Annie’s Canyon Trail wasn’t