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| Hiking | 2.40 Miles |
1,000 AEG |
| | Hiking | 2.40 Miles | | | |
| 1,000 ft AEG | | 5 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Had a chance to hit the Calavera Preserve during a weekend trip to San Diego. We were staying in North County and i didn't want to be gone too late as we had plans with the kids later that day so I wanted to stay close by. I started out on the trailhead at the back of Oak Riparian Park on Lake Blvd and headed southwest through the trees towards the hill. The centerpiece of the preserve is a 22 million year-old volcanic plug that rises a couple hundred feet above the man-made Lake Calavera. This is apparently one of only three volcanic plugs in all of California (assuming the display sign is telling the truth). There are a couple of established trails in the preserve but there are so many crisscross paths throughout that I actually found it hard to follow any official route. The upside is that you can "roll your own" hike to set your own distance and elevation. I set out straight for the plug/mountain/hill and after about a mile or so, including a steeper final 300 or so feet, reached the top. The 360 views were nice but as this is "city" preserve, it is hemmed in completely by homes, though you can see to the ocean which is only 4-5 miles to the west.
After exploring the plug for a few minutes, I walked back down and circled the lake which is nice for a city lake, but nothing particularly special by AZ standards. After rounding the lake, I headed towards the east end of the park as far as I could go before reaching the neighboring homes' property lines. I then headed north along the property lines back to the riparian park for a total distance of around 2.5 miles.
This one is mildly interesting if you have an hour or two for a quick hike in the north San Diego area or if you are into volcanic geology. |
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