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Running trails in San Diego County
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Where are the best places to run off-road in the North County? I'll be coming over soon for a visit and I'd like to find some places to run. Not steep hiking trails, paved bike trails, boardwalks. or streets. I'm looking for places to run 4 to10 miles.

Thanks

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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rancho sante fe trails/ golf course area
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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Where in North County? A little more south is Penasquitos Canyon. It has a six mile long service road that runs East-West from I15 (Mira Mesa/PQ) to I805/I5 (Sorrento Valley). The eastern half is flat gravel, packed dirt and sand. The western half is rolling hills on packed dirt. I used to live on the edge of the canyon and would run it several times a month.
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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here is a Garmin link to the main trail run in Rancho Santa Fe, the "Ranch Run". 11 miles of wood chip trail, rolling hills. There are a lot of variations to this trail, mostly depending on where you start from. This start is from the lower parking lot at San Dieguito Park. If you go about a half mile down the road, there is a trail head with some parking and starting from there makes it a 10 mile run and takes out the last hill to the finish of the 11 mile course. Word of caution if you run this loop, yield the right away to horseback riders. These are private trails and we are visitors there. If you come up on some riders, stop and let them pass. Then start running again after they have passed. https://connect.garmin.com/activity/726817638

Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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La Costa, Elfin Forest preserve, Mission Trails, Lake Hodges, some of these will have a lot of climbing. Hodges is pretty tame.

I'm not sure what you are looking for though, not paved, not boardwalks, not streets, but also not hiking trails. What kind of trails are you looking for?

jake

Get outside!
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [jakers] [ In reply to ]
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jakers wrote:
La Costa, Elfin Forest preserve, Mission Trails, Lake Hodges, some of these will have a lot of climbing. Hodges is pretty tame.

I'm not sure what you are looking for though, not paved, not boardwalks, not streets, but also not hiking trails. What kind of trails are you looking for?

jake


I tried searching for trails, but all I was able to find was hikers raving about all the vertical they hiked. I'm not looking for big vertical but I want to get away from the concrete and the cars.

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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Not north county but if you end up anywhere by the city itself, balboa park. Lot of trails and variations near morely field and florida canyon area of the park.
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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Lake Hodges is the place to be then. Lots of wide trails and not a lot of climbing.

Many of the reviews that are posted are likely not serious hikers, but more people out for an afternoon in the sun. Yes, there certainly are hills, but there are some really fun trails to run (and I don't really like to run at all).

Jake

Get outside!
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Mike Plumb] [ In reply to ]
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Wow, that is one of the most respectful posts I've ever seen on this site! Yes, the trails are part of a private network in RSF but they are frequently used by many outside the area, with mixed results. The way you presented the information is truly appreciated as my wife actually rides her horse on these trails and it really helps when people stop running to let the riders pass. Some horses can be jumpy and not running at them helps a lot.

To the OP, the trail system presented by Mike Plumb is awesome. It's a great area to run and you'll not regret the experience.
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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can you nail the location down a bit better? lake hodges is great, penasquitos great, also ranch santa fe. but there are other places that are also great. lesser known. i think dixon lake in escondido has most of those trail systems beat, in my opinion, but almost nobody knows about that trail system. but it depends on how far out in north county you are. that's very north, and away from the coast.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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We're going to be in Carlsbad for a week between the TriRock Triathlon in San Diego and the Tiki Swim in Oceanside in September and maybe sooner if we can get there for a few days. While we are there, we will be seriously looking for a new place to live. I've been trying to get my wife to move out of NY for a long time and now it looks like she is finally ready. Yesterday she put both of our houses up for sale! Yikes! So now it's looking good!
Right now, here on Long Island we have a trail network where I can do a 50 mile mt bike ride on only a mile from our house. We used to run to the trail but now that we are older and are more creaky we drive to the trail head. The Upstate house is surrounded by hiking trails and you can get to the trail from our dirt road. but these trails are too steep and rugged for real running. Upstate we usually run on the road but since there are very few cars and you are surrounded by forest it's kind of trail-like. We do have an XC ski network nearby and the downhill slopes that I used to run when I was much more hard core. I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to places to run. So having a trail to run on will be a huge plus.

