Hosp Grove was established in 1908 as a business venture by F.P. Hosp, who hoped to profit by selling the wood from fast-growing eucalyptus trees for use in the railroads. Unfortunately for Hosp, eucalyptus wood turned out to be unsuitable for construction purposes, and much of the land was eventually sold for residential development. Hosp’s misfortune turned into a benefit for hikers however, when in 1986 the City of Carlsbad purchased the remaining 53 acres of the grove and turned it into a park with several miles of hiking trails. Continue reading Hosp Grove
Category Archives: Carlsbad
Denk Mountain (Rancho La Costa Preserve)
Rancho La Costa is a habitat conservation area in Carlsbad and managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management, consisting of several non-contiguous parcels of land. We had previously hiked the Ridgeline Trail above Box Canyon. For this adventure we were hiking Denk Mountain, slightly east of the Ridgeline area.
Denk Mountain is home to a pretty extensive network of trails, so you can plot out routes of varying length and difficulty depending on what you’re after. This was our first time here, so we picked out a shorter route that looked like it would still hit the highlights as we explored the area: take the Switchbacks Trail to the viewpoint atop Denk Mountain, then descend along the Mule Deer Trail and connect back to the Switchbacks Trail. Continue reading Denk Mountain (Rancho La Costa Preserve)
Ridgeline Trail (Rancho La Costa Preserve)
Rancho La Costa is a habitat conservation area in Carlsbad and San Marcos managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management. The Preserve actually consists of a number of separate parcels of land, with a total of 1640 acres between them. There are two main parcels with trails open to hikers: the Ridgeline area and the Denk Mountain/Copper Creek area. Continue reading Ridgeline Trail (Rancho La Costa Preserve)
Rancho Carrillo/Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park
Leo Carrillo Ranch is a hidden little gem buried in suburban Carlsbad. It was once a working ranch and the weekend home of actor Leo Carrillo, best known for his role as sidekick “Pancho” on the television show The Cisco Kid. The City of Carlsbad acquired a portion of the property, and it is now designated as both a National Historic Landmark as well as a California Historic Landmark. The park is open Tuesday – Sunday, free to the public, and hosts numerous adobe buildings, fantastic gardens, and other fun surprises to explore. Continue reading Rancho Carrillo/Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park
Mount Calavera
Lake Calavera Open Space Preserve is a very popular North County destination for hiking, biking, dog walking and trail running. There is an elaborate network of formal and use trails running throughout the preserve which makes it an excellent spot for exploration if you are so inclined. The route we followed is a fairly straightforward course that visits the area’s major features: Mount Calavera and Lake Calavera. Continue reading Mount Calavera
Batiquitos Lagoon
Batiquitos Lagoon is one of the few remaining tidal wetlands in southern California. Located between Carlsbad and Encinitas, the Lagoon was chosen as a mitigation site in the 1980’s to offset development in San Pedro Harbor by the Port of Los Angeles. As a result, Batiquitos was dredged to remove accumulating silt and restore tidal flow to the Lagoon. Today Batiquitos Lagoon has been restored to a beautiful 610 acre preserve that is home to numerous fish, birds, plants, and mammals, and serves as a popular recreation spot for San Diegans looking for an easy, coastal stroll. Continue reading Batiquitos Lagoon