Rose Canyon Trail

San Diego, California

3.6/5

based on 5 reviews

Save

View all 7 photos

All 7 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

4.21 miles

Elevation Gain

220 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Outbound

The Rose Canyon Trail is a 4.2-mile out-and-back hike in Rose Canyon Open Space Park, easily accessible from San Diego. The trail is shared by mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers and dog walkers.

This hike is open year-round but is especially beautiful in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming and the spring is running. This trail offers good entry level mountain biking, with mostly flat well maintained trails and a couple of challenging but doable hills.

Download Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Download GPX File

Features

Fitness

Mountain Biking

Running

Hiking

Dog Friendly

Food Nearby

Scenic

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Rose Canyon Trail Reviews

Audrey Bigger

Roamer

Rose Canyon Trail

05/26/25

Trail was well marked. It was wide in some places and narrow and lined with vegetation in others. There is parking at the trail head, just beware if you have a small car, you might need some clearance to drive through the ruts.

4.0

Andy

Explorer

Rose Canyon Trail

10/22/20

A nice hike with ocean views. It's not too hard and is great for sunset.

4.0

Elena P

Explorer

Rose Canyon Trail

07/31/20

This scenic park in La Jolla, San Diego is a great place to see the view of the ocean and North County. This is also a veteran’s memorial, which you can go check out! Easy hike with a very scenic Pacific Ocean/San Diego in the background.

4.0

lilia brekke

Wanderer

Rose Canyon Trail

04/03/19

Nice easy walk. Great for families with kids, elderly, or a great wall for your 4 legged friends.

3.0

Yvonne Mountain

Beginner

Rose Canyon Trail

04/01/19

I was hoping to see more blooming flowers but there wasn’t much. We parked at the school and the trail had an entrance on both side of the street. Pretty basic trail nothing difficult but was nice to get out and feel the sun. Great hike for a family or older couple.

3.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Swing on the La Jolla Tree Swings

From Torrey Pines Rd, turn left onto La Jolla Shores Drive. After about 1/4 of a mile down start to look for parking preferably near UCSD Coastal Apartments. Once parked walk along the UCSD apartments until you see Discovery way. Make a left at Discovery where you will then cross the street. You will see 3 metal poles. Once you pass those if you look to the right you will see the tree swings ov...

Photograph Scripp's Pier

Parking is easy, there are tons of random street you can park on just a little walk away. Be sure to arrive on scene at least an hour before sunset. Make sure to look up the sunset time and the weather forecast. Clouds will make for the most dramatic images with the most color from the sunset. Expect other photographers there being it is a very popular photographed pier. I got there several hou...

Dive La Jolla Shores

While it doesn't get the attention of La Jolla Cove's green fields, the shores are one of the best parts about San Diego.Driving up to the large parking area it's immediately clear you've come to the right place as there's almost always divers suiting up in the early morning. A dive shop down the street (and in walking distance to save that parking spot) has you covered on air fills for the ret...

Surfing at Black's Beach via the Main Gate

With arguably some of San Diego’s best waves, Black’s Beach can be found in the vicinity of the University of California San Diego campus, at the southern end of Torrey Pines State Beach and north of La Jolla Shores. Stately eight-figure mansions now line the bluffs where pastures and the Black family horse farm once lay. Hence the name, Black's Beach. Black’s is famous amongst surfers for big ...

Black's Beach via the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Finding the actual trail is 80% of the adventure. Once you turn down La Jolla Farms Road you will follow it for about 3/4 of a mile and there won't be anything too apparent that you are there, except a few cars parked along the street. Make sure to plug in the directions from the map so you know (I've also attached a photo from the street that shows where you start hiking between the mansions)....

Black's Beach via the Gliderport

Park at the Torrey Pines Gliderport, which is conveniently empty before sunrise. The hike down to Black's Beach features a steep hike down a winding path of natural and manmade steps along the cliff face, but stay left and cruise the bluff for endless opportunities to observe, reflect and explore off the beaten path in the solitude of the predawn hours. When you're ready, take the main trail ...

Rose Canyon Trail

Details

Description

Download Outbound mobile app

Features

Rose Canyon Trail Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Swing on the La Jolla Tree Swings

Photograph Scripp's Pier

Dive La Jolla Shores

Surfing at Black's Beach via the Main Gate

Black's Beach via the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Black's Beach via the Gliderport

Discover

Community

Company

Follow Us

Mobile Apps

Rose Canyon Trail

Details

Description

Download Outbound mobile app

Features

Rose Canyon Trail Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Swing on the La Jolla Tree Swings

Photograph Scripp's Pier

Dive La Jolla Shores

Surfing at Black's Beach via the Main Gate

Black's Beach via the Ho Chi Minh Trail

Black's Beach via the Gliderport

Only-In-Nevada Adventures

Discover

Community

Company

Follow Us

Mobile Apps