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

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.

Altra Lone Peak 5
For most people, the Altra Lone Peak is a solid choice that will leave your feet feeling great at the end of any hike. The feel is cushy and light, and if it had a car equivalent, this would be a Cadillac or Mercedes Sedan. The grip is great and they’re reasonably durable for this type of trail runner, which I think is better in most conditions than a hiking boot, and here’s why. The downside of this shoe is that it won’t last as long as something like the Moab 2 (see alternate footwear choices at the bottom of my gear page). I’ve been using mine for many miles and my feet always feel great. Watch my video explaining why they are a great shoe here.
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Latest Price on Women’s Shoe – REI | Amazon
Latest Price on Men’s Shoe – REI | Amazon

Stay Safe Out of Cell Phone Range
If you’re not familiar with the Garmin InReach technology, it allows you to send and receive text messages where you don’t have cell phone signals. You can also get weather reports and trigger an SOS to emergency responders. Even if you don’t have an emergency, sending a quick message telling a loved one that you’re okay or are running late is well worth the cost. The Garmin InReach Mini (REI | Amazon | My Review) fits in your palm and weighs next to nothing.

Gaia GPS Mapping App
Smartphones are not backcountry instruments, but almost everyone has one today. And they all have GPS onboard. So I recommend getting a good GPS hiking app like Gaia GPS that supports offline maps. Just make sure to put your phone in airplane mode so the battery doesn’t drain. GaiaGPS not only has smartphone and tablet apps, but also an online planning tool. You can drag the GPX hike tracks from my (or any) guides into the online map and they will sync to your phone. You can also check for wildfires, weather, snow, and choose from dozens of map types with a premium membership (HikingGuy readers get up to 40% off here). Note that I also carry a paper map with me in case the phone dies or gets smashed.

Here’s my complete gear list that I personally use, have tested, and recommend, updated July 2021.

My July 2021 Top Gear Picks

No company pays me to promote or push a product, all the gear you see here is gear I use and recommend. If you click an a link and buy gear, I get a small commission that helps keep the website ad and promotion free. There is no cost to you.

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?
To start, you should always have a paper map and compass. And it helps to print this guide out or save it on your phone. I highly recommend a GPS as well. I use the Garmin Fenix 6 Smart GPS watch ( REI | Amazon | My Review) with maps (or the more affordable Garmin Instinct). The GPS smartwatch is nice because it’s rugged, works if your phone dies, and also has a billion other features like sleep tracking, workout recording, etc.

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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