La Orilla Trail, San Elijo Ecological Reserve

Start of the La Orilla Trail, San Elijo Reserve

Enclaves! San Diego is full of wilderness enclaves. You just need to know where to look. A couple months ago, I talked about Crest Canyon (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/11/28/crest-canyon.html), and how it’s a great secret spot to hike or run. A couple miles up the road, there’s another great spot for a calming walk or trail run next to the San Elijo Lagoon. This lagoon is the keystone of the San Elijo Lagoon Reserve, which features over seven miles of hiking trails, and is slightly North of Solana Beach, and slightly South of Cardiff.

Directions: From Interstate 5, exit Lomas Santa Fe, and head East to Highland Road (this road will be marked by a 4-Way Stop Sign). On Highland, turn left. Follow Highland East/North-east for a short while; and then turn left (North) onto El Camino Real. The parking lot for the trailhead will be on the West side of the road slightly before a hairpin turn. (The Reserve provides a good set of directions on their webpage, which I’ve placed below). From the parking area, it is several feet to the start of the trail. To me, the first portion of the trail is like entering a mystical forest with its low hanging cottonwood branches. Shortly up the trail (less than .10 miles), you will find a hollowed out area with tree branches covering it; it looks like a home to an unknown animal – or a gateway to another land.

After that, you will be entering the riparian area of the trail, where you will see cattails, and if it’s been a wet year – or if it’s recently rained, like it had the other day when I hiked this trail, you’ll see standing water in La Orilla Creek. If it’s dry – or hasn’t rained, the only water you’re likely to see is the Lagoon itself.

Riparian Portions of the La Orilla Trail The trail then meanders up some very slight hills, and then at .45 miles, arrives at the easement for the power lines above. At this point, you’ll have a variety of options – you can turn off onto some of the San Elijo Lagoon trails leading back into Solana Beach or you can continue West. Should you continue west, you’ll pass some free standing trees, some of which are Torrey Pines, and ultimately head along the Lagoon itself, under the Interstate 5, and toward the Coast. If you follow the trail to its end, you will arrive at the train tracks next to the Coast Highway just North of Solana Beach, which is directly across from Cardiff State Beach. The total distance from the trailhead to the Coast is 3.5 miles, one way, and is by and large, very flat. If you don’t decide to relax on the beach for a bit, the total round trip distance of this hike (or run) is seven miles. This trail is easy, and is for hikers of all skill levels.

Tips: At times, you will see people riding horses in and around the La Orilla trail near the El Camino Trailhead. If you are running the trail, be aware – and respectful of riders, so as not to dart around a corner, which will likely startle the horse(s). The section of trail that traverses under the Interstate 5 also has a narrow section of bridge; and if you are not paying attention, or you slip when running over it, you will end up in the Lagoon, and you will get wet. One last cautionary note about getting wet: when it rains, the trail becomes muddy in some places; and slippery in other places due to the high sand/clay content of the soil, and should you slip – you will get muddy and wet. Other than that, even though the area is fairly urban, this is a good spot to see deer, and sometimes, coyotes!

See you on the trail!

More Information: http://www.sanelijo.org/la_orilla.htm, http://www.sanelijo.org/explore-seven-miles-trails-san-elijo-lagoon-ecological-reserve, http://www.sanelijo.org/sites/sanelijo.org/files/Publications/Trailguides/laorilla.pdf, http://sandiegooutdoorguide.com/component/content/article/1326-la-orilla-trail, http://parks.ca.gov/?page_id=656

Crest Canyon to Torrey Pines State Beach Trail Run

Torrey Pines State Beach, the turnaround point for this run.

If you’re looking for a little more of a challenge then just walking Crest Canyon, you can either hike – or run through portions of two parks in a short amount of time. You’ll want to start at the San Dieguito entrance of Crest Canyon, as described in my last entry (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/11/28/crest-canyon.html), and head up the trail from there. If you’re planning on running the route, as I do, you’ll want to stretch and or warm up before you start jogging into Crest Canyon, as the trail slopes gently upward from the beginning.

