Tecolote Canyon reopened from south to north this year. The trail from the Tecolote Nature Center up past the USD access point is open again. The trail closures still in place are farther north, in the stretch the City calls Phase 3, which runs from Mt. Acadia to Genesee Avenue. The 18 holes in the middle of the canyon remain closed, and construction is now only one of the conditions for reopening them. As of the City's Sept. 1 update, crews were nearing the end of construction through the golf course. Reopening depends on finishing that work, the City selecting a new operator and the City Council approving a lease.
That changes how to plan a canyon outing this fall. Your route depends on which end of the canyon you start from, and the golf course timeline now runs through City Hall.
The south end came back first
The work causing the closures is the City's Tecolote Canyon Trunk Sewer Improvement & Golf Course Water Connection project. It rehabilitates and replaces 4.7 miles of trunk sewer pipe and adds 700 linear feet of 16-inch water main to serve the golf course. The City split the work into phases moving up the canyon, and the trail closures have followed the crews.
In March, the southern end was the hardest to use. The City's fact sheet, updated March 2026, listed Phase 1a as closed around the clock through June 2026. Only the September Street loop stayed open. Phase 1b was closed on weekdays and open on weekends. By the Sept. 1 update, both segments were fully open.
| Segment | March 2026 fact sheet | City update, Sept. 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1a: Nature Center to USD access point | Closed 24/7 through June; September Street loop open | Open |
| Phase 1b: North of USD access point into the golf course | Closed weekdays, open weekends through June | Open |
| Phase 2: Trails within the golf course | Closed 24/7 through Summer 2026 | Closed |
| Phase 3a: Mt. Acadia Blvd. to Balboa Ave., including the Mt. Ariane Drive and Mt. Ashmun Drive trails | Closed 24/7 through Spring 2027 | Closed 24/7 until Summer 2027 |
| Phase 3b: Balboa Ave. to Chateau Dr. | Closed 24/7, Summer 2026 to Fall 2027 | Not mentioned |
The canyon has about 6.5 miles of trails for walking, jogging and mountain biking. For now, the open stretch starts at the Nature Center at 5180 Tecolote Road and runs north to the edge of the golf course. Parking near the trailhead can still be unpredictable. The fact sheet warns of intermittent parking closures at the baseball fields and the Nature Center lot on Tecolote Road.
The north end is where the closures went
Phase 3 runs from Mt. Acadia to Genesee Avenue, and the March fact sheet projected it would be finished in Fall 2027. The north end has slipped once already. In March, the City expected the Mt. Acadia to Balboa segment to reopen in Spring 2027. The Sept. 1 update says the trail will stay closed 24/7 until Summer 2027.
The stretch north of Balboa toward Chateau Drive is harder to pin down. The March fact sheet listed it as closed around the clock from Summer 2026 through Fall 2027. The September update doesn't mention that segment. Neither document clears up the gap, so treat the March schedule as the latest written guidance for that stretch until the City says otherwise. Both documents note that all timeframes are estimates and subject to change.
On the streets above the canyon, the Mt. Acadia Boulevard detour has ended. The City says the sewer main and maintenance holes are installed there, and periodic traffic control will continue "for the foreseeable future."
Once the pipe is in, the work continues. The project plan includes a 120-day plant establishment period and 25 months of monitoring for revegetated areas. Restoration areas get 60 months of monitoring. A reopened trail segment may still border replanted ground that crews are watching for years.
The fairways are waiting on a lease as well as pipe
The golf course's history explains why it has its own timeline. American Golf Corporation ran Tecolote Canyon Golf Course under a 35-year lease that expired in 2022. Fox 5 reported that the lease then ran month to month from summer 2022 until the City gave notice ending it on Jan. 30, 2026. The sequence since then:
- August 2025. The course drops to nine holes, according to NBC 7.
- Feb. 11, 2026. The course closes to play. The driving range stays open through Sunday, Feb. 15.
- Feb. 20, 2026. The City issues RFP 2026-0220A for a lessee to manage, operate and maintain the course at 2755 Snead Avenue.
- March 23–24, 2026. Site visits for prospective operators.
- April 14, 2026. Proposals due at 5 p.m.
- Week of April 27, 2026. Interviews scheduled.
The RFP explains the delay. The City isn't only looking for someone to open the clubhouse. Required capital work includes creek crossings and bridges plus replacement of the irrigation system. Lease terms are negotiated after an operator is chosen, and the final lease goes to the City Council.
In February, coverage pointed to a summer 2026 reopening tied to the sewer work. That date has passed. The City's Sept. 1 update names no selected operator and gives no reopening date. It says the course reopens once the project is done, an operator is selected and a new lease is approved. Until then, the hiking trail through the course is closed along with all 18 holes.
When the course closed, the San Diego Union-Tribune and Times of San Diego both reported the City's commitment to keep the property a golf course. Both outlets also covered community concern about a permanent closure and about upkeep of the grounds in the meantime.
Where the next answer will surface
The next public step on the golf course may come from the Tecolote Canyon Citizens' Advisory Committee, not from a press release. The committee has advised on the park since it was dedicated on April 1, 1978. Its Sept. 16 agenda listed two action items: the trunk sewer project and a "Golf Course Proposal." The agenda alone doesn't show what was discussed or decided at the meeting, which was held at the Tecolote Nature Center, 5180 Tecolote Road.
NOTICE OF NEXT REGULAR MEETING: November 18th, 2026 @ 6:30 p.m.
The September agenda also lists the committee's November elections as a workshop item. Questions about the agenda go to Park Ranger Steve Smith, the committee's staff representative, at 858-581-9961. For construction changes, including any update on the Balboa to Chateau stretch, the City sends updates by email for the project. The sign-up form is linked from the project page.
The fall calendar is on the open end
This fall's scheduled canyon programs are centered on the Nature Center, at the trailhead of the reopened southern stretch. The Visitor Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sundays and Mondays.
- Oct. 11: Restoration Event. Listed on the Friends of Tecolote Canyon calendar. The listing doesn't give a time, so check with the group before you go.
- Tuesday, Oct. 20: Little Owlet Book Club. A free storytime for preschoolers and their caregivers, held on the third Tuesday of each month from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Each session includes a craft, activity or hike.
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: Nature Play. Listed on the Friends' Meetup calendar.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 1 to 3 p.m.: Spooky Garden Party. Free, with crafts, activities and live animals. Costumes are encouraged.
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 to 11 a.m.: Tecolote Canyon Restoration. A ranger-led session from the City. Tasks may include litter pickup, weed removal, restoration and planting.
The City's usual canyon rules still apply. Dogs stay leashed, nothing gets dumped, and homeowners whose yards border the canyon are asked to keep ice plant and other ground cover from spreading past their property lines.
The Nature Center to golf course stretch is open now. Mt. Acadia to Balboa is expected to reopen in Summer 2027, and the golf course will reopen once construction there is finished, an operator is selected and the City Council approves a new lease. The City hasn't given a date for that.
Tami Fuller and our team have followed San Diego's canyon neighborhoods since 1985. If you're a Clairemont homeowner wondering how the Tecolote work, a trail reopening or an eventual golf course lease might affect a future sale or purchase, request a complimentary neighborhood market consultation. We'll walk through it with you street by street.
