The preserve contains 4,000 acres of pristine land
in both Peñasquitos and Lopez Canyons (1).
Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve contains
rivers, wildlife, waterfalls, birds and ancient trees. It is open to the public
with a $3 car pass paid at the entrance. People on foot may enter free with no
cost. There are plenty of people walking
the main trail so you should feel safe.
Yelp visitors rank it 4 out of 5 for local
attractions (2).
Comments include great trails, take
sunscreen, and lots of wildlife. Visitors admired the overall quality of the
hike and the beautiful waterfalls. As the trails are well maintained bikers and
children can walk easily.
On our trip, we hiked the 3.5 miles to the
waterfalls and back(3).
Hitting a number of side trails the total trip was somewhere around 8.5 miles.
Be sure to leave early, as it will take you about 2.5 hours for a round trip
with some time to watch the waterfalls. We made it back just after dark and the
ranger had to wait a few minutes for us. The place closes at 5 pm when the sun
goes down.
Some of the side trails are interesting. They lead
to the creek that is great for taking pictures. As these are quieter with less
traffic there is more wildlife to be found. I was looking for a mountain lion
to take a picture of but only found a few birds. Just missed a picture of a
crane flying overhead.
12122 Canyonside Park Drive
San Diego, CA 92129
San Diego, CA 92129
