3 min
Overview
Recently, I played a game on a hiking group on Facebook called “Can you name this spot?”. I would show a picture and ask other hikers to identify the location. When I posted a photograph of Carson’s Crossing in Los Peñasquitos Canyon, one of the hikers stated “The Florida Everglades.” How on Earth does one confuse semi-arid San Diego County with the marshes and swamps of southern Florida? Visit Peñasquitos Canyon, and the answer will be less mysterious than you’d think. Grassy meadow on the foot trail Peñasquitos Creek is a lesson in the power of water and its ability to turn a near desert into a subtropical paradise. The canyon and attending preserve encompasses a six mile strip of land bordered by suburban development. The preserve protects the ecosystem within, which is dominated by the year-round flow of Peñasquitos Creek, which supports a robust riparian woodland. Parts of this strip of woodland are so dense, damp, and lush, that it is easy to forget that with a few hundred yards on either side of the creek emerges the usual scratchy carpet of chaparral. Near Carsons Crossing This write-up describes the eastern (and more lush) portion of the canyon, which divides at a waterfall about halfway through the preserve. This route also eschews the crowded fire road running parallel to the creek on the south, as well as the trail running parallel to the north. This single-track trail runs near the banks of the creek and through the densest parts of the woods. In theory, this should also allow you a respite from the multitude of mountain bikers who frequent the main trail, although you should still be prepared to encounter a few bikers who disregard the clearly marked signs describing this trail as off-limits to all but bipeds and quadrupeds. Trail near dusk After parking at the lot and paying the fee ($3 at the time of writing), find the trailhead marked by an info kiosk and a closed gate. A gap allows you to emerge onto the wide fire road that heads due west. After about a tenth of a mile, a smaller single-track
Trail Stats
11.1 km
45 m
82 m
24 m
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Photos
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A shaded creek in Penasquitos Canyon
A shaded creek in Penasquitos Canyon
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