Beautiful day for an easy walk/hike at San Dieguito River Park! There are a few different trails to…read morechoose from. I opted for an easy out-and-back route that was just under 4 miles total with a little over 200 feet of elevation gain. The trail is well maintained and offers some really nice views along the way. Perfect spot if you're looking for something scenic and not too strenuous. Would definitely come back!

Super cool and exciting trails! 10min from Ramona, kinda of…read morea hidden gem (locals know). Room for horses, bikes, dogs on leach and humans. We heard plenty of woodpeckers, saw a few rabbits and enjoyed the peaceful valley! Make sure you bring plenty of water Cell signal really spotty - download the map prior to heading out

For starters, I wouldn't call this a mountain. It's more like a hill, and at 1150 feet, it is…read morenothing in comparison to some of the Adirondack hikes I've been on late That said, this was a really great hike. I parked at the Piedra Pintada trailhead on the other side of Lake Hodge (which can hardly be called a lake at this point given the drought). I chose this primarily because it was a relatively easy place to park and the distance you have to walk on the bike trail isn't too bad once you reach the bike/pedestrian bridge. This area has a bit of traffic even on a morning mid-week. I arrived around 8:30 and made my way up the main bike trail to the Bernardo Mountain Peak trailhead. The trail is labeled only in two places that I noticed, but it is a well maintained trail and if you've got an app or map, you're not going to get lost. The trail to the summit is mixed with gradual increase in elevation over the entire 3.3 miles from the Piedra Pintada Trailhead parking. If you go in the morning, you're definitely going to get good portions of the trail in shade. The trail is narrow in parts as you get further up, but it wasn't overgrown. The summit is rather smallish - but there are enough spots to sit especially if there's not too many people there. You get really nice 360 views down to Lake Hodges, the neighborhoods surrounding the area, and of course I-15. I would rate this as an easy-moderate hike. It's really manageable, but on those sunny SoCal days (which are plentiful) you still need to prepare by bringing plenty of water to stay hydrated. I hiked with a 2L camelbak and an additional 1K nalgene to drink my hydration pack with. This was plenty for the 6.6mile roundtrip trek today.

This review is for the Bernardo Mountain Summit Via Coast To Crest Trail. Total miles was ~7 miles…read morethat took ~3 hours or so to complete. Small parking lot of maybe 20 cars and possibly some street parking as well. The first ~0.6 miles of the trail involves walking next to the freeway. Trail was mostly dirt and rocky for some areas with some inclines to the top. In addition, the trail was mostly exposed to the sun so be prepared. Overall, nice views of Lake Hodges and the distant landscapes near the summit! For those interested in the video of the hike! https://youtu.be/hkqN8VEalWM

A nice section of the Coast to Crest trail system that takes you right next to Lake Hodges Dam…read more - The trail goes mostly along the Del Dios Highway. So be prepared for loud car noises. - Many rattlesnake signs, and even a lookout called rattlesnake viewpoint.. - From the parking lot across from Cielo Rancho Fe, it's about 2 miles to the lookout. A few hills, but any family should be able to make it. Watch out for bikers tho... I challenge you! - It's 20 miles from this trail to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido...Do it in one day! Tip - Check out the website Hidden San Diego and look up the Lake Hodges Dam. Really cool photography (all trespassing mind you).

You can go east or west on this trail. We went west…read more The first few miles are beside a golf course, so you hear a lot of voices but don't actually see anyone. We didn't go far, but it was a nicely groomed trail, easy to walk side by side for most of it. There were several picturesque bridges and waterways with water, but it's winter so it might be much drier in other months. There's a little hidden pond on the right, you won't see it if you're not looking. We saw more bikers than hikers. They were very courteous and shared the trail. Although there is signage saying dogs must be leashed there were two separate instances of dogs exploding from the brush onto the trail while their owners gave us "yea what are you going to do about it" looks. There was only one abandoned dog poop bag on the trail. Surprisingly I didn't see any doggie doo on the actual trail. This was a nice change of pace. However, the coyotes have not been trained to do their business off trail. I need to speak to their manager. I wished we'd had more time to walk further. And I really want to walk the east side next. Oh, best part is the fruit stand. If they are open, the chocolate covered strawberries were good, but the raspberries were amazing!

