A quick, but heavily trafficked, slot canyon in the Solana Beach area of San Diego.
Location: Solana Beach, San Diego, California
Distance: 1.75 Mile Lollipop Loop Time: 1 Hour
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 300 Feet
Season: All
Foot Traffic: Heavy
Date Hiked: Thursday, March 16, 2023
Overview
Annie’s Canyon is a really neat, albeit incredibly short, slot canyon hike that you would not expect to find in Southern California. Located in Solana Beach, near San Diego, this unique slot canyon has become increasingly popular with families over the last couple of years. Due to its easy access, right off of the 5 Freeway and short hiking distance, expect to have plenty of company on this trail.
The trail has some steep sections but overall should be doable for most people in reasonable shape. Upon entering the slot canyon section of the hike, there are some very steep steps that could give people with knee issues a hard time getting up. At its smallest, the slot canyon is no wider than a few feet. While I personally find this to be a little underwhelming of a spot, it is very neat and worth the short stop to check out if you are in the San Diego area, and especially if you have kids. They will love it.
Trail Description and Scout’s Story
My wife and I, along with our 22 month old daughter, Scout, had decided to take a quick trip to San Diego for a few days. Scout has been battling stage 4 cancer and had just finished up a recent round of chemo a few weeks earlier. She was admitted for a week to have the chemo administered and then became neutropenic (nonexistent or severely weakened immune system) and started running fevers a few days after we came home, causing us to be readmitted for another week. This was a great opportunity for us to get outside and enjoy some time away from the hospital.
After waking up early, we headed towards the Annie’s Canyon trail in Solana Beach. If you are driving along the 5 Freeway, the canyon is easily visible from the highway. After driving to the end of Solana Hills Drive, we found a parking spot and headed to the end of the cul de sac. The trail begins by going through a gated fence and then begins uphill on an obvious dirt path. At this point, I couldn’t help but think about how weird it felt to be “out in nature” while having the sights and sounds of cars zipping by directly beside us on the busy 5 Freeway. We continued along the path with our daughter now in her hiking carrier on her mom’s back. The path descended steeply before again resuming a somewhat steep climb. A few more up and down sections occurred before views of the wetlands opened up in front of us.
At a little more than a half mile into the hike, a sign for Annie’s Canyon came into view. We headed left towards the slot canyon section and were excited for the fun part of the hike to begin. Just before entering the slot canyon, a nice picnic area presented itself off to our right side. A few families were posted up here and enjoying some snacks.
The Slot Canyon Section
Finally we had reached the slot canyon section of the trail and I was finally starting to feel like we were actually out in nature. The canyon starts off fairly wide but within 20 or 30 yards, it really began to narrow.
At this point, my wife had our daughter on her back and it was a very tight squeeze to get through the narrowest of sections.
The canyon was very beautiful but just sort of felt out of place. Inside the slot, we felt as if we had been transported to a hike in Utah or Arizona. One of the downsides to the slot canyon is all of the carvings on the sandstone inside. I guess once a few people decide to do it, it kind of spirals out of control. The slot canyon section is very, very short (barely .25 mile), yet still managed to feel like a little adventure. Expect to have to stop in different positions due to people traffic, as hikers ahead of and coming after you will be taking their photos in this brief, narrow section.
Some steep steps helped lead the way to the top of the canyon before we reached a cool little metal staircase.
Up the metal staircase we went and out of the canyon we appeared. We very briefly followed the trail down and circled back to the start of the slot canyon.
From here we would retrace our steps and head back towards the start of the trail. At this point our daughter wanted nothing to do with the carrier anymore and we let her out to walk with us.
Scout’s little legs could only go so fast as we navigated the somewhat steep sections of the trail. I found this to be a really neat hike but it also was nothing like what I had expected. I personally prefer hiking in the Torrey Pines Nature Reserve rather than here, but Annie’s Canyon still proved to be a gorgeous and unique spot that we thoroughly enjoyed.
Notes, Questions and Thoughts
Is this a fee area?
- No. There are no fees for parking or hiking here.
Are pets allowed?
- Yes. Pets are allowed, but must be on a leash no longer than six feet in length and must be kept under control at all times. Please pick up and dispose of all animal waste.
Are there restrooms at the trailhead? No
Please Recreate Responsibly:
- Please do not contribute or add to the graffiti that is already on the walls of the canyon. It took years for the city to get this area cleaned up, opened, and back to what it is now. Please pack out everything that you pack in and help others enjoy this area in the same fashion in the future.
Getting to Annie’s Canyon
400 Solana Hills Dr, Solana Beach, CA 92075
Coming from San Diego, take highway 5 heading towards Solana Beach. Take exit 37 for Lomas Santa Fe Drive. Turn right onto Solana Hills Drive and follow it all the way to the dead end at the back of the cul de sac. The trail starts at the top of the end of the road.