The beginning of the run passes through Crest Canyon, and at the turnaround point of the loop, you’ll want to instead head up the steps to Durango, and proceed south for approximately three blocks. When you hit Del Mar Heights Boulevard, you’ll want to take a right hand turn, and jog directly West for one block before crossing (cross carefully, there are crazy drivers on the road sometimes) to the South side and heading South on Mar Scenic. Follow Mar Scenic for approximately four blocks until it dead ends at one of the north entrances of the Torrey Pines State Reserve Extension, where you will immediately see the main North-South trail of the Extension.

Continue running (or walking) through the extension, and the trail will drop you off at Del Mar Scenic Parkway. Follow Del Mar Scenic to the bottom of the hill, and you will be directly across from Torrey Pines State Reserve (North Beach) on Carmel Valley. From this point, cross the road, and you’ll be at the beach in a matter of minutes.

Main Trail, Torrey Pines State Reserve, Looking North

This run clocks in at 2.45 miles one way, from the base of Crest Canyon. I like this jog as it allows you to get in some good hill training from the beginning – Crest Canyon is a mild uphill stretch, and the trail through Torrey Pines Extension is a longer, slightly steeper grade. I also like this jog as you get to examine two portions of the San Diego coastal biome, in Crest Canyon and the Torrey Pines Extension that are very similar, and yet also very different. Finally, the run deposits you on the beach, which is a great spot to work on your breakaway speed, or enjoy the day.

Should you not wander up and down the beach like I do, this run (or walk) will be 4.9 miles roundtrip, and I’d recommend that you do it in the early morning, or at any time of day that suits your fancy.

See you on the trail!

For More Information about Crest Canyon and the Torrey Pines Extension, check here:

http://www.sdrp.org/archive/Trail%20Maps/Map_Crest%20Canyon%20Revised%20FINAL.pdf

http://www.torreypine.org/img/activities/maps/extension_trail_guide.pdf

Crest Canyon

Looking up Crest Canyon to the South

One of the best things about San Diego is that there are pockets of wilderness interspersed in urban settings. If you live in North County, one of the calmest stretches of trail is in Crest Canyon. Located off of San Dieguito Road to the North, and Durango Road to the South, Crest Canyon is part of the San Dieguito River Park. The Canyon is a great area to get away from work during lunch hour, or to walk through either before or after work to clear your head. From San Dieguito Road, the trail heads slightly uphill for .75 miles before heading up a slight sandstone grade to Durango Road, which then intersects with Del Mar Heights Road.

The Staircase at Durango 

Should you not wish to head up to Durango, you can loop back around on the parallel portion of the Crest Canyon trail back to the trailhead at San Dieguito. Depending on when you go, you may be lucky enough to see wildlife in this corridor – coyotes, skunks, and raccoons, but since Crest Canyon is close to Del Mar, you are more likely to see joggers, walkers, and other people looking for quiet time. In the spring (when it rains) the canyon fills up with California wildflowers, and some invasive species. 

Crest Canyon is also a great place for volunteer opportunities. Many local organizations work on the trail for service projects, and there is currently a burgeoning garden of native plants (with labels) for the novice outdoorsperson. The Canyon is dog friendly, and is also a great place to view the native Torrey Pine, which only grows in the Del Mar Region and the Channel Islands. If you’re looking for a bit of a challenge, you can park at San Dieguito, and jog up Crest Canyon before heading up to Durango, across Del Mar Heights, and into the northern portion of Torrey Pines State Reserve before again heading downward to the Los Penasquitos Lagoon (more on this later). However, if you don’t want a challenge, Crest Canyon is a great place to collect your thoughts, or start experiencing your local wilderness.

See you on the trail!

Looking North in Crest Canyon

For more information about Crest Canyon, check out the website of the San Dieguito River Conservancy: http://www.sdrp.org/archive/Trail%20Maps/Map_Crest%20Canyon%20Revised%20FINAL.pdf