Annie's Canyon Trail
San Elijo Lagoon, Solana Beach · near Solana Beach · San Diego
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- easy
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 2.2 miles
- Elevation gain
- 150 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- Year-round · Best fall–spring; the slot holds heat
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit or fee. Part of the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve; dogs are not allowed in the reserve/slot section — stay on trail.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 0 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Sandstone slot canyon · Ladder exit · Lagoon views · Family-friendly narrows
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Go early on a weekday — the slot is single-file and gets congested with no room to pass. It's short, so pair it with the wider San Elijo Lagoon trails to make a fuller outing.
The guide
A genuine sandstone slot canyon minutes off I-5 — narrow enough in places to touch both walls, ending in a short ladder climb t…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Annie's Canyon Trail — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 32.9857, -117.2662