy water, we find that packing a waterbottle means more time exploring, and less time waiting in line.
Sunscreen. As mentioned above, not all of these trails are shaded, and San Diego is a sunny place! Be prepared to prevent a burn by packing extra sunscreen. There is lots to explore in this park, and you just may end up spending a whole day here.
Accessibility Tips
Balboa Park has many wheelchair and stroller accessible trails and gardens.
Here are our favorite accessible walking trails:
Cabrillo bridge and El Padro walk
Japanese friendship garden
Zoro garden to Bea Evenson Fountain Loop
El Prado Bridge to Desert Garden and Rose Garden
Best Times to Visit Balboa Park
You can visit Balboa Park any time of the year, with each season offering it’s own unique twist. To help you decide when is the best time for you to go, we’ve highlighted the pros of each of the seasons below. And yes- San Diego does have seasons! ;)
Spring: Japanese cherry blossoms in bloom along with the Rose garden and the Zoro garden.
Summer: Brings gorgeous sunsets over the San Diego city skyline and less cloud cover.
Fall: Cooler temperatures means less crowds and unique colors as the trees and plants transition to winter.
Winter: Holiday lights and decorations throughout the park bring a distinctly festive spirit to mind.
Other Activities in the Park
While this blog post has focused mainly on the walking trails in Balboa Park, there are many other stops and unique attractions that we would recommend every time.
Botanical Garden - recently re-opened after years of extensive rehab, the botanical garden is a beautiful and enriching experience for any lovers of botany. And- it’s free!
The ZOO - the San Diego Zoo is an award winning zoo for a reason. Featuring lions, polar bears, apes, lemurs and more animals than I can remember, the zoo is truly an experience that I feel you can’t leave the city without experiencing.
San Diego Museum of Art - although this does cost a small fee to enter, we think it’s more than worth it. You could spend an entire day just in here! With works from Auguste Renoir, George O’Keefe, and Henri Matisse as well as rotating exhibits there’s always something new and beautiful to appreciate here.
Air and Space Museum - if you’re more a science person than an art lover, we suggest the Air and Space Museum. Visitors can marvel at rare and iconic artifacts like a replica of the Wright Brothers’ 1903 Flyer, vintage military aircraft, and actual Apollo spacecraft components.
Botanical Garden in Balboa Park.
Explore the Best Walking Trails in Balboa Park, San Diego!
Discover the charm and beauty of Balboa Park with our guide to the best walking trails in this iconic San Diego destination!
From the shaded oasis of Palm Canyon to the cultural richness of the Japanese Friendship Garden and the historic Cabrillo Bridge, these trails offer something for everyone—whether you’re seeking stunning architecture, serene gardens, or breathtaking views.
Our post includes helpful tips for planning your visit, seasonal highlights, and a recommended ultimate walking loop to make the most of your day.
We’d love to hear from you!
What’s your favorite walking trail in Balboa Park? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more travel tips and inspiration. Plus, check out our related posts on the best museums in Balboa Park and top things to do in San Diego for even more ideas. Happy exploring!
Other Helpful Posts
Pin for Later!
If you enjoy this content and want to stay in the loop for more, subscribe to my email list and you will also get a FREE day hiking checklist!
