Encinitas, CA Birding Trails and Maps

219 Reviews

Looking for the best Birding trails around Encinitas?

Find the top rated birding trails in Encinitas, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
31 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Aliso Creek Riding and Hiking Trail

16.4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Dana Point Headlands Trail System

3.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Dirt

Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade

0.75 mi
State: CA
Brick

Mission Bay Bike Path

11.57 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Oso Creek Trail

4.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Rose Creek Bikeway

2.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

San Diego Creek Trail

10.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

San Luis Rey River Trail

9.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Santa Gertrudis Creek Trail

4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

State Route 56 Bike Path

10.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Walker Preserve & River Park Trail

3.3 mi
State: CA
Crushed Stone

Bayshore Bikeway

24.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Escondido Creek Bike Path

6.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Inland Rail Trail

10.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Rose Canyon Bicycle Path

1.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Rose Creek Bike Path

0.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Salt Creek Trail (Orange County)

5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
Accordion

San Clemente Beach Trail

2.3 mi
State: CA
Boardwalk, Sand

San Diego River Trail

6 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

San Juan Creek Trail

6 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Sorrento Valley Road Trail

1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Coastal Rail Trail

4.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Fay Avenue Bike Path

1.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Dirt

Sweetwater Bikeway

2.2 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Coast Highway Protected Trail

