Carmel Mountain Preserve — Attraction in San Diego

Carmel Mountain Preserve, called Carmel Mountain Open Space on some maps, is “Land Set Aside for Habitat Protection.” Pros: Several access points. Fairly well-maintained, mostly wide, flat, trails (due primarily, I think, to the power lines that run through the preserve). Good for hikers, joggers, equestrians, cyclists. A trail that connects you with Los Peñasquitos Canyon County Preserve. Different types of habitat areas (the vernal pools had frog eggs in them when I visited). Cons: No signage with trail names, distances, directions, destinations, etc. (When you come to a fork in the trail, use Google Maps or the Hiking Project app). Signage and fences are falling apart, sunbaked, rusted, or neglected in some other way. No sign in the Carmel Mountain Preserve parking lot on Clews Ranch Road telling you how to access Carmel Mountain Preserve. Recommendation: Access Carmel Mountain Preserve from Ocean Air Community Park and Recreation Center. There you will find a huge, paved parking lot, rest rooms, picnic tables, trash receptacles, and a place to plug in your...

My dog I and I hike here. I have a custom loop that yields just under 15 miles. From the parking area head up the hill (not on the bike path) and you are heading due East and climbing for a couple of miles. Eventually you swing SSE and finally S to drop down into Penasquitos Cyn and then it is due West to the end of the Cyn (stay on N side of creek) and use Sorrento Valley Blvd to cross under the freeway and then N up Sorrento Valley Rd, eventually picking up the old road that went up to Carmel Valley Rd. As you continue North, the road will come quite close to the 5 Fwy and right here you can cross under the Fwy and come out the other side to get on the 56 Bike Path all the way back to the...

Enjoyed a scenic ~3.2-mile round trip shaded walk starting from El Camino Real until the Carmel Mountain Preserve parking area. Lots of trees along a compact dirt hiking trail. For the majority of the walk, there is a parallel bike path, which makes it safer for the hikers / joggers and bikers.

Since this is also an equestrian path, walkers / joggers need to be dodge periodic horse manure piles...