This is the Crest Canyon Open Space Park…read more Plenty of curbside parking on a Saturday afternoon. A small canyon in a residential neighborhood. Easy hike down to the beach. There is a small elevation gain on the way back. A good view of the San Dieguito Ecology Reserve.

The Crest Canyon Trail Loop showed up on a hiking app as an easy, short hike that was close to my…read moreworkplace. The circuit was a little over a mile in distance which could be completed in less than half an hour. The trailhead where I began was off Durango Dr in Del Mar. Plenty of curbside parking was available on that neighborhood street. The start involved descending a couple of series of wooden steps to reach the bottom of a canyon. From there, the path went north which was really sandy in a couple of spots. It then began to veer in a northeast direction and became narrow with a lot of brush overgrowth. I had trekking poles with me to be able to push the plants and weeds aside while I was walking. The trail eventually led you eastbound. Some climbing was necessary before reaching a plateau that merged with Recuerdo Dr. This was a north-south road in a subdivision. You take the paved sidewalk south back to Lozana Rd which was east-west and intersected with Durango Dr at the trailhead. Bugs were a nuisance so I'd apply some insect repellant beforehand.

Such a gorgeous hiking park right in the midst of our North County Coastal city! There's so much to…read moresee and do here, from picnics to the many hiking trails to hosting outdoor events, including weddings (They have a wedding gazebo!). We came here seeking the suspension bridges and the butterfly garden. The park did not disappoint. Within a couple hours of hiking, we got to see both bridges, a beautiful outlook tower of Encinitas and beyond, as well as the sweet little butterfly garden next to 2 duck ponds. Although we chose to park on the neighborhood streets outside the park, there's plenty of parking inside the park ($5 day fee). There are a couple points of entrances. The lower entrance is nearest the recreational area that has a full basketball, volleyball, and pickleball court. All in all, I would highly recommend this place for a family outing, a hiking adventure, or simply a few hours of relaxing escape away from urban life.

I've been coming here for 20 plus years, because it's walking distance from my in-laws house. We…read morehave many happy memories of walking here with the daughters when they were little, playing with them at the playground up top, swinging on the swings down low, playing frisbee on the grass. Today we walked a whole loop (my daughter, her college friend, and I to get some exercise before going out to brunch. We admired the view from the Osuna Overlook, walked past workers weeding and trimming the new garden area between the upper and lower parks up top with river rock bordered paths. Looks super nice! My daughter commented that they ought to let local youth paint the rocks--that'd be a cool community event! We proceeded down the paved street that passes by the Scout House, crossed over by the pollinator garden where a kind person pointed out the bat house they placed there (I learned bats are good pollinators and that they need to be protected from raccoons!) Onward to the butterfly garden where I saw a monarch butterfly! We continued to the duck pond at the lowest part of the park where there are picnic areas to be reserved for birthday parties and picnics. We saw a pair of mallard ducks and a solo heron. Spring has sprung! Everything is blooming and the wild creatures are atwitter. Truly a marvelous community park. They even host an annual half marathon here. My brother-in-law and I ran it together in 2012 and it was challenging! Perhaps the biggest challenge being the walk uphill after the race to get to the beer garden lol. I think we ended up not going there and just walking home. Anyway, if you're in the area, check it out! There are several different hiking trails and lots of flora and fauna to admire.

Beautiful overcast day to walk the trail. Multiple water birds and rabbits sighted. Several runners…read moreand dog walkers as well. Feel so fortunate to have this trail nearby when we're visiting San Diego.

Nice afternoon neighbor walk. Well maintained trail. Nice view of bird habitat…read more Parking on the street because trailhead parking lot has very limited spaces.

This trail was very lovely once you pop out next to the San Dieguito River and wetlands, there were…read moretons of great waterbirds and coastal scrub birds so if you are big into birding this is a great spot to do it. Also the huge amounts of California Brittlebush (flowers) along the landside of the path were gorgeous. There is lots of parking at the trailhead. There are also Porta potties along with trash cans at the beginning and end of the trail.

This trail is very close to el camino real in Carmel Valley , it has ample parking and some nice…read moreviews of the area. The five freeway is just west of this trail so when looking towards the ocean you tend to see the freeway. There are three trails roughly all around .5 miles which has benches on all trails and are wide enough for large groups of people. I use to take my dog down to the trails and there is plenty of space for him as well. Great place for a nice easy hike !

