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While updating my street maps of San Diego, in particular Map 16 of the Azalea Park area, I noticed a large open space signed as Swan Canyon.
On July 5, 2012, I returned to survey Swan Canyon on my mountain bike. I had to walk most of the trails, but the bike provided mobility on the surrounding streets.
There are a few formal trails in the canyon, marked mostly by rocks along the edges and mulch on the trails. There are lots of informal trails. I couldn't drag my bike through some of them.
The topo is overlaid, not only with trails covered in this survey, but also with streets and alleys in the area.
There is at least informal canyon access from the ends of surrounding streets, especially streets that are interrupted by the canyon. In most such cases, the city owns the right of way in the canyon, so there are no houses to block access to the canyon.
More or less formal trails follow the Olive Street and Maple Street corridors through the canyon. It is probably also possible to walk through the Quince Street corridor, although some of the informal trails are very steep. Quince Street is passable between Menlo Ave. and 46th Street; there are motor vehicle barriers, but there are smooth level unpaved paths in the right of way.
The tiny gap in 45th Street about midway between Redwood Street and Thorn Street is passable for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Surveys of the nearby Manzanita, Hollywood and 47th Street Canyons are planned in the near future.
Transcript of survey.
Image annotations.
Data plotted on topo
Philip J. Erdelsky