Clevenger Canyon South

Overview

Update: A 2018 wildfire burned a significant chunk of terrain on the first half of this route. You can expect recovering vegetation from the trailhead to about 1 to 1.5 miles in. The trail is currently open. The Clevenger Canyon trail network ascends both the north and south walls of the canyon just east of the agricultural region of San Pasqual Valley. Although the geographic separation between the two portions of the trail is little more than half a mile in some spots, the vegetations schema on either side of the canyon contrast dramatically, offering a nice lesson in slope aspect. This geographic factor refers to the direction in which a slope faces, which directly impacts how much sunlight the slope receives. Since the sun is always to our south, north-facing slopes receive less sunlight, and therefore moisture tends to evaporate more slowly. South-facing slopes receive more sunlight, and therefore moisture evaporates more rapidly. Vegetation in the respective habitats respond accordingly. You can expect to find more drought-tolerant vegetation on south-facing slopes given that there’s less moisture for plants to work with. You see this clearly on the northern branch of the trail network, which switchbacks along the steep slope through sparse vegetation. North-facing slopes would therefore tend to have denser, thirstier vegetation, given that there’s more moisture available. Note the darker green chaparral on the right slope contrasted against the reddish-beige on the left slope. Of course, in semi-arid San Diego, “more moisture” is a very relative term. This area receives about 15” of precipitation annually, and the lushest vegetation you can expect is the occasional riparian strip where water accumulates underground in ravines. Still, the presence of a mix of chaparral and coastal sage-scrub vegetation exudes a rich mixture of scents and sights on the south trail network, especially during the winter and spring when seasonal rains resurrect the dormant chaparral communities. The south Clevenger trail netw

Trail Stats

Photos

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