If you want peaceful hiking experience overlooking the Torrey Pines Preserve and Pacific Ocean,…read morethen this is the place for you. I love the view! There are five marked trails here, the longest being about 1/2 mile. With trail intersections, you can have about a mile loop. Trails are for walking/hiking only. NO bicycles or motorized vehicles. Street parking only outside the Extention. NO restrooms, pets, or food in the Extension..

During a recent lunch break from work, I took advantage of the dry weather window to hike a short…read moretrail in the Del Mar area. The Torrey Pines Extension is a series of paths on a mesa that was northeast of the more famous stretch along the Pacific coastline. The southern trailhead was where I started which was at the end of a cul de sac on Del Mar Scenic Parkway. The hiking app recommended that I take the Mar Scenic route which went north-south for a round trip of one mile. The slope was fairly gradual without any sharp inclines as I trekked north. What was noticeable was the gully in the middle of the path. When the rain falls, the water will collect in the center and become a small creek as it flows downhill. The trail was wide without any brush or overgrown weeds obstructing the way. I encountered two other people during my 30-minute journey so it's not busy in the middle of the day. Besides the Mar Scenic route, there were other paths you could take, each of which was short and not strenuous. Note that dogs were not permitted even if they were leashed. This extension doesn't have the majestic views of the ocean and bluffs like its popular counterpart which was why I rated it with only three stars.

Aside from this place being misspelled I'd like to say the trail is worth the trek and the risk of…read morebeing arrested lol. Not too many people know about it but it's obvious when you get here that the trail is very close to all the other things in the eco environment. If you want to experience something different other than the beach or a hike, this is where you'll want to be. After a rainy day you'll want to wait a day or two for the marsh to dry up so that you can maneuver your way through otherwise you'll get stuck and won't be able to see anything.

This is one of San Diego's hidden secrets. The trail is not promoted by the Torrey Pines park nor…read moreis it maintained, but if you are looking to get up close to some of the only remaining wetlands in San Diego county then this is the place to go. Finding the trailhead is tricky as it is not marked. Park at the South parking lot at the Torrey Pines Reserve then carefully cross the PCH. Head south along the road for a good 200ft and there will be a marker just over the embankment stating no bikes or dogs allowed. This is the Northern trail head from here the complete hike is an out and back type trail approx. 4.75 miles long. Please note that this trail is not maintained and the lower portion along the estuary will be covered in water at high tide. Please stay on the trail as all of the habitat in this area is sensitive and is some of the only remaining coastal sage scrub in the county. Come early and you will see lots of birds and even some mammals if you are lucky. Raccoon tracks, coyote, and bobcat are all along the mudflats, but I have yet to see any. This is not a good hike for little kids or folks with mobility concerns as there are lots of trip hazards and places where erosion has left holes and puddles on the trail. The southern end is at the end of a narrow trail that is paved and used by the Rangers to access the wetlands. You will know your at the Southern terminus when you will come to a large closed metal gate - turn around and head back at that this point as the road beyond the gate goes down into the industrial are of Sorrento valley. Be safe and enjoy the hike!

Carmel Mountain Preserve is an extension of the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve located in the…read moreneighborhoods of Carmel Country and Torrey Hills. The area that I hiked was further south than the trailhead off Carmel Country Rd just south of Hwy 56. My starting point was the southwest corner of Ocean Air Community Park and Recreation Center. There was plenty of available parking because of this local recreational facility. According to a hiking app, the circuit was a loop of about 2.75 miles that took a little over an hour to complete. I noticed that by going counterclockwise, the trail started very wide with plenty of space for bicyclists and horses. There was a couple that was horseback riding during my stroll. Most of the path was clean although occasional land mines of horse dung were present. As the trek extended west and south, the walk became narrow to the point in which I was following a gully down a slope. Except for one hill in the southwest section, this trail was quite flat. Houses on the edges of the bluffs were visible and lined the perimeter of this preserve. The number of trail markers/signs was minimal, and none of them indicated a distance from the trailheads. If you live nearby, then it's a nice escape to take the kids and/or pets on a walk of minimal difficulty.

Nice relatively easy evening walk. Dog friendly. Dust path with a few scenic views overlooking…read moreCarmel Valley neighborhoods. Walking paths get a bit narrow and steep in some places (children would need help).