Popular park with gorgeous volcano remains. Several access points. Northwest part of preserve is quite busy but paths available to venture out east or south. Sunset time is gorgeous

I hike here on a daily basis, ranges from easy to difficult, dog friendly, free parking. Get place to get back to nature and have a peaceful or intense time! Get place for tourist as well

What an incredible place , you must go take a hike , walk , or a stroll , it’s beautiful !! Views are amazing, it’s a little steep here and there but worth it, totally!! We saw several bird types and the plants are all in bloom . Simply stunning, little off the beaten city path to a slice of nature. Breath it in capturing the moment for life.

Lake Hodges is beautiful always. Very fun hike. Beware! They close and lock the gates at 5, don't get stuck!!

Love hiking here so many choices you can make your hike easy or hard long or short I enjoy all the fellow hiker and mountain biker I meet here. I enjoy the wildlife on the early morning hikes as well as the sunrise from the top of the mountain. It is also great to watch sunset from mountain top in the evening and the view of the lake is a awesome from up there. The trails are for walker's, runners, hikers and mountains bikers it also dog friendly. My Grandkids love it here as well they like the walk around the lake or the long boardwalks/bridges. Sure do miss the SDG&E smokestack looking west I remember it being put up. Anyway this is a must hike at least once so give it a try you will not regret it.

It's been a while for me visiting Calavera it was great to be back on the trails again 😀

Great hike,I saw wildlife all around including 2 Coyote's, a road runner, owl, and remenents of a volcano. Only downfall was trails were not well marked.

very pretty! such a big trail so its great for working out / hiking

Great open space area for hiking, biking, walking and running!

Lots of hiking trails. Minimal parking. Nice scenic outlook at the top

Easy to moderate level hike with optional trials leading uphill for a more difficult hike, plenty of nature filled scenery.

Trail Series, Part 14 The Calavera Nature Preserve is located in Carlsbad, California, and offers numerous access points for your convenience. We appreciated the small parking lot we discovered at our entrance point at the corner of College Boulevard and Peninsula Drive. The first thing you should know is that they take the “preserve” concept pretty seriously. While your potential paths are numerous, your access is limited to the marked trails. Having said that there is much to offer. A lake, a marshland section featuring an elevated wooden path to assist with preservation efforts, a peak to ascend, and some wildlife to observe. It surprisingly even offers a restroom and a water fountain. The terrain is mostly moderate from a difficulty standpoint, but offers some easy and some quite challenging sections. Our adventure was 5 miles, but you’re able to enjoy a much shorter, or slightly longer, journey according to your interests. If you’re looking to spice things up a bit we’d recommend that you ascend to the peak. During our ascent my GPS accused me of moving so slowly that it announced that I had “paused” my workout. In actuality my 🐢 like progress was not the result of a lack of forward movement, but rather me resorting to 4 wheel drive (a near crawl on hands and knees). After my GPS had tired of mocking me it stated that our total elevation gain was more than 1,000 feet. Who’s laughing now Mr. GPS? Step off, bro! Dogs are welcomed, strollers are absolutely ill advised, and the buddy system is highly recommended. We found the cool breeze coming off the nearby Pacific Ocean to be completely refreshing. And that’s…Henry’s Take. #carlsbadhiking

Best place for a great hike Nice and easy some uphill spots were kinda rough but still it was a great time

Its an awesome place, lots of trails to go and explore.

Nice trail, no fee

This is a beautiful place to hike! I came by accident and love it.

It was nice to find such a unspoiled piece of wilderness in the midst of the city. Definitely a strenuous workout and not advisable for small children or strollers.

A beautiful walk and lovely view.l at the overlook. The trail leading up to the overlook is incredibly steep. Being from our of town, I had trouble finding the trailhead but it was worth taking the time.