Annie's Slot Canyon San Diego

Annie’s Canyon is a short hike in Solana Beach, part of San Diego County, with some fun scrambling in a small sandstone canyon. It was off limits for a long time and had become a graffiti-ridden location until some residents took up the cause to make it beautiful again. The trail opened a few years ago, and it still looks much better than I anticipated it looking. Plus, it is a great short hike that older kids would enjoy as well; here is all the information.

Annie's Canyon Trail via Solana Hills Trail is a 2.2 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Solana Beach, California that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Slot canyons are narrower than they are deep, often to an extreme degree. Formed by flowing water eroding rock in a tight seam over millions of years, some canyons feature dramatic sculpturing of the nearly vertical cliffs. This reminded me a lot of Annie's Canyon, which is a coastal slot canyon in Solana Beach. Annie’s Canyon is a short hike in Solana Beach, part of San Diego County, with some fun scrambling in a small sandstone canyon. It was off limits for a long time and had become a graffiti-ridden location until some residents took up the cause to make it beautiful again. We had the opportunity to explore another hidden gem in San Diego when we hiked Annie's Canyon Trail. Located in Solana Beach, this short hike includes one very cool feature- a slot canyon! It was so much fun climbing up through the slots ending at a beautiful viewpoint! The trail was recently restored and opened in 2016. It goes through San Elijo ecological preserve which boasts having one of. The slot is a beautiful natural formation nestled in the heart of Anza Borrego State Park, about an hour and a half east of San Diego. The park has no fees to enter and hundreds of miles to explore and off-road through. It even has unique areas such as the palm tree oasis of Hellhole Canyon, abandoned mines, and of course, the slot canyon itself.

Annie's Slot Canyon San Diego

Details

• 1.5 miles round trip, only .25 in the canyon
• 100 feet of elevation gain
• This information is from my visit in 2018

Getting There

From San Diego, you will take the 5 Freeway North and get off on exit 37 (Lomas Santa Fe Dr). Turn left and then proceed to N Rios Ave, where you will turn right. The trailhead is right at the end of the street, and you can park on the street (observe any posted signs).

The Trail

After parking in the small cul-de-sac, you will head to the end and see a trail that goes off to the right.

This trail has numerous signs pointing you to Annie’s Canyon, which is about a half mile away.

The trail is beautiful as it goes along the ecological preserve and has some wetlands to look over.

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There are multiple benches you can take a break at while on the hike as well, but it is mostly flat in this section.

Eventually, you will reach a split in the trail with one way heading up to the viewpoint and the other heading into Annie’s Canyon.

This area forms a small loop, so you will end at the top of the viewpoint when you come out of the canyon.

The canyon starts wide, but after the first bend, it begins to narrow quickly.

The path is pretty easy to follow, as there are signs that mark the places you are not supposed to go.

On the trail, you will be squeezing along the rocks and using your hands to help get yourself to the next area. It is not that difficult, but it does take a little time.

On one of the uphill portions, there is a split that takes you to a small cave and shows you what the area looked like before it got cleaned up.

Continuing on, you will make it to the metal stairs that will take you the rest of the way out of the canyon.

When you get out and are at the viewpoint, you will have an excellent view back down where you just came up.

The terrain here reminds me a lot of Torrey Pines with the rough eroding stone making up the hillside.

This is also a great view out over the preserve and all the way to the ocean in the distance.

From here, you will head down the switchbacks to where you headed onto the Annie’s Canyon trail and can make your way back to where you started the hike.

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While this hike doesn’t take very long, it is still an impressive escape in the city and a fun family hike with older kids. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments.

Whoever thought that a gorgeous, easy to hike slot canyon existed just a fraction of a mile away from California’s Interstate 5 freeway, less than a mile from the beach? Luckily for all of us, in mid-2016, this slot canyon opened for all of us to enjoy: Annie’s Canyon Trail.

Annie’s Canyon Trail

I had the chance to check out Annie’s Canyon Trail, and I highly recommend it! Annie’s Canyon Trail is a separate trail within the San Elijo Lagoon. See below for details on how to get there. There are two ways to hike the slot canyon. When you arrive at the base of the slot canyon and see the signs for Annie’s Trail, head right if you’re in the mood for an adventure! Head left if you prefer to hike up a trail to the lookout platform.

I headed right, and enjoyed the short hike/climb up the slot canyon. It is a mere 0.25 miles to hike the slot canyon, and it is a lot of fun! Beautiful sandstone walls surround you while you make the climb upward. Be prepared for some tight spots; you’ll need to use your hands to hoist yourself up in a couple of spots!

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Below is a gallery of my mini adventure in San Elijo Lagoon and Annie’s Canyon Trail:

How to Get to Annie’s Canyon Trail

From the I-5 freeway, take exit 37 (Lomas Santa Fe Drive). Head west on Lomas Santa Fe Drive to N. Rios Avenue. Park at the end of the street. This takes you to a trailhead for San Elijo Lagoon. From the N. Rios Avenue Trailhead, it is approximately half a mile (one way) to Annie’s Canyon Trail.

There is another trailhead that has even closer access to Annie’s Canyon Trail, but it was closed at the time of my visit (May 2017). You take exit 37, and also head west on Lomas Santa Fe Drive. Drive a mere 0.2 miles and turn right onto Solana Hills Drive. The trailhead is at the end of the street, about 0.3 miles.

A Virtual Hike of Annie’s Trail

Spoiler alert: if you watch this video, you get to see the entire 0.25 mile slot canyon hike.

Happy trails!