Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks
Explore the best kid-friendly hiking trails & nature walks options for kids and families in Encinitas
Manchester Preserve Hiking Trails
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Gemma Parks Interpretive Trail
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San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve
Wildlife-watching & visitor center. Nature reserve with 7 miles of trails plus a visitor center with exhibits overlooking the lagoon.
Batiquos Lagoon
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Batiquitos Lagoon North Bluff Trail Windrose Circle Trailhead
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Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation
Coastal wetland & nature reserve. Protected wetland habitat with on-site parking & wildlife-viewing opportunities.
Lagoon Trail At Pelican Road
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Annie's Canyon Trail
Hiking area in an ecological reserve. Rugged wilderness hiking paths in an ecological reserve with sweeping ocean & lagoon views.
Harbaugh Seaside Trails
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Batiquitos Lagoon North Bluff Trail Avenida Encinas Trailhead
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San Dieguito River Park
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Crest Canyon Open Space Park
Scenic open space with a hiking trail. This tract of chaparral features hills, canyons & a day-use-only trail loop for hikers.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)
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Sea Cliff Coastal Bluff Trail in Del Mar
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Agua Hedionda Lagoon Garfield Street Trailhead
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Agua Hedionda Lagoon Carlsbad Blvd Trailhead
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Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Extension
State park with rare trees & trails. Beachside park features sandstone bluffs, a visitor's center, rare pine trees & nature trails.
Double Peak Park
Hiking trails with panoramic vistas. Rugged, 200-acre park featuring a play area & hiking trails that lead to a summit with ocean views.
Buena Vista Park Loop Trailhead
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Buena Vista Park
A duck pond, ball fields & hiking too. Large park offering a tranquil duck pond, ball fields, a hiking trail & other features.
Carlsbad Highlands Ecological Reserve
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Calavera Nature Preserve
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Ridgeline Trailhead
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Lake Calavera Hiking Trail
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Calavera Lake
Scenic hiking area on a dormant volcano. A warren of trails on a dormant volcano draws hikers & cyclists to this serene locale with a view.
Lake Calavera Trail Head
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Carmel Mountain Preserve
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Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Trails, beaches, lagoons & wildlife. Acres of oceanside trails for exploring or exercising while spotting occasional dolphins or bobcats.
Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
Spacious park for hiking & picnics. Large park featuring native plants, picnic areas & hiking, biking & equestrian trails.
Lake Calavera Preserve
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Oak Riparian Park
Playground with a field & picnic spots. Scenic neighborhood green space next to trails with a playground, grassy field & picnic areas.
Hosp Grove Park
Unpaved nature trail with ocean views. Winding through a eucalyptus tree grove, this trail with elevations of 100 feet offers ocean vistas.
Del Mar Mesa Preserve
Multiuse trails & stunning canyon views. 900-acre preserve offering hiking & mountain biking trails, seasonal wetlands & scenic canyon views.
Del Dios Highlands County Preserve
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Penasquitos Creek Waterfall
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Los Penasquitos Canyon Trailhead
Canyon preserve trailhead with parking. Starting point for moderate hiking & biking trail across rugged canyon landscape with a parking lot.
Miner's Ridge Loop Trail
Hiking & biking trail on Black Mountain. This hiking & biking trail ascends the mountain in Black Mountain Open Space Park.
Garrison Creek Nature Trail (Town Center Entrance)
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Los Penasquitos Canyon County Preserve
Trails through canyons, forests, streams. Preserve (name means "little cliffs") with trails across 3,500+ acres of Peñasquitos & Lopez canyons.
Lake Miramar
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Tecolote Canyon Hiking Area
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Cougar Pass Trailhead
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Daley Ranch Park
Nature reserve with hiking trails. Conservation area featuring 20+ miles of trails for hiking, biking & horseback riding, plus views.
West Shepherd Canyon
Wildlife & scenic views in the suburbs. Vast canyon with trails for biking, jogging or just viewing greenery & wildlife by Dishwater Pond.
Shepherd Canyon
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Tecolote Canyon Trailhead
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Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and Nature Center
Coastal park with a visitors center. This park running along the coast & up to the mouth of Tecolote Canyon includes a visitors center.
Gardena Loop Trailhead
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Oak Canyon Waterfall
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Ruffin Canyon Open Space
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Mission Valley Preserve
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Mission Trails Regional Park
Expansive recreational area with trails. 8,000-acre recreational park featuring 60 miles of trails, along with a lake for boating & camping.
Mission Trails-Kwaay Paay Peak
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Los Jilgueros Preserve
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Sunset Cliffs Coastal Trail (Linear Park)
Oceanside hiking path & sunset spot. Hiking trail atop the Pacific Ocean bluffs offering sunset views & seasonal gray whale watching.
Big Rock Trailhead
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Cowles Mountain
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Cowles Mountain Trailhead
Hiking spot with panoramic views. Picturesque uphill hiking trail known for its panoramic views at the summit.
Pennsylvania Canyon
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Cabrillo Canyon
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Maple Canyon Open Space
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Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. Natural cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean offer views of the coast & the occasional cliff diver.
Lake Murray
Fishing, boating & a waterside path. Small boat rentals, fishing & many picnic areas, plus a walking & biking path along the reservoir.
Monserate Mountain Preserve
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Lake Murray Trail Head
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Switzer Open Space
River canyon natural park & trail. Natural park with a hiking trail following a picturesque, plant-covered river canyon.
Juniper Canyon
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Cedar Ridge Park Canyon
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Rattlesnake Mountain Preserve
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Santa Margarita County Preserve
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Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve
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