San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and Nature Center

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.

San Elijo Lagoon is a peaceful place to enjoy nature.  You can run, hike, birdwatch, take photos, or paint. It is one of the largest wetlands in San Diego. The 979-acre reserve is mainly a shallow-water estuary. It is where the Escondido and La Orilla Creeks meet the Pacific Ocean. It also provides a beautiful setting for weddings and special events!

 
From sunrise to sunset, you can explore 7 miles of easy-to-moderate trails. You can also hike the quarter-mile Annie’s Canyon Trail, which is a bit harder. The trails pass through different types of nature, like salt marshes, freshwater areas, and shrubs. Kids will enjoy TRACK Trails, a fun scavenger hunt where they can find things in nature and win prizes online. 
 
Several trailheads can be reached from neighborhoods in Solana Beach. Be sure to stop by the Nature LEED Platinum-certified Nature Center to learn more and to plan your hike.  The Nature Center is a great place to explore the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve. You can see fun exhibits that teach about the history of the reserve and the plants and animals that live there. 
 
Twice a day, the incoming tides cover much of the landscape with salt water. As the tide goes out, mudflats are exposed, full of invertebrates that provide food for shorebirds and ducks. Freshwater from creeks and storm drains mixes with the saltwater. The plants and animals in this area have adapted to live where land and ocean meet.

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