Poway Creekside West Hike

Today Thursday, August 21, 2014, Coney and I did the Poway Creek Trail Hike.

This is an out-and-back hike on mostly flat terrain gravel trail that follows the contour of the Poway Creek out in the City of Poway. The trail is located near the Interstate 15 and Poway Road Exit. For your information about some history on the trail, it traces the original route where horse driven Stage Coaches passed though between San Diego and North County.

Time: 2 hours
Distance: 5 miles
Terrain: mostly flat

Hiking gear: Hiking or running shoes, water

DIRECTIONS :

1. From Interstate 15, take the Poway Road exit heading east.
2. Turn Right on Springhurst Drive
3. Locate Creekside Elementary School on your right and park in its parking lot:
   Creekside Elementary School
   12362 Springhurst Drive
   San Diego, California
   92128
   
4. Locate the Poway Creek Trail which is just under the bridge.
5. Head West to pursue the trail.

At a place where we considered the end of the trail, we found something interesting: Cara Knott Memorial Garden. The place is eerily quiet, seemed remote and hidden among trees and bushes, under the Los Penasquitos Bridge and Interstate 15 above. We didn't know what and who were all the people memorialized in this Garden or why was it there. When we returned home, I searched Google about the history of the Garden.

It turns out, the garden is dedicated to Cara Knott, a 20 year old San Diego State University student who was killed by Craig Peyer,a California Highway Patrol Officer back in December 27, 1986. The garden is also dedicated to all victims of violence. It was started by the Knott family as a remembrance to Cara and a bench in the garden is dedicated to Sam Knott, Cara's father who died of heart attack at about the same location in 2000 while tending the garden. An interesting and unexpected find for us. Click hyperlink to learn more about the Cara Knott Memorial Garden.

Click on the image below to view our Hike pictures.


Here's a video of the hike, courtesy of Trisha Conner. Thanks for sharing Trisha.