One of the best things about living in Hillcrest is that San Diego’s most popular urban hike passes right through your neighborhood. The Seven Bridges Walk is a 5.5-mile loop through Balboa Park, Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, and University Heights, crossing seven historic bridges — some over a century old. It’s flat, paved, and passes coffee shops, restaurants, and a farmers market along the way. You can do the whole thing on a Saturday morning and be back in time for lunch.
Starting from Hillcrest Place
Most guides tell you to start at Balboa Park, but you live in Hillcrest — so start from home. Walk south on 7th Avenue toward Balboa Park. In about 15 minutes you’ll reach the Park Boulevard Bridge near the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden. That’s bridge number one.
From there, head west through the heart of Balboa Park — past the Natural History Museum, the lily pond, and the California Tower — until you reach the Cabrillo Bridge. This is bridge number two, and it’s the showpiece: a 900-foot multi-arched cantilever bridge built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, designed to look like a Roman aqueduct. It was the first of its kind in California.
Through Bankers Hill
After crossing the Cabrillo Bridge, you’ll wind south into Bankers Hill. This stretch has three bridges in quick succession, each crossing the deep canyons that cut through the neighborhood.
The First Avenue Bridge is San Diego’s only steel-arch bridge, spanning Maple Canyon with views back toward downtown. The Quince Street Bridge is a wooden trestle footbridge built in 1905 for less than $1,000 — originally to help residents reach the Fourth Avenue trolley station. It’s narrow, quiet, and feels like a secret.
Then comes the one everyone photographs: the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge, built in 1912 across Kate Sessions Canyon. It sways and twists as you walk. If heights aren’t your thing, you can skip it and rejoin the route on Brant Street — but most people find it more fun than scary.
Back through Hillcrest
From Brant Street, the route turns north and eventually puts you on University Avenue, walking east through Hillcrest’s main commercial stretch. This is where living here pays off — you already know these blocks. Better Buzz is right here if you need a mid-hike espresso. Oscar’s has fish tacos if you’re hungry. Or just keep walking.
At Vermont Street, turn left and walk north past Trader Joe’s in The Hub. The opening to the Vermont Street Bridge is right behind it. This bridge was built in 1995 to replace a 1916 wooden trestle, and the panels along the walkway are lined with quotes — a nice touch at the halfway point when your legs are starting to know you’ve been walking.
The final bridge
Cross into University Heights, work your way east on Lincoln Avenue to Georgia Street, and head south to the Georgia Street Bridge. This concrete arch bridge was built in 1914 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It connects Hillcrest and North Park, and the views — east toward the sunrise, west toward sunset — are worth the extra few blocks.
From the Georgia Street Bridge, you can cut west on any cross street to get back to Park Boulevard, then walk south to the Rose Garden where you started. Or, if you’re feeling it, continue south through the trails behind Balboa Park for a longer loop with canyon views and plane-spotting.
Tips from a local
Go early. Parking is easier and the sun is lower. On weekends, the bridges get busy by late morning.
Bring water. There’s not much shade on the street sections, especially through Bankers Hill.
You don’t need to drive. If you live at Hillcrest Place, you can walk to the route in 15 minutes. No parking to deal with. That’s the advantage of living here.
Pair it with the farmers market. If you go on a Sunday, time it so you finish on University Avenue when the Hillcrest Farmers Market is running (9am–2pm). Grab a coffee, browse the produce, and walk home.
It’s a loop. You can start at any bridge. If you don’t want to walk down to Balboa Park first, start at the Vermont Street Bridge behind Trader Joe’s and do the loop in reverse.