2.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Linear Park

1.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Pershing Bikeway

2.3 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Overview  The Aliso Creek Riding and Hiking Trail runs 16.4 miles through the foothills of Orange County, California, between Portola Hills and Wood Canyon in Laguna Niguel. The 16.4 mile trail...
CA 16.4 mi Asphalt
Overview Trail users looking for an enjoyable loop hike through a new preserve and three parks with stunning ocean views will enjoy the 3.1-mile trail system in the Dana Point Headlands, a scenic...
CA 3.1 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Dirt
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade connects a number of sites along San Diego's waterfront. The walkway runs on the northern side of an active railroad corridor parallel to the Linear Park, which...
CA 0.75 mi Brick
Overview The Mission Bay Bike Path forms an 11.57-mile, heart-shaped loop around San Diego’s Mission Bay and the incredibly scenic 4,235-acre Mission Bay Park.  Trail users should note that the...
CA 11.57 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Oso Creek Trail offers just over four miles of paved pathway connecting Jeronimo Open Space Park and Oso Viejo Community Park in the suburban southern California city of Mission Viejo. Much of...
CA 4.1 mi Asphalt
The Rose Creek Bikeway closes a gap in San Diego's regional trail system, easing connections from Sorrento Valley and University City in the north to Mission Bay and downtown San Diego in the south....
CA 2.1 mi Asphalt
When completed, the Salt Creek Trail will stretch 16 miles from Menifee to Hemet, California. As it Stands, the existing trail stretches 5 miles in two separate segments. The westernmost 4 miles of...
CA 5 mi Asphalt
The San Diego Creek Trail is a spine of Irvine’s extensive network of trails and bike lanes. Much of the trail follows San Diego Creek and connects to the city’s well-appointed parks, schools, and...
CA 10.8 mi Asphalt
Overview The San Luis Rey River Trail runs for 9.5 miles along the course of the San Luis Rey River in Oceanside. The trail, which is smooth and mostly flat, is a local favorite among cyclists,...
CA 9.5 mi Asphalt
The Santa Gertrudis Creek Trail is a 3-mile paved trail that serves as both a recreational amenity and an active transportation alternative for locals looking to get to nearby locations without...
CA 4 mi Asphalt
Overview The State Route 56 Bike Path provides a 10.8-mile traffic-separated connection between inland and coastal San Diego County. About the Route The route gradually inclines traveling...
CA 10.8 mi Asphalt
Meandering through the Walker Preserve and Lakeside's River Park Conservancy, this multiuse trail follows the San Diego River from the City of Santee to the community of Lakeside. This 3.3-mile...
CA 3.3 mi Crushed Stone
Overview Nearly encircling the San Diego Bay, the Bayshore Bikeway offers views of downtown San Diego and the resort town of Coronado while providing access to a number of parks and beaches....
CA 24.7 mi Asphalt, Concrete
This paved trail along Escondido Creek can help residents commute to the Escondido Transit Center or to local services, as well as providing a pleasant opportunity for recreation. The trail connects...
CA 6.1 mi Asphalt
Overview The Inland Rail Trail runs for 10.5 miles through the San Diego County communities of Escondido, San Marcos and parts of Vista. About the Route The setting for the Inland Rail Trail...
CA 10.5 mi Asphalt
As its name suggests, the Mission Beach-Pacific Beach Boardwalk conveniently links the two oceanfront communities north of downtown San Diego. The paved path, also known appropriately as Oceanfront...
CA 3 mi Concrete
The Robert McCollum Memorial Bicycle Trail, also known as the Trabuco Creek Trail (East Bank), is a short paved path along Trabuco Creek in San Juan Capistrano. The trail begins at a junction with the...
CA 1 mi Asphalt
The short and sweet Rose Canyon Bicycle Path is a popular route because of its scenery and the important off-street connection it provides between the Mission Bay and UC San Diego areas. Tucked...
CA 1.1 mi Asphalt
The Rose Creek Bike Path is actually a segment of trail less than a mile long, connecting the Mission Bay Trail in the south to the Rose Creek Bikeway, opened in 2021. It's a short but important...
CA 0.8 mi Asphalt
The Salt Creek Trail, with more arms than an octopus, offers a variety of experiences for trail users of all types in Dana Point and Laguna Niguel. Featuring two sections, several branches and a mix...
CA 5 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
Accordion
Overview Hugging one of the most picturesque shorelines in Southern California, the San Clemente Beach Trail is one of the premier rail trails in the area. The trail is a rail-with-trail, as it...
CA 2.3 mi Boardwalk, Sand
The San Diego River Trail is a network of paths that lead along the San Diego River channel and mud flats and provide access to Mission/Fashion Valley shopping areas. You can walk or ride on either...
CA 6 mi Asphalt
The San Juan Creek Trail starts where the creek meets the Pacific Ocean at Doheny State Beach in scenic Dana Point. From there, it runs on the levee along the western bank of San Juan Creek to its...
CA 6 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Sorrento Valley Road Trail is a paved, two-lane section of road that was closed to traffic in the 1990s when CDOT built an interchange between State Route 56 and Interstate 5. In 1998 the road was...
CA 1 mi Asphalt
Overview    Open in distinct sections while still under development, The Coastal Rail Trail traverses beachside communities in Oceanside, Carlsbad, Solana Beach and Encinitas. Slated to eventually...
CA 4.7 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Make sure you bring your camera for this trail. The Fay Avenue Bike Path runs through the upscale seaside resort community of La Jolla, and opens up to the sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean,...
CA 1.1 mi Asphalt, Dirt
The Sweetwater Bikeway runs along the Sweetwater River from a parklike setting opposite the Plaza Bonita Shopping Center on the trail's east side to the yacht harbor at the mouth of the river. The...
CA 2.2 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Paralleling the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) for 2.5 miles, this route provides pedestrian and bicyclists with a connection between Capistrano Beach and North Beach.  The Coast Highway Protected...
CA 2.5 mi Asphalt
Running through downtown San Diego, Linear Park is a vibrant, palm-lined ribbon that parallels an active trolley line along Harbor Drive. The trail provides direct access to many of the city's...
CA 1.1 mi Asphalt
Overview The 2.3-mile Pershing Bikeway runs through the famous Balboa Park in San Diego. The entire route is paved and runs alongside Pershing Dr. About the Route Pershing Bikeway connects...
CA 2.3 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Running 1.5 miles between the Sorrento Valley COASTER Station and the University of California San Diego campus, this paved bike path provides an improved connection in Sand Diego's bike trail...
CA 1.5 mi Asphalt

Recent Trail Reviews

Mission Bay Bike Path

Nice Ride

October, 2024 by swvn2cp6ym

Nice ride

San Luis Rey River Trail

I enjoy this out and back I stay at Oceanside North Harbor and it's just a great ride

September, 2024 by patdig5109

I enjoy this out and back I stay at Oceanside North Harbor and it's just a great ride

Walker Preserve & River Park Trail

an excellent bicycling and walking trail!

