1 min
Overview
This moderate route through a trio of coastal canyons offers a nice respite from the crowded confines of suburban North County. Along the way, you’ll enjoy well-preserved stands of aromatic coastal sage-scrub before reaching an impressive grove of California sycamores along the banks of Gonzales Creek. In spite of coastal North County’s legendary beauty, hiking opportunities north of La Jolla are actually fairly sparse. This is largely because the real estate here is so desirable that the vast majority of the formerly spacious, rolling hillsides and mesas are now covered with high-value homes. Pockets of open space still exist within canyons and alongside the six intertidal lagoons between Oceanside and La Jolla. Much of that habitat displays extensive evidence of development, invasive species, or other forms of habitat degradation. The sparsely visited trio of canyons contained within the City of San Diego’s Gonzales Canyon Open Space Preserve contains some of the best coastal sage-scrub and riparian habitat in the region. The preserve seems to have also somehow escaped notice from hikers who perhaps prefer other more well-known nearby open spaces. So for those looking for a bit of early morning solitude, Gonzales Canyon is a fine alternative. Starting from the off-leash dog park atop the mesa, find a gravel access road leading east toward a shallow canyon. Almost immediately on the right, you’ll find a sign indicating the Torrey Pines Loop Trail (herein referred to as the TPLT for brevity’s sake). Join that trail and commence a descent through fragrant black sage and California sagebrush. These two principal species within the coastal sage-scrub community will grace you with their pungent aromas throughout the route, while invasives such as fennel and eucalyptus will add their volatile scents to the air at a handful of spots. The trail wraps around a ravine and begins a generally gradual ascent that has a few steep and sandy sections necessitating a bit of care. The trail continues to descend down this side c
Trail Stats
4.6 km
91 m
115 m
19 m
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Photos
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