My 1000th review goes to the Coast to Crest Trail which is the path of the coast of Del Mar going…read moreall the way inland towards Volcan Mountain by Julian! I love this hike within the San Dieguito River Park especially the San Pasqual Valley segment. I've been doing this particular hike along the trail the past four years and it's awesome. Parking is plentiful and a cinch to find! I start this at the *San Pasqual Staging Area* which starts by a citrus grove, then passes a large turf grass farm, abandoned buildings, a closed dairy, and scenic views from afar amidst the vegetation and unique species of plants along the path headed towards *Ysabel Staging Area* which is about 6 miles out and back. I definitely enjoy exploring the San Pasqual Agricultural Preserve and all of it's beauty and history. There are more bicyclists than hikers along this route, which is pretty sweet for it being a mellow path. Next time I definitely want to turn it up a notch by doing one of the longer hikes which I believe will be about 12- 22 miles if I go further out. :)

This is a nice hiking (and bicycle) trail that roughly follows the San Diequito River from the San…read moreDiequito Lagoon eastward. The area around the Lake Hodges one of my favorites. Sadly, the Lake is considerably smaller that we moved here 20+ years ago because of droughts and Dam repairs. Recently, the Lake Hodges Dam has been found to have very serious problems that will require significant reconstruction or replacement. The water level will kept at the 280 foot level. It may be 2034 before the Lake returns to "normal".

Super quick hike, a big incline, but not a long distance so it was t bad. I would do this one againread more

My little hiking phase brought me to this mountain. I always see this mountain right off the 15…read morewith the cross on top in RB. I thought it's a good way to conquer my fear of hills since I read the reviews and it takes about 20 minutes to get to the top. I thought piece of cake! I can do this... When I stood at the bottom and looked at the top I thought maybe I should just turn around. I usually have a hard time breathing when it comes to hills but I need to practice. I am glad I did it. I got to the top in 15 minutes! A few times I was scared because I looked behind me to see how far I went up. Man it's a long way down. The incline was steep but manageable. It was very rocky and the trail is eroded so watch your step. I was always scared I was going to slip and fall because I have horrible balance but I made it up! The view at the top is phenomenal and well worth it. You can see everything at the top. I always love seeing the view of lake hodges. So beautiful. I had to think about getting down after I enjoyed the view at the top. I swear it took me way longer to get down. It took me 25 minutes just to get down. My fear of sliding down the mountain made me take my time. I took the tiniest steps. I fall when the road is flat and I have the scars to prove it so me falling down may have happened so I had to take my time and watch my step. This is a great hike with a great view. If you want a quick hike then this is the one for you.

A beautiful hike! I stopped here with. Friend on a cloudy, overcast day. Drizzle filled the air and…read moreso did good conversation. The trial is marked, but admittedly I am a first timer here so I'm not sure how exactly it loops and how to follow or explore the options. Either way, I enjoyed the hike and would love to come back again and see what extensions or other options there are to explore. It can be a rocky in places and smooth dirt in other places. I would recommend wearing hiking boots!

There is a parking lot here. Free parking and lots of spaces…read more The trail is flat for nearly the entire trail. Not shaded tho. For a flat hike it has a great view. The lake was beautiful. Nice and quiet hidden gem with a view. Good for social distancing during COVID times.

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.

This was a really fun start to the morning, hiking with other yelpers or just people in general…read more Normally I try to sleep in more but its always nice to do something different for a change. The group met around 8am - and Trish was awesome for having bars and water available. I never has Mamma Chia bars before but I was starting to become a fan as I sleepily started to follow everyone into the Rancho Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. Munching while walking, started to wake me up. Even more so when I re-met Steve, whom I have met before so I guess you could say it was a reunion of a sort. My boyfriend came as my +1 so we ended up talking about what we were planning to do for the rest of the day. Made it to the waterfall where both me and Liang climbed to the other side. The hike was just lovely as it was mostly flat but just a bit rocky. Intercepted a lizard which played dead. Believe Steve took a picture. We visited Elchars Grave towards the end. No picture but found some flowers and a pink starburst left on top. We finished the hike around 10:45am. Do kind of wish I talked to more people here but at least got the chance to get to know CM Trish and talk with new Yelper John a bit. Got a better understanding of the Yelp community. Would totally do this again as I started craving for something to eat right after.

This was a great addition to the Yelper's Kick Butt event. A workout done outdoors, breathing…read morefresh air and enjoying the beauty of nature. Our Yelper Guide, Smitha shared with us what plants and wildlife could be found in the area. The 3 miles of terrain that led us to the waterfall was mostly flat, until you reach the area of the waterfall. You will find gravel and sandy spots as you make your way to the fall. When you do reach the area where the waterfall is this is where you will proceed down a flight of steps formed by natural rocks. You also have the option to cross the stream by using the rocks as stepping stones. I enjoyed the hike, it wasn't too long, about 2 hours. This hike was therapeutic for my soul, good company (fellow Yelper's) and in touch with nature. Don't be startled by the mountain bikers that might be approaching you. Sometimes you can hear the bike bells. Thank you Trish for setting up your mobile office with morning snacks and water before the hike and Yelp schwag afterwards. Definitely keeping this hike on my list to visit again.