Calavera Nature Preserve

This is our favorite hiking spot in Carlsbad. It is great to stroll on the level trail around the lake as a warm up, then scale the steep side of the volcano. Views from the top are awesome, then take the "easier" route down the west side and finish crossing the dam. If you are into Geocache, there are numerous caches in play around the base of the volcano.

Great easy to moderate hike with a bit of elevation. There are multiple entrances to the trail that leads to volcano. This one is a bit far, and takes 30-40 minutes to get to the volcano. Great variety of local plants and lake make it a pleasant hike. It is dog friendly 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.

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

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