With the weather cooling down, we are trading in our flip flops for hiking boots and hitting the trails! Here at Bare Republic, we are starting a new series where we are taking a break from our office days and venturing out in San Diego County to find the best hiking trails!
Being a San Diego brand means a lot to us, and we want to practice what we preach and #gobareoutside by starting a hiking series! Read on for our Bare Republic guide to hiking in San Diego County. First up: Annie’s Canyon Trail in Solana Beach!
Location of Trailhead
Annie’s Canyon Trail is in Solana Beach, California in an ecological reserve right by the ocean. This trail is a fan-favorite of many locals as it is basically in the backyard of a neighborhood! When arriving at the trailhead, parking is available on the street in a residential area. The trailhead is at the end of the road where the lagoon begins.
Before lacing up the hiking boots, make sure you have your SPF ready! We lathered ourselves up with our Mineral SPF50 Body Sunscreen Lotion and our award-winning Mineral SPF 50 Sport Sunscreen Spray - Vanilla Coco, and then we were ready to hit the trail!
The Hike Itself
The hike is a 1.4 mile out and back trail with stunning views of the ocean, and the San Elijo Lagoon. Most of the hike is on flat terrain bringing you towards the canyon itself. When walking along this portion of the trail, you will be surrounded by some gorgeous native plants such as sage brush and grindelia. Make sure to stay on the trail, and don’t pick the flowers!
When arriving at the canyon, there are two options to pick from (cue Robert Frost’s poem of two roads diverging)! Option 1 is to go through the canyon via the slot-canyon path -we recommend this one as you will feel like a real-life Indiana Jones! However, this route does require some strenuous activity as you will need to scramble through the slot canyon and hoist yourself up onto the ladder-like iron stairs. This way through the canyon leaves you with some breathtaking views of the wind and water erosion of the rock! We loved walking through the slot canyon, but keep in mind that it does get to be a pretty tight squeeze so it is not for the faint of heart with small spaces!
Option 2 is to take the switchback path up to the top of the canyon which leads you to some amazing 360 views of Solana Beach! This way brings you to the top of the slot canyon, and you can still look down into the canyon to see the erosion. Regardless of which way you choose, keep in mind that you must go back down via the switchback path!
We absolutely loved getting out of the office and tackling this hike, and we hope you get outside and try it out as well! Let us know if you do and tag us #gobareoutside @barerepublic so we can see! Remember to always leave the trail as you found it and consider donating to the organization that manages this land- Nature Collective.
