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

Easy trail near a tough golf course in Carlsbad

Golf-course trail connects to undeveloped habitats and parklands

Trail heads looking toward lagoon
Trail heads looking toward lagoon

The Crossings at Carlsbad Golf Course was designed by Greg Nash with the preservation of habitat and the city’s trail system being an important consideration in creating a challenging course. The holes for this city-owned golf course are tucked into diverse ridges and flats within the rugged Macario Creek Canyon, creating an unusual juxtaposition of lush green lawns separated by native coastal sage scrub or the riparian corridor of Macario Creek itself. The greens are connected by 7 miles of paved trail on which golfers use carts to reach each hole. Note: only the Crossings Trail section of the golf course is open to hikers.

The lower slopes of Veterans Park may once have been open grassland.

The Crossings Trail section of the paved golf course trail is an official City of Carlsbad hiking trail and connects a tributary canyon with coastal sage scrub habitat on the northwest side of the golf course with the undeveloped Veterans Park on the other side of Faraday Drive.

Macario Creek only has flowing water after rain storms.

From the trailhead, hike down a dirt road on the east-facing slope of this tributary canyon. You are likely to create a flurry of activity in the vegetation along the canyon bottom as flocks of California quail are flushed from their shrub cover.

Sponsored
Sponsored
You are likely to create a flurry of activity in the vegetation.

In about a third of a mile the well-marked trail makes a hairpin turn and proceeds parallel to the Macario Creek bed. This part of the trail takes you through a transition zone between coastal sage scrub and riparian habitat, with mulefat and arroyo willows competing with coyote baccharis, California sagebrush, black sage, laurel sumac, sugar bush, and other typical coastal sage scrub species.

Macario Creek only has flowing water after rain storms, when its waters empty into the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. In addition to frequent trail-markers, you will also see occasional signs for the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Discovery Center. You cannot reach the Discovery Center via these trails unless you continue on the sidewalk bordering Faraday Road (for some reason the City of Carlsbad counts sidewalks as part of its “trails”). The Discovery Center is well worth a visit, but don’t be misled by these signs.

In about another third of a mile the dirt trail joins the paved golf-course trail. Follow it to the left, crossing the dense growth of black and arroyo willows, California sycamores, and some coastal live oaks. The trail is partly on a bridge about 12 feet above the creek wetlands and leads to one of the golf-course greens. Shortly after reaching hole #12 on your left, you will see a tunnel on your right that goes under Faraday Road and leads to the Veterans Park trail.

After passing through the tunnel, you have two choices: you may take the trail to the east (right), leading up to an excellent spot for views of the golf course; or the west (left) trail, which will take you to a place providing excellent views of the lagoon and, on a clear day, out to the ocean beyond. Until recently these two trails were connected, forming a loop, which made for an appealing hike. However, the piece of land containing the connecting trail is not part of the city property set aside for the future Veterans Park. So, avoid the section comprising the loop and treat both the left and right trails as separate out-and-back segments of this hike.

The lower slopes of Veterans Park may once have been open grassland, perhaps used to graze domesticated animals. In recent years, the land has been mowed regularly in summer and may be almost denuded of vegetation at the time of your hike. The upper slopes of both the east and west trail branches are covered with coastal sage scrub.

When you have completed your exploration of Veterans Park trails, return to your vehicle the way you came.

The Crossings and Veterans Park trails

Driving Directions: From I-5, exit at Palomar Airport Road and drive east 1.3 miles to the Crossings Drive. Make a left and continue up the hill to the Crossings at Carlsbad Golf Course, on your right. The parking spots at the most northwest end of the Crossings lot are available for trail hikers and other visitors. The well-marked trailhead is up a dirt road about 50 yards west. Hiking length: 2.5 miles out and back. Allow 1.5 hours.

