Serene Trails : Two Easy-to-Reach Paths Away From the Hustle and Bustle

Mere minutes from the hustle and bustle of I-15 in Escondido, you can still find pockets of peacefulness and serenity you might have thought vanished during the expanding ‘80s. Set aside an hour or two to discover--or rediscover--some of North County’s natural essence by way of the following, short-but-challenging bicycle trips. For both trips, 10-speeds will do in a pinch, but the more ruggedly equipped “hybrid” road/mountain bikes provide better stability for the off-pavement sections. To beat the heat, either get an early start or venture out during the hour or two before sunset.

Elfin Forest/ Questhaven:

Begin at the corner of Hale Avenue and Harmony Grove Road, a mile west of the Valley Parkway I-15 interchange. Head west on Harmony Grove Road, passing over the former Escondido Creek, a large concrete flood-control channel at this point. The suburban edge of Escondido quickly recedes as you round several corners and start a curvy passage along the eucalyptus-shaded bank of the now natural Escondido Creek. Near the Country Club Drive crossing at 1.7 miles, you’ll pass a rock quarry and an egg ranch on the right, and a picturesque (if somewhat malodorous) dairy in the verdant valley to the left.

Down you go, coasting at intervals, through live-oak shaded San Elijo Canyon, one of several spots where Escondido Creek has cut a respectable gorge. (On the left, you’ll spy the entrance to the soon-to-open Mt. Israel Recreation Area.)

Five miles from the start you’ll come to the Elfin Forest Resort, a small trailer park with a mini-grocery that bills itself “the smallest store in the country.” Opposite the resort, Questhaven Road heads north. Follow its winding course (a mile unpaved, the rest paved), up through a canopy of live oaks. A small brook trickling beside the road delights the ear, while great, luminescent masses of poison oak amid the tangled tree limbs delight the eye. On pavement again, you’ll pass patches of chaparral, partly in bloom at this late stage of the year. Some like to refer to this dense, low-profile vegetation as the “elfin forest.” Unfortunately, large areas near the roadside have recently been scraped clean of this lowly and unappreciated resource.

You go over a sharp crest, dip, climb to a second crest, and then start a final fast mile that takes you to a T-intersection with Harmony Grove Road. Make a left there, and follow the undulating course of Harmony Grove Road all the way back to the starting point. At the finish, you’ll have covered 16 miles in all, with a total elevation gain of about 850 feet.

Del Dios/Lake Hodges:

The anachronistic community of Del Dios squeezes against the shore of Lake Hodges, its narrow, eclectic streets increasingly surrounded by fortress-like pseudo-mansions perched on surrounding ridges and promontories. In the cool of the early evening, it’s fun to cruise up and down its sloping alleyways on silent wheels, soaking up the local sights and sounds.

Down along the lakeshore, parallel to Lake Drive you can follow (on your off-road bicycle) a segment of the fledgling Coast-to-Crest multiuse trail, which will eventually span the entire San Diego River Park from Del Mar to Volcan Mountain near Julian.

A more remote section of this same trail stretches along Hodges’ north shore toward I-15. From Lake Drive and Beech Lane, the trail is coincident with a paved access road toward the boat launching area. Beyond, it’s unpaved but easily traversed by bike. On the dirt section you curl around the base of massive Bernardo Mountain, staying for the most part some distance above the water level. Look for hawks and ravens patrolling the slopes above, and for snow-white egrets parasailing over the wind-rippled surface of the lake below.

Farther ahead you cross a shallow stream where oaks, sycamores, palms, and other water-loving vegetation thrive. The trail continues to a point just short of I-15, where it now ends about 4 miles from Del Dios. To get back there, simply follow your tracks.