Learn about current park closures and updates.
Nature Center: 2710 Manchester Avenue, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
92007
Annie's Canyon Trailhead: 900 North Rios Ave.,
Solana Beach
Park: (760)
634-3026
Hours: 9 a.m. – 5
p.m., daily
View the
park
brochure. Watch our latest trail video.
Whether you are a runner, hiker, birder, photographer or painter, San
Elijo Lagoon provides natural solace and recreation. One of San
Diego’s largest wetlands, this 979-acre reserve is primarily a
shallow-water estuary, formed where the Escondido and La Orilla Creeks
meet the Pacific Ocean. It makes for a beautiful backdrop for weddings
and special events!
From sunrise to sunset, explore 7
miles of easy-to-moderate trails and hike the quarter-mile,
moderate-to-strenuous Annie’s Canyon Trail. Trails connect wetland
habitats of coastal strand, salt marsh, freshwater/brackish marsh,
riparian scrub, coastal sage scrub, and mixed chaparral. Kids will
enjoy TRACK Trails, a nature-themed scavenger hunts to win prizes
online.
Several trailheads can be accessed from
residential areas in Solana Beach – stop by the Nature LEED
Platinum-certified Nature Center to learn more and map your trek. The
Nature Center is a perfect starting point for experiencing the
beautiful San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve. Museum-quality
interactive exhibits interpret the history and development of the
ecological reserve, as well as the plants and animals that thrive on
site.
Twice daily, incoming tides cover much of the
landscape with salt water. As the tide ebbs, mudflats are exposed that
are rich with invertebrates, providing food for shorebirds and ducks.
Fresh water from rain-fed creeks and storm drains mixes with the salt
water. The plants and animals in this estuarine environment have
evolved to survive at the intersection of land and ocean.
Visit the News &
Events page for park events, updates and closures.
View Development Projects.