September, 2024 by lolljr61

This particular trail is very well kept up, has a wide path of roughly 10 feet wide, and the trail itself goes under Riverford Road so that you don’t have to cross into the traffic if you don’t want to. The groundskeepers are constantly working on the shrubbery on both sides and keeping the fences kept up, and there are almost always people on the trails whenever we go, merrily saying good morning to us! My husband and I ride the distance and then turn around and go back, which ends up being a little over 6 miles which is just perfect for us. And, it’s a little bit challenging because there are changes and it is not a paved path, but a hard sand one.

Accordion

Escondido Creek Bike Path

Fun, Open, posing views

August, 2024 by drichard4

My wife and friends have enjoyed this path a couple of times. It offers a rear view of the city. Traffic is minimal- a great Beginner Trail. The very west part off the trail has a homeless camp but again, a different view or aspect of life. I personally did not feel threatened but a female friend felt intimidated. I would highly recommend for new bikers or walkers / runners.

Bayshore Bikeway

West side, good. East side, forget it.

August, 2024 by mark0053

As many have already described this path, the west side is scenic and a great bike path. The east side.....well it's Chula Vista and what can you say. Lots of homeless camps and burned-out homeless camps along the way. Poorly marked in many places. I've traveled this path many times and I now always do the west side only. I always feel safe on the west side and the opposite on the east.

San Luis Rey River Trail

Very nice trail

May, 2024 by p9jbzstx84

This is very easy and pleasant trail. Took my 8 year old on it today and he was able to finish the whole distance. We could not make it back as it was too much for him. We will definitely come back.

Escondido Creek Bike Path

Perfect for running/walking

April, 2024 by oliverjparado

I do my cardio workouts on this trail 4 days a week. Are there homeless? Yes. Could it be touched up and repaved a bit? Yes. Cleaner? Yes. What part of San Diego doesn’t these days? With the homeless, I don’t bother them and they don’t bother me, and they are few and far between. This trail is a key to my overall health and fitness. I don’t have to pay a monthly or annual membership fee to use it. It doesn’t close at 11pm, and it’s just outside my door. And the best part it’s free. I love it!

Mission Bay Bike Path

Beware Ebikes banned

April, 2024 by barbscondo

We are 4-78 year olds on Ebikes. Have ridden this path last year. Today we were sitting at a picnic table having lunch and the park ranger/patrol stopped and told us we are not allowed on any part of the Mission Bay Bikepath. All is considered boardwalk. The whole path circling the bay. We had to leave thru the parking lot back to Mission Bay Rv Resort where we are staying. Sadly, we will not be coming here again.

Aliso Creek Riding and Hiking Trail

Aliso Creek

March, 2024 by tdimauro

Aliso Creek Trail in the middle of beautiful Orange county. What a great bike path. Easy Breezy. Can connect to Santiago in the north and Laguna in the South.

Salt Creek Trail (Riverside County)

I rode it the other day, I plan on riding again with friends!

March, 2024 by wmartinbigwin

I rode it the other day, I plan on riding again with friends!

Inland Rail Trail

homeless hang out

February, 2024 by therapyjulie

Between the poor maintenance of the asphalt and trying to dodge the homeless carts and random people walking through the trail, I’m not sure it’s the safest bike route I’ve ever taken. I started at the Escondido transit station and won’t be doing that again!

Mission Bay Bike Path

Scenic trail

January, 2024 by debb2002

I roller skated the trail today and it’s well maintained. I prefer an asphalt trail, but this was fine for skating on. A newer skater might struggle with the expansion joints and sand, but it was relatively smooth aside from that. Most people walking/biking etc were staying where they’re supposed to be, but every once and awhile you’ll get a “face in the phone” who you’ll have to navigate around. Enjoy ¿¿

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