Difficulty: Easy. Elevation gain/loss 400 feet. Leashed dogs and bicycles allowed. Construction will continue near the trailhead for several months, but the trail is open.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1
Trail heads looking toward lagoon
Trail heads looking toward lagoon

The Crossings at Carlsbad Golf Course was designed by Greg Nash with the preservation of habitat and the city’s trail system being an important consideration in creating a challenging course. The holes for this city-owned golf course are tucked into diverse ridges and flats within the rugged Macario Creek Canyon, creating an unusual juxtaposition of lush green lawns separated by native coastal sage scrub or the riparian corridor of Macario Creek itself. The greens are connected by 7 miles of paved trail on which golfers use carts to reach each hole. Note: only the Crossings Trail section of the golf course is open to hikers.

The lower slopes of Veterans Park may once have been open grassland.

The Crossings Trail section of the paved golf course trail is an official City of Carlsbad hiking trail and connects a tributary canyon with coastal sage scrub habitat on the northwest side of the golf course with the undeveloped Veterans Park on the other side of Faraday Drive.

Macario Creek only has flowing water after rain storms.

From the trailhead, hike down a dirt road on the east-facing slope of this tributary canyon. You are likely to create a flurry of activity in the vegetation along the canyon bottom as flocks of California quail are flushed from their shrub cover.

Sponsored
Sponsored
You are likely to create a flurry of activity in the vegetation.

In about a third of a mile the well-marked trail makes a hairpin turn and proceeds parallel to the Macario Creek bed. This part of the trail takes you through a transition zone between coastal sage scrub and riparian habitat, with mulefat and arroyo willows competing with coyote baccharis, California sagebrush, black sage, laurel sumac, sugar bush, and other typical coastal sage scrub species.

Macario Creek only has flowing water after rain storms, when its waters empty into the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. In addition to frequent trail-markers, you will also see occasional signs for the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Discovery Center. You cannot reach the Discovery Center via these trails unless you continue on the sidewalk bordering Faraday Road (for some reason the City of Carlsbad counts sidewalks as part of its “trails”). The Discovery Center is well worth a visit, but don’t be misled by these signs.

In about another third of a mile the dirt trail joins the paved golf-course trail. Follow it to the left, crossing the dense growth of black and arroyo willows, California sycamores, and some coastal live oaks. The trail is partly on a bridge about 12 feet above the creek wetlands and leads to one of the golf-course greens. Shortly after reaching hole #12 on your left, you will see a tunnel on your right that goes under Faraday Road and leads to the Veterans Park trail.

After passing through the tunnel, you have two choices: you may take the trail to the east (right), leading up to an excellent spot for views of the golf course; or the west (left) trail, which will take you to a place providing excellent views of the lagoon and, on a clear day, out to the ocean beyond. Until recently these two trails were connected, forming a loop, which made for an appealing hike. However, the piece of land containing the connecting trail is not part of the city property set aside for the future Veterans Park. So, avoid the section comprising the loop and treat both the left and right trails as separate out-and-back segments of this hike.

The lower slopes of Veterans Park may once have been open grassland, perhaps used to graze domesticated animals. In recent years, the land has been mowed regularly in summer and may be almost denuded of vegetation at the time of your hike. The upper slopes of both the east and west trail branches are covered with coastal sage scrub.

When you have completed your exploration of Veterans Park trails, return to your vehicle the way you came.

The Crossings and Veterans Park trails

Driving Directions: From I-5, exit at Palomar Airport Road and drive east 1.3 miles to the Crossings Drive. Make a left and continue up the hill to the Crossings at Carlsbad Golf Course, on your right. The parking spots at the most northwest end of the Crossings lot are available for trail hikers and other visitors. The well-marked trailhead is up a dirt road about 50 yards west. Hiking length: 2.5 miles out and back. Allow 1.5 hours.

Difficulty: Easy. Elevation gain/loss 400 feet. Leashed dogs and bicycles allowed. Construction will continue near the trailhead for several months, but the trail is open.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Jayson Napolitano’s Scarlet Moon releases third Halloween album

Latest effort has the most local vibe
Next Article

Wild Wild Wets, Todo Mundo, Creepy Creeps, Laura Cantrell, Graham Nancarrow

Rock, Latin reggae, and country music in Little Italy, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Harbor Island
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.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader