Bernardo Bay Trail – San Dieguito River Park

In This Guide	Video and Turn-by-Turn Bernardo Bay Trail Hike Directions Parking For the Bernardo Bay Trail Insider Tips and Recommendations for the Hike
Total Distance (?)	2.5 miles (4 km)
Hike Time	1-2 Hours (Total)
Difficulty (?)	Easy
Total Ascent (?)	250 feet (76m)
Highest Elevation	410 feet (125m)
Fees & Permits	Free
Dogs Allowed	Leashed
Alerts & Closures (?)	San Dieguito River Park
Park Phone	858-674-2270
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The Bernardo Bay Trail in San Dieguito River Park is a natural oasis, just minutes off the I-15 freeway. In this short loop hike on the banks of Lake Hodges, you’ll enjoy great water views, a variety of fauna, and a ton of wildlife. In fact, this whole area is known as a birding hotspot. And while I wouldn’t travel hours to do this hike on its own, its location just off the I-15 makes it a great spot for a quick leg-stretching rest stop.

Where Is the Bernardo Bay Trail?

The Bernardo Bay Trail is located in San Dieguito River Park, next to Lake Hodges, just of I-15 at exit 26. There is an official San Dieguito River Park parking lot by the hike, but it fills up quickly with mountain bikers, locals, and dog walkers. It’s much better to park around the corner at the huge Rancho Bernardo Community Park parking lot. In this guide I’ll start and end the hike from this big lot.

Use this trailhead address:
18448 W Bernardo Drive, San Diego, CA 92127

Bernardo Bay Trail Directions 3 — The parking lot at the community park is big and never full.

Bernardo Bay Trail Directions 31 — There is a porta-potty at the end of the hike in the official San Dieguito River Park parking lot. We’ll pass by it at the end of the hike. If you need to go before starting, stop here on the way to the bigger parking area.

Gear for the Hike

This is a flat and easy hike, and you can probably get away with doing it in any type of clothing. Light hiking gear or fitness clothes work well. There’s no shade on the hike, so bring sun protection. If you have binoculars or a long camera lens, bring them. There’s a lot of wildlife spotting here.

Bernardo Bay Trail Directions 23 — This area is a hot spot for birding. Having binoculars will help you spot raptors like this. Lake Hodges, which this hike goes along, was declared a Globally Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society in 1999. Thousands of migratory birds winter here.

Better Than a Selfie Stick
Part of the fun of a hike is taking pictures, and a flexible JOBY smartphone tripod takes it to the next level. You can use it as a selfie stick, as a regular tripod, but more importantly, as a flexible tripod that can attach to tree branches and other objects. It’s not expensive, and it’s something you can use when not hiking too.
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Your Biggest Asset If You Get Lost
If something goes wrong and you get lost, sprain your ankle, or get delayed, you might be caught out after dark. And one of the top items that search and rescue departments recommend you carry is a light. Now smartphones have lights, but they drain the battery quickly. It’s better to invest in an expensive yet high-quality headlamp like the Black Diamond Astro 250. It takes AAA batteries, can last 200 hours, and has an emergency strobe. Carry it with you off the trail to use in emergencies as well.
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REI Membership Saves You Money Forever
Have you shopped at REI before? They have all kinds of active clothes and gear, from fitness, to hiking, to snow sports, to casual wear. It’s an overall great place to shop (here’s why) and they offer a $20 membership that gets you 10% back on everything for life, along with frequent coupons, discounts, and member-only sales. It’s a no-brainer.
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My October 2021 Top Gear Picks

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Bernardo Bay Trail Maps

The trails here are all well-worn and easy to follow. Most trails don’t have signage, but if you follow the directions below, you will be fine.

Bernardo Bay Trail Directions 22 — Stay on the trail. This area is a crucial environment for some endangered species, including the California gnatcatcher.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

If you try to download the GPX file and your browser adds a “.txt” or “.xml” extension to it, simply rename it as a “.gpx” file.

How Are You Going to Navigate This Hike?
If you are a hardcore hiker and/or hike in extreme conditions, I recommend getting a dedicated GPS like a GPSMAP 66sr or 66i, or a wrist-based GPS with maps like the Garmin Fenix 6. If you only hike in fair weather and a touchscreen is fine, or just want a solid tool, I highly recommend downloading the smartphone app, Gaia GPS. It’s a piece of cake to use and very powerful, just make sure your phone is in airplane mode so the battery doesn’t drain. You can also check for wildfires, weather, snow, and choose from dozens of map types with a premium membership (HikingGuy readers get a big discount here). Note that I also carry a paper map with me in case the phone dies or gets smashed.

Bernardo Bay Trail San Dieguito River Park 3d Map — There’s some not-so-exciting inland hiking at first, but soon the (clockwise) loop has you hiking on the shoreline of Lake Hodges, which is beautiful.

Bernardo Bay Trail Hike Directions

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