Carlsbad, CA
Home MenuRancho La Costa Preserve
Surface: Mix of paved, stabilized decomposed granite and rocky native soils
Length: 4.0 miles (complete system)
Difficulty: Easy to difficult, depending on trail, with some of the city's most rugged and challenging trail hikes
The four trails located in the Villages of La Costa offer a variety of trail experiences from long, rugged difficult, dirt trails, such as the Ridgeline Trail, to easy, paved trails such as the Old Rancho Santa Fe Road Trail. The Villages of La Costa is also home to the Rancho La Costa Preserve which is managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management. The preserve includes Box Canyon, and nearly 500 acres of prime native coastal habitat to remain non-developed in perpetuity.
There are a variety of trails to be explored and enjoyed, but greater enjoyment hiking these trails is in the seasons when temperatures are cooler, as the coastal sage of the hillsides and canyons do not offer any respite from heat. The native habitat offers an abundance of spring wildflowers, and many birds such as hawks, roadrunners and kites, small mammals and even deer have been spotted in the preserve. A highlight of these trails are the high ridges and hilltops that offer commanding views of the Batiquitos Lagoon, Box Canyon and the Pacific Ocean.