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Surface: Paved and unpaved; moderately hilly to steep

Length: 4 miles

Difficulty: Moderate to difficult

Carlsbad is a very hilly city. This has its pros and cons, but beautiful views are definitely on the plus side.  Continuing with our trail of the week feature, today I want to tell you about one of the best views in the city, on a trail you have likely driven by many times without knowing it.

The official name is The Crossings/Veterans Park Trail because it is split down the middle by Faraday Avenue, with one side at The Crossings Golf Course and the other side the site of the future Veterans Memorial Park. But don’t worry, you won’t need to dodge traffic to get to get from one side to the other. There is a special tunnel that goes under the street. 

As part of the golf course project back in the early 2000s, the city designated nearly 300 acres of native habitat as permanent open space and built a public trail that wends its way through parts of this habitat area. 

The trail begins at The Crossings Golf Course, goes over a very cool bridge and heads to an underpass below Faraday Avenue before leading you to the future Veterans Park site. Be ready for some ups and downs, but when you get to the top on the Veterans Park side, you can catch your breath by taking in beautiful views of Agua Hedionda Lagoon and the great Pacific.

In case you’re wondering, the Veterans Park side will eventually be closed temporarily for construction of the new park. But don’t worry, the park design also includes trails. 

How to find the trail heads

You can park either in the parking lot of the golf course (5800 The Crossings Drive) or along Faraday Avenue if you want to start in the middle.

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