Oak Riparian Park

"Nice play place, simple but enough to run it out. The trail is great! Woods with a little creek then marshy wetlands then before you know it you're on the volcano trail at Lake Calavera! I love the different parts of this trail in such a short walk. Of course if you go to the peak it's too long for the little ones, 5 miles I think, but the walk through the woods and wetlands and then around the corner to see the volcano is perfect for the little ones. This trail would be jogging stroller friendly but a carrier would probably be easier since you have to cross the creek on a board."

"Anytime you can get out, into nature, with free parking available, as well as pretty scenery, I'm 100% down with that. Oak Riparian Park is another entry point, onto the walking trails which criss-cross the land, surrounding Lake Calavera, in Carlsbad, CA. Parking here on a sunny day, can prove challenging, as this place is popular, plus the parking lot is not super big. My partner & I got lucky & nabbed the last available parking spot, on 1/1/24. Folks who park here, utilize both the green grassy park & playground area, as well as the walking trails, which begin from the south edge of this park. There are public restrooms here, on the uphill edge of this park. After crossing a narrow wooden plank bridge, above tranquil flowing creekwater, you'll then head uphill, a short distance, before approaching one of many raised synthetic wooden footbridges. These aid mightily in getting across land flooded in spots, due to creek fingers, which meander out from Lake Calavera. The beginning of this trail is pretty, with views of a lovely oak riparian area. Small birds, including Song Sparrows & Yellow-Rumped Warblers, spastically flit away from you, as you walk along the trail. Follow the wooden signs, which will guide you to several trails here. There's approximately 5 miles of trails in all. As we walked over one of the last footbridges in the lowland area, we followed the trail uphill, across a vast sloping grassland, with a large, brush-covered mountain rising up, in the distance. There weren't a lot of animals visible to us, near noon, during our January hike here. That said, this is a good bird habitat, so we came across several species of my feathered friends, on the trails here. California Scrub Jays were plentiful on this day, flying from tree to tree, & resting atop the power lines, which stand out so visibly in this nature area. We noticed several Western Kingbirds, hunting bugs from the tree tops, as well as a few extremely shy Spotted Towhees. Skittering along the dirt, & into some nearby bushes, were a pair of rust-colored, California Towhees. As I rounded a bush, I startled a speedy Cottontail rabbit into blurred motion. Most of the trails here aren't too menacing, with the exception of the Peak/Lake Trail, which forks uphill, toward the mountain, overlooking Lake Calavera. This trail was too much for me, with a steep, rain-rutted & treacherous trail, I refused to attempt. The Creek Crossing Trail is more tame, & crosses one more L-Shaped footbridge, above a large creek finger, before heading to the Tamarack Rd. side of Calavera Lake."

"This is a great hike and fun place to mountain bike. It's funny cause most people know this spot as Calaveras. It is an old volcano that hasn't erupted in quite some time. There are signs of you get lost and plenty of people and houses nearby for point of reference. I would recommend a decent hydration system if you plan on hiking two hours or more. It can get pretty hot. There are not allot of technical features but plenty of elevation to be had. Lots of ups and downs will get those legs burning. There is also a nice flat area just north of the volcano that leads back to the main parking area. Hiking shoes are optimal as there is lots of loose dirt and granite. Tennis shoes can be worn, just make sure they have good grip."

"Love this park. Great playground for kids. But if you want to hike, lovely trails from easy to very hard. The view from up top is totally worth it! Beautiful plant life and flowers. Bathrooms on site."

"Safe, beautifully landscaped, clean and everything is Green and well maintained. Open parking - 6am open Picnic tables and BBQ set up. Lots of huge shady trees. Trails lead Into Calavera trails, peak, and Calavera Lake. Absolutely Stunning views and open trails for SoCal~ North County Hiking. A must see in person. Pictures don't do the trails justice."