Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve
12115 Black Mountain Rd
(at Mercy Rd)
San Diego, CA 92129 (858) 538-8066
- Good for Kids: Yes
11 Reviews for Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve
I used to bike there and loved it!
But now I hear on the radios talk shows that there are illegal immigrants living down there and they have hookers brought in.
So, do not run, hike or bike there alone.
I would have given it 5 stars otherwise.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (1)
Nestled in between Sorrento Valley suburbia and hi-tech business parks (including Chicken of the Sea), Los Penasquitos is a rare "oasis" of nature within the confines of city limits. Right off the 5/805, the canyon is home to various trails, random steep hills (perfect for interval training!), a couple strategically placed ponds (you have to find them), and the craziest waterfall in the history of the world, I'm sure of it. Although it makes no sense that a waterfall exist in such a dry climate, it is definitely something to behold! It's also a good mark for distance.
Park in the lot right off Sorrento Valley Blvd., and watch for cops who like to hide out in the bushes!!! Also, bring lots of water. The waterfall won't be much help, and I've been at the point in my hike where I was SURE it was a mirage. Nonetheless, enjoy the hills, intermittent wildlife, and escape from city life.
***ALSO, if you exit off of 805-S on Sorrento Valley Blvd., check out the GRAVITY HILL on the offramp. Be careful though! It could be dangerous as it IS a freeway offramp.
Here's a list of additional gravity hills in the world: http://en.wikipedia.or...
Is this chicken what I have? or fish?
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
The Los Penasquitos Canyon is one of my local outdoor jogging spots and I love it. The scenery is excellent and you can hear, smell, and see all of the beautiful wildlife around you. I've seen all kinds of birds there, and even deer and rabbits.
You can jog or mountain bike, or ride a horse if that's more your thing.
The trail is not paved at all and is mostly gravel and dirt. There are some parts where the gravel is really bad but it is still doable. Sometimes there is horse poop on the trail since it is also a horse trail. There are distance markers every mile.
The distance from one end of the trail to the other is about 5 miles I think. There are some pretty steep hills and it is a great workout. I would say about 5% of the trail is under shade, mostly towards the Black Mountain Rd entrance. The other side of the trail has virtually no shade.
About halfway down the trail there is a waterfall about 200 feet off the trail. It's not much of a waterfall, just a few rocks with water flowing down them. You can also cross the stream there and run on the other side of the canyon, but it is not as nice in my opinion. It's less shaded and the trail isn't as wide.
For the review before mine- I've never seen any homeless people or any spots that looked like they were being used by homeless people. I believe the area is patrolled by forest rangers so I would find it hard to believe. If there are homeless people they probably stay pretty far away from the trail.
With that said, I might be scared to run there if I was a woman by myself at off hours. Unless you're running at the peak hours you can go several minutes without seeing anyone, so if that scares you, Lake Miramar might be a better choice to do some outdoor running.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Wow I like this place. Excellent place to go mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding. Me and my girl parked at the community park and rode our bikes on the trail up to the little waterfall. Back and forth about 6miles. Beautiful scenery and tranquil, but becareful some loose gravel areas.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Great place.
Late afternoon are a nice time to go out, the breeze comes up the valley from the water and cools everything down.
For those who like to run trails, this is a good one. Hard hills, uneven terrain. Loose dirt. Great ride/run for sure. The trail is fully marked including mile markers.
Bring water for longer treks and sunscreen during peak hours. Hat is a good option.
If you park in the lot be careful. Lock your car and put things out of sight. And runners/walkers watch out for bikers.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This trail really is beautiful... unfortunately, I just discovered that I hate running on trails. I wish I could enjoy the scenery, but all the rocks on the hills were hard on my knees and ankles. There are lots of hikers, dog walkers, runners, and mountain bikers on the trails too. I swear I must have swallowed at least 4 bugs during today's 12-13 mile run. Be careful of the diverging trails- I almost got lost. My bf works right down the street, so maybe I will give it another chance.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
A friend and I went walking here yesterday, since it is convenient to our workplaces. At the entry to the trail, we laughed at the warning sign for rattlesnacks -- it just looks really scary! Well, the warning is there for a reason... The trail was nice for the first 15 minutes, we even saw an adorable baby rabbit and the fields were so beautiful. We were really enjoying the trail until we came upon an angry rattlesnack ready attack us, rattler going, & striking the air. Needless to say, it was a good workout running all the way back to the parking lot!!!!! Guess I will never get to see the "waterfall." I don't want to cross paths with another snake!
This trail is great to run. Its got some good rolling hills. The only thing I would suggest would be to bring water! My friend and I did a 11 (or 12?) mile run here. We headed out at 8:30am and by the time we had past the waterfall we were heating up.
It can get freakin hot out there, especially now that the winter is over. Wear your sunblock kids, or you're gonna get burnt! My friend and I were dying of thirst, fortunately we headed to Canyon Side Park. We walked through the softball games in our sports bras and sweat galore and savored the fountain water for as long as we could.
Its a great run but bring your water!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
A trail runner's paradise! The paths are nice and soft, with not much gravel to get in your way. Obviously popular with the locals out on a Saturday morning walking dogs, mountain biking, running with cross country teams, trying to keep up with me (yeah, right!).
If you're going for a long run here, make sure you bring water with you, because it does heat up pretty quickly this far inland. Enough variation in the grades to get me huffin' and puffin', building up them quads for my future marathon.
It's great to have places like these away from the city to enjoy and get in shape at. And, about the parking, most of it is around ballfields, so make sure games aren't going on so your car doesn't potentially get smashed by a baseball/softball. Happy trails!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This is the closest nature preserve to my house - literally 20 minutes away.
Great information is also located at this site: http://www.penasquitos..., the local group that helps upkeep this fine resource.
Good for a day hike along some of the trails. There are many access points to the trail including the address above as well as a parking area closer to Sorrento Valley Pkwy and Vista Sorrento Pkwy.
A quick get-away from it all.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
This was the first place I ever went to a Cross Country workout ... I almost died trying to get to the middle of the preserve (3 miles in), and staggered back dehydrated but in awe.
The place is BEAUTIFUL.
As a runner, it is a spectacular resourse. The trails run mostly East-West, but there are 2 main trails (on either side of the creek that bisects the canyon), but also numerous single track trails beneath the old growth Oaks.
The East Side has a generally flat feel, and also water stops at the ball fields and near the horse corral/staging area. There are only Biffies on the South Trail Head here, but there are nice public restrooms at the ball fields at the North entrance to the trails.
About midway there is a little tumble of water that is refered to as a waterfall. It is really cool. Really. it is 3 miles from either end.
The WEST side is way hillier. The parking lot has NO amenities (no water at least ... though there is a Biffy).
This is a great place for a walk, hike, run, or even mtn bike ride (though a bit easy for the bikes).
It does get VERY hot in the summer, and also cold on winter mornings.
I even saw about 10 deer today (including a rare sighting of a buck!)
Enjoy this place.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Makes You Glad You're In…
These are some places I like here in the SD metro… -
My Neighborhood
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Hot and New
- Sandwich Emporium
22 reviews
Neighborhood: Clairemont
- Cafe Chloe
121 reviews
San Diego, CA
- Mama Testa
117 reviews
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
- The Aero Club Bar
116 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission Hills
- Suzuya Japanese BBQ
14 reviews
Neighborhood: Kearny Mesa
