Thanks, Annie!

Hiking Annie's Canyon in Encinitas

Weekend Sherpa writer Matt Pawlik descending into a slot canyon at Annie's Canyon in San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve in Solana Beach

Is it a canyon hike? Or a wetland hike? Yes! Annie’s Canyon Trail in the 1,000-acre San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve in Solana Beach includes the most unique quarter-mile you’ve ever maneuvered—through a sandstone slot canyon—and delivers you to a coastal lagoon for some dazzling right-next-door contrast.

Annie’s opened in 2016 after years of restoration, much thanks to a monetary contribution from a local supporter named, yes, Annie. The 1.75-mile round-trip trek starts with a stint through laurel sumac, sage, arroyo willows, and other native flora adjacent to the marsh until you reach the large sign indicating Annie’s Canyon. Take the right-hand path to do the full loop through the eroding sandstone walls, and don’t be alarmed by the “strenuous” label. It does get steep and very narrow, but the loop is just 0.25-mile, and it’s more thrilling than scary.

The smooth, water-sculpted corridors of this otherworldly canyon cocoon you as you get deeper into it and ascend natural stone stairs around tight corners, passing hidden caves akin to your childhood idea of a perfect hideout. Ultimately, a ladder leads you out of the canyon and to an awesome panoramic view of the lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. Head down when you’re ready, completing the loop and returning to the trail. On the return trip, take a right at the first junction for an alternate route that hugs the lagoon, where interpretive signs point out the plant life. This path connects with the original trail and leads you back to your car, where you’ll no doubt be considering what friends to share this gem with on your next visit. Thanks, Annie!

To get to the Annie’s Canyon trailhead, take the I-5 toward Solana Beach, exit at Lomas Santa Fe Dr., and head west. Take Lomas Santa Fe for 1 mile, turning right onto N. Rios Ave., which ends at the trailhead after 0.8 mile. Dogs allowed, but not recommended in the canyon.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View