Encinitas Ranch Golf Course Route

A casual hike through to a viewpoint on the public trails at the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course.

Park in the westernmost end of the parking lot, and head toward the street along the driveway where you'll find R-13 as it begins to parallel Quail Gardens Drive. The wide dirt trail provides a nice natural feeling despite the close proximity to the road.

A short distance ahead, look for R-22 crossing the street and follow it to the right to cross over the golf course. On the other side of the green, it heads back into the shrubs and soon intersects with R-26 for a brief climb to a nice viewpoint over the course and surrounding area. Continue clockwise around the water tower onto R-15 as the hike turns to the south. There are great views on all parts of this trail, and quite often you'll spot owls who hang out and nest in the area.

Near the clubhouse, you can transfer onto a golf cart path to return to the parking area. Or you can easily retrace your steps to double the mileage and get views from the other direction.