High Tide in the Old Town

Oceanside Hike in Carlsbad

High tide or low tide, Mom will always be by your side. This Mother’s Day, show her love as wide as the ocean with a walk alongside it. Feel the sand between your toes, search for birds at two lagoons, and explore a charming waterfront village on a 3.5-mile trek in Carlsbad.

Park or disembark at Carlsbad Village Station and head to the corner of State Street and Grand Avenue. The Village is a picturesque downtown where it’s tempting to linger, but for now, grab a snack at Yoshino, a Japanese deli known for fantastically fresh poke bowls (we like the ahi and spicy tuna combo), sushi rolls, and a variety of sides; try the tako (octopus) salad. Call the friendly owners ahead of time and you can pick up your goodies for a beach picnic. Head west on Grand until you reach stairs that lead you straight to a classic SoCal beach. Stroll south along the sand for a mile, watching the sandpipers scurry along the waves and brown pelicans soaring overhead. You will reach the end of Tamarack State Beach and a set of stairs leading you up to Carlsbad Blvd.

Cross the street at the dolphin statue and head south two blocks to find the Agua Hedionda Lagoon trailhead. The dirt path hugs the blooming iceplant, sea lavender, and brittlebush that cover the bluffs along the 400-acre coastal wetland that is home to plentiful marine life and nesting birds, such as herons, egrets, and elegant terns. The trail passes a marine hatchery and leads you under the railway bridge where you can watch stand-up paddleboarders and kayakers float across the lagoon, but head back to the first trail junction and up the hill when done exploring. Take Garfield Avenue a few blocks to Tamarack Avenue and turn right—at the next block, just across the tracks and on the left, will be the Coastal Rail Trail (CRT). While on this pristine 0.7-mile trek, wave at speeding trains and slow down to inspect the cone blooms of the pride of madeira. The trail ends at Oak Avenue in Carlsbad Village, where you have many treat options to complete your Mother’s Day adventure.

BONUS TREAT: Directly to the right of the terminus of the CRT, Succulent Cafe has coffee and snacks and seating amid a gorgeous display of water-retaining plants. Or, for sweet-tooth mamas, Carlsbad Chocolate Bar is nearby. Also nearby is historic Carlsbad Alkaline Water. Whether or not you believe in the health effects of the alkaline water, it does taste refreshing after a long hike and the spot even has a mineral spa for Mom’s final indulgence of the day.

To get to Carlsbad Village train station and parking lot, take the I-5 to Carlsbad Village Dr. and exit west. After 0.4 mile, turn right onto State St. Yoshino will be on your left at the end of the block. Parking here is convenient, but metered. Turn left at the next block (Grand Ave.) and right at Washington to find the train station and lot. There is also free parking on Grand Ave. next to the beach entrance. No dogs on the beach.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View