Uncover the Secrets of Annie's Canyon Trail San Diego

Stunning hike alert! Gorgeous views of the bay and ocean open up along the way. The trail runs right through the hills — narrow, rocky, and full of charm. In some places, it’s so tight only one person can pass at a time. I spent about 80 minutes covering the whole loop. Spotted a snake and a few lizards too! Start at the end of Solana Hills Drive for the best experience. Bonus: it’s perfect for a date hike.

100% recommend this trail. The canyon walk through is short but worth it, is so just cool. There are many trails you can walk and some loop back to where you might have passed or started. The flowers were gorgeous. I think is best to go around spring when the flowers are in full bloom. We got there a little bit before 7am and there was plenty of street parking. By the time we left like around 9am the street parking was full and there were herds of people walking. So if you want to experience the canyon with no people at all, go early!

What a cool trail! While it may not be a long hike, it sure has some steep steps. I recommended visiting earlier in the day (before 11am) to avoid large crowds and for a more pleasant angle of light against the rocks. Traffic in the canyon builds up as people stop to take photos, so be prepared to be patient. It’s one-way up, and then a trail will lead you down the other side of the mountain back to the starting point where you can choose to walk to canyon trail again or go back to the start. My friend and I walked the loop three times and it took us less than an hour. I wore a slim backpack and was okay going through the canyon, but anything bigger would have been inconvenient in the narrow canyon. There are many other trails in the area, so if this canyon walk wasn’t enough, it’s fun to walk along the other paths too. Be careful if you have weak knees or struggle with climbing; the steps at the top are very tall and there are two sections of metal ladders. Nice view at the top!

Beautiful and different place. You can take beautiful photos of the landscape. An important recommendation: since it is close to the road, therefore easy to access, many people go there. If you plan to go on the weekend, go very early, before 9:30 am, otherwise you will be stuck in the middle of the canyon in a line of people as if you were at Disney. This spoils the spirit of adventure in nature and the chance to take photos only of the landscapes. I will go back there but for sure on a weekday and early. Free street parking but after 11:30 am it can be difficult to park, there are no bathrooms. Some parts are very narrow, you need to go sideways to get through the canyon. It is best to just take a bottle of water. You cannot take animals from the moment you enter the canyon.

Fairly easy hike. Anne's Canyon was extremely busy and a line of people waiting. Mid morning is a busy time. The trail around the lagoon was really nice and not as busy. Also an easy trail.