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Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, San Diego, CA

Photo: Wilson44691, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve

A roughly 4,000-acre natural canyon preserve in San Diego, jointly run by the city and county, with trails, wildlife, and historic adobe ruins.

San Diego, CA

About Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve

The preserve spans about seven miles of Peñasquitos and Lopez canyons, between Rancho Peñasquitos, Sorrento Hills, and Mira Mesa. Its landscape includes steep slopes, streamside forests, grassy hillsides, and a freshwater marsh. Visitors can see waterfalls, sycamore groves, and many bird, reptile, and mammal species. The historic Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos Adobe, dating to about 1823, has been restored and offers tours, and the El Cuervo adobe ruins sit at the west end. Trails are sometimes closed after flooding or damage, so check status before visiting.

  • #hiking
  • #wildlife
  • #birding
  • #canyon
  • #adobe history

What's around here?

The closest stops to Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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