About five years ago, we stayed in a condo in Pacific Beach for a week while Michelle worked at a convention in Downtown San Diego. I borrowed a bike and I got in some nice long rides. And I just loved Carlsbad. It was like the most low key reasonable place in all of Southern California. Of course, over the past couple of years it has really boomed.

Now I want to have it all; good location, mild weather, nearby running trail, good cycling, and a reasonable drive to the pool that is always open for lap swimming. And water to drink after my workouts will be nice. Where do I find it?

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law
Last edited by: Sweeney: Mar 24, 15 13:29
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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a part of the discussion, of course, is what you'll be doing for a commute. if a commute is not an issue, then in my opinion, inland is much, much better than the coast, for what you are talking about. elfin forest, bonsall, fallbrook, de luz canyon, and even into the communities of la cresta above temecula, on the santa rosa plateau. also escondido next to dixon lake. and san marcos.

for 12 years i had my factory (building wetsuits and bikes) in san marcos. i lived in vista, in the hills, back against the hills, with a trail system out my back door. it was the best place i could find for running and cycling both. the one achilles heel was that it was a hike to do my swim (we swam at the carlsbad pool). wherever you go, if you're still swimming you need to think about where you're going to swim. others are better sources than i am for that because i don't know what programs and pools have popped up in the 13 years i've been gone.

the problem with the coast is cycling. i hate traffic lights. if you want to be free, open, great riding, you have to be stationed inland, at least 10 or so miles.

the nice thing about san marcos, it has its own city-wide trail system, and if you build a new housing tract you have to plan a trail system for that complex and even hook it into the existing system. elfin forest is a community inside san marcos. anywhere in elfin forest and then into twin oaks valley is going to be pretty good for you.

what i did when i moved to north county in 1991 was just look on maps for open spaces and then i did a recon of all those open spaces look for trails. nowadays it's a lot easier with google maps than it was then. figure that you'll need easy cycling access to fallbrook, de luz canyon, lake wolford, valley center, lilac, those are going to be your go-to routes. and, you'd better develop a taste for climbing. long island it aint ;-)

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Dan,

The urban sprawl is growing and a lot of the trails are getting eaten up. There are still plenty of trails, and depending on where you will be working, the San Elijo Hills is a growing development to look at. Easy access trails, rides, and now a pool.

You don't have to drive to the Monroe St pool in Carlsbad anymore though. The Alga Norte park has two pools (1x50m and 1x 25yd) and it's very well placed. It makes it easier to get to from Vista and San Marcos.

Lots of running trails, and easy access to most of the best rides in Socal, inland in north county, just depends on where you want to be.

jake

Get outside!
Last edited by: jakers: Mar 24, 15 9:21
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [jakers] [ In reply to ]
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yes, when i say elfin forest really i'm talking about san elijo hills. i think that's a great community for triathletes and, really, anybody who lives there can get to the carlsbad pool easily enough, right down palomar airport road.

great running trails, and also access to trails off their system, i think you could pretty easily get to mt. israel from there. and then the cycling, san elijo hills gives you access both to twin oaks valley or to, eventually, lake wolford and highland valley.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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If commute is not an issue then there's many choices in the north county that have excellent trail access and easy reach to riding that's not overrun with traffic lights. The fact is that there will be some traffic lights to contend with for road riding but heading east from the coast certainly diminishes the impact compared to riding the coast. Also, mountain biking/trail running is fantastic and can be virtually right out your door if you live in the right community.

When we moved back to San Diego from LA one of our important factors was access from the north county. I-5 south on the weekend can be a nightmare so we chose to get closer to Carmel Valley to avoid having to sit in traffic if we wanted to get in to San Diego. There's many nice neighborhoods off the 56 that might fit the OP's needs, that's for sure.

