Lake Calavera Trail Head — Attraction in Carlsbad

The Lake Calavera trailhead is probably one of my favorite hiking trails, that also doubles great for bikers as well.

This extensive trail is in Carlsbad, but just off the border of Oceanside California.

There are multiple access points, of which some have dedicated parking along the street or in an actual lot attached to a park.

The main hike trail itself is pretty simple and does a circular loop around a lake.

However, there are many offshoot paths that branch off into other areas that offer a varying range of difficulty.

For example, one can take a side trail and hike to the top of a volcanic mountain at the center.

Another route will take you around the dam and further into the reaches of Carlsbad.

The views on top of the volcanic mountain are amazing and you can see a 360° panoramic view of Carlsbad and parts of Oceanside.

At the main entrance (accessed by this Trail Head), there's a bathroom, some maps and signs with bulletins with trail info and data on the wildlife that one may encounter.

Overall, I really like this trail for its diversity in length and difficulty, but also appreciate the beautiful views and how peaceful it can be.

The only downside is when bikers congregate and one must share the trail with them; which really is not really a harsh...

I love this place. You can bike, hike or go for a run here and take an easy or moderate trail as well as pick your distance. You can also take a stroller - a running stroller. The main trail we took had hard sand/dirt so the stroller didnt sink. You jog/run some/all of it with a stroller but be careful with some of the dips- however makes for a fun ride for the kids. Depending on your kids age, mine did walk half of it with me and enjoyed that as well. There are some picnic tables as you walk along the path, but they dont have a shade (at least the ones we saw)- but nice view. Parking was also easy to find, and free! And there is a clean bathroom located at the beginning of the trails. There is also a paved trail, but went opposite the lake so I am not sure what's on it. We wanted to stay by the lake. Have a great time if you go and bring fluid and snacks to...

If you'd like a trail that has the view, a bit challenge, and also family friendly, this fits the bill. The "easy" option is about 2 miles where most of the trail is flat and it goes around the lake. If you would like to take up a notch a little bit, you can trail up the volcano. To push it even further, go down on the West side of the volcano where you will face steep rocky path instead of the normal trail on the East side of the volcano. Regardless, it's worth it to climb up to to top to have a 360 view of the entire city. My boys were able to handle this extra 2 miles, you shouldn't worry about it. Plenty of street parking but please be considerate to not disturb the...