Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

A North County hike into San Diego history

This segment of the San Dieguito River Park crosses an agricultural preserve.

Avocado and citrus farms are in the agricultural preserve
Avocado and citrus farms are in the agricultural preserve

The San Pasqual Valley has continuous, completed segments of the planned, 55-mile-long, Coast to Crest Trail of the San Dieguito River Park. When finally realized, the Coast to Crest Trail will extend from Volcan Mountain near Julian to the coast at Del Mar. The San Pasqual Valley segment of the Coast to Crest trail provides access to a fascinating part of San Diego’s history and a chance to explore the San Pasqual Agricultural Preserve, as well as some of the natural areas contained within it. However, some of the segments are very long in distance with just a few access points. Also, camping is not allowed anywhere in this part of the park, so an overnight is out of the question. The best way to explore this area is through a series of out-and-back hikes within the area starting from the various staging areas that include the San Pasqual Valley Staging Area at Bandy Canyon Road, Ysabel Creek Road Staging Area, Old Coach Staging Area, and the Mule Hill Trailhead at the Sikes Adobe Staging Area. This article looks at an out-and-back hike from the eastern end of the valley beginning at the San Pasqual Valley Staging Area.

Begin hiking west from the trailhead, with Santa Ysabel Creek on your right and a large citrus grove on your left. The creek bed is choked with typical riparian vegetation, including arroyo willows, Freemont cottonwoods, mule fat, scattered sycamore trees, and even a few California black walnut trees. The creek is a haven for wildlife, particularly birds. In half a mile the trail makes a sharp turn south, leaving the creek. As it continues along the western boarder of the citrus grove, the view on the right is of a large turf grass farm. After walking another half a mile the trail turns west again and now follows Bandy Canyon Road. You will pass abandoned buildings and a recently closed dairy, all signs of the rapidly changing nature of farming in this Agricultural Preserve. Once the source of milk for most of San Diego, now only one operational dairy remains in the preserve.

Although there are many non-native invasive species on this segment of the hike, including eucalyptus, Mexican fan palms, tamarisk, and Indian cactus, there are also many hardy native species, including climbing milkweed, salt heliotrope, wild grape, tree tobacco, flat top buckwheat, black sage, prickly pear cactus, and deer weed.

Sponsored
Sponsored

At the Ysabel Creek Staging Area, turn around to complete the 6-mile out-and-back hike.

  • Distance from downtown San Diego: About 36 miles. Allow 40 minutes. Go north on I-15 to Escondido. Exit at Via Rancho Parkway and follow the signs for San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park, which will place you on SR 78 going east. After passing the Safari Park’s entrance, continue on SR 78 an additional 3.4 miles to Bandy Canyon Road. Turn right on Bandy Canyon Road and then make an almost immediate right turn onto a gravel road. Follow it north, then west for about 0.1 mile to the San Pasqual Valley Trailhead and Staging Area.
  • Hiking length: 6 miles out-and-back.
  • Difficulty: Easy over almost flat ground. The trail is open to hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and leashed dogs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but motorized vehicles are banned. There are no facilities or water at this trailhead or on the trail, so plan accordingly. Watch for patches of poison oak along streams.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

A poem for March by Joseph O’Brien

“March’s Lovely Asymptotes”
Avocado and citrus farms are in the agricultural preserve
Avocado and citrus farms are in the agricultural preserve

The San Pasqual Valley has continuous, completed segments of the planned, 55-mile-long, Coast to Crest Trail of the San Dieguito River Park. When finally realized, the Coast to Crest Trail will extend from Volcan Mountain near Julian to the coast at Del Mar. The San Pasqual Valley segment of the Coast to Crest trail provides access to a fascinating part of San Diego’s history and a chance to explore the San Pasqual Agricultural Preserve, as well as some of the natural areas contained within it. However, some of the segments are very long in distance with just a few access points. Also, camping is not allowed anywhere in this part of the park, so an overnight is out of the question. The best way to explore this area is through a series of out-and-back hikes within the area starting from the various staging areas that include the San Pasqual Valley Staging Area at Bandy Canyon Road, Ysabel Creek Road Staging Area, Old Coach Staging Area, and the Mule Hill Trailhead at the Sikes Adobe Staging Area. This article looks at an out-and-back hike from the eastern end of the valley beginning at the San Pasqual Valley Staging Area.

Begin hiking west from the trailhead, with Santa Ysabel Creek on your right and a large citrus grove on your left. The creek bed is choked with typical riparian vegetation, including arroyo willows, Freemont cottonwoods, mule fat, scattered sycamore trees, and even a few California black walnut trees. The creek is a haven for wildlife, particularly birds. In half a mile the trail makes a sharp turn south, leaving the creek. As it continues along the western boarder of the citrus grove, the view on the right is of a large turf grass farm. After walking another half a mile the trail turns west again and now follows Bandy Canyon Road. You will pass abandoned buildings and a recently closed dairy, all signs of the rapidly changing nature of farming in this Agricultural Preserve. Once the source of milk for most of San Diego, now only one operational dairy remains in the preserve.

Although there are many non-native invasive species on this segment of the hike, including eucalyptus, Mexican fan palms, tamarisk, and Indian cactus, there are also many hardy native species, including climbing milkweed, salt heliotrope, wild grape, tree tobacco, flat top buckwheat, black sage, prickly pear cactus, and deer weed.

Sponsored
Sponsored

At the Ysabel Creek Staging Area, turn around to complete the 6-mile out-and-back hike.

  • Distance from downtown San Diego: About 36 miles. Allow 40 minutes. Go north on I-15 to Escondido. Exit at Via Rancho Parkway and follow the signs for San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park, which will place you on SR 78 going east. After passing the Safari Park’s entrance, continue on SR 78 an additional 3.4 miles to Bandy Canyon Road. Turn right on Bandy Canyon Road and then make an almost immediate right turn onto a gravel road. Follow it north, then west for about 0.1 mile to the San Pasqual Valley Trailhead and Staging Area.
  • Hiking length: 6 miles out-and-back.
  • Difficulty: Easy over almost flat ground. The trail is open to hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and leashed dogs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but motorized vehicles are banned. There are no facilities or water at this trailhead or on the trail, so plan accordingly. Watch for patches of poison oak along streams.
Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The Digital Currency Wave Hits the Shores of San Diego

Next Article

Celebrate Holi, Borrego Springs Music Festival

Events March 23-March 27, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.