Now if commute IS a factor, that might change the whole discussion. Commuting traffic can be pretty tough and not sitting in traffic daily would weigh heavily in my decision making process.
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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I moved into the Del Sur neighborhood on the outskirts of RSF about 6 months ago. Although I'm not there much as I'm based overseas, the times that I spend there is awesome. There are plenty of trails and roads to run on, the biking is excellent and there is a 25 yard swimming pool at one of the neighborhood parks (Kristen Glen). The 3-lane pool is open for lap swimming M-F 6AM-10PM and S-Su from 6-10AM.
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for all the information. Vista and San Marcos have been on my radar. We are both retired and at my last job at the World Trade Center we had a Gunite crew who were all from the Carlsbad area. They told me that they loved both towns. They also told me that Escondido and Oceanside had good and bad areas so I thought I would just stay away from them. The also told me that Escondido is hot in the summer but they weren't very clear about it. They also said that if you want that coastal weather, you have to live as close to the ocean as possible. But they never said how close. How much warmer are Vista and San Marcos than the coast?

Michelle got really worried this afternoon because she listed the Long Island house, the house she has lived in all of her life, yesterday and she got two calls today from people who want to see it as soon as they can. We are going to the Upstate house for a few days so she told them next week. It will give her some time to get used to the fact that she really might do this. I will also have a hard time letting go of the Upstate house, but we will have to if we expect to move.

And one more thing for now. My Upstate house is at the more mountainous northern end of the same county as American Zoffingen. I think I'll be able to struggle my way up those North County hills ;)

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [jakers] [ In reply to ]
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Is San Elijo Hills all gated. I looked online and the trails that run through the community and connect to others looked beautiful. There were a few houses in my price range but they were in gated community. I don't want to live behind a gate.

If Tiger Woods lived in a gated community, his wife might have caught him at the gate and knocked the crap out of him with that golf club!

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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"They also said that if you want that coastal weather, you have to live as close to the ocean as possible. But they never said how close. How much warmer are Vista and San Marcos than the coast?"

there is a ridgeline about 10 miles inland. once over that ridge and into the trough on the other side, it's hot. the I-15 runs right through there. there's a big retirement community - Lawrence Welk - in that trough. yes, it gets hot. if you are on the ridge on either side, or if you are on the ocean side of the ridge closest to the ocean (where i used to live) it's less hot.

but if you want to be just cool, all the time, temps in the 70s during the summer instead of in the 80s and occasional 90s, yes, you need to be within a mile or 2 of the ocean. it's cool because you're always bathed in that thick marine layer. however, that layer has nicknames. may gray. june gloom. so, pick your poison.

if you live in san elijo hills, or some place in that basic neighborhood, you might be able to see the ocean depending on the house, and how high up you are. i could see the ocean from my house up on that ridge in vista. and i could also see the gray cloud layer below me, near the beach, on summer days. i just did not like that layer. in fact, i moved clean out of there altogether, and i live on the desert side of the san gabriel mountains, on the other side of los angeles, where the air is just starkly crisp, very dry, very clean and clear. but it gets colder in the winter and hotter in the summer where i live and that's what you give up when you don't live in that marine layer.

were i to live down in san diego county it would be high. i might live in julian. i love that area. that's where tom warren spent a lot of his time (look him up, he's one of triathlon's historic tough men in the sport's beginning). i would live in julian or santa isabel. but i do fine living a pretty solitary existence. wife, dogs, horses maybe, a couple of neighbors, a lot of bikes, trails from the house, done. if i had to live closer to civilization, then it would be escondido, vista, bonsall, fallbrook, san elijo hills, twin oaks valley, maybe highland valley between rancho bernardo and ramona. just, whatever you do, wherever you go, live up. not in a valley, because that's what gets hot. up on a ridge.


Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Running trails in San Diego County [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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I have lived in the San Elijo Hills area for a couple of years now. Not all neighborhoods are gated, and as Dan mentioned, some houses will have incredible views including the ocean.

It really is an awesome area with multiple trail heads easy to access, very easy to get out east on your bike (or to the coast), technical trails for MTB'ing, and a state of the art 50m pool 5 miles away.

Keep in mind that they are building new still here, and that is at the top of the hill if you so desire to have the views. Also a great place to do hill repeats on Twin Oaks and Double Peak. It is a great spot, and something to check out for sure.

The urban sprawl is continuing so that may also be something to consider with this area. They are also building a new middle school at the top of the hill. So there will be two schools within 2 miles on the same road. There is a good bit of traffic in the mornings and afternoons. But every place has Pro's and Con's. In my opinion (for what it's worth) this is a great place to live!

jake

Get outside!
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