Los Peñasquitos Canyon & Del Mar Mesa
Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego · near San Diego (Rancho Peñasquitos) · San Diego
Mountain Biking
At a glance
- Skill level
- intermediate
- Trail miles
- ~86 mi across Peñasquitos / Del Mar Mesa / Carmel Mtn preserves
- Elevation
- Flat canyon floor; Del Mar Mesa sits ~400ft above
- Best season
- October–May · Hot summers, but the canyon has some tree cover
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- No
Mountain Biking detail
- Ride types
- xc · all-mountain
- Signature trails
- Los Peñasquitos Canyon Trail · Del Mar Mesa 'tunnels' (Tunnel 4) · Cardiac Hill
- Ebike
- Yes
- Ebike note
- One of San Diego's most e-bike-friendly preserves — Class 1 widely cited as allowed; confirm posted segments.
- Intl tip
- Ride the canyon floor west-to-east for the gentle intro; only drop into the Del Mar Mesa tunnels if you're comfortable on tight, rooty, low-clearance singletrack.
The guide
The most-ridden cross-country preserve in the city and home to the county's most distinctive feature — the surreal Del Mar Mesa…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Los Peñasquitos Canyon & Del Mar Mesa — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 32.9394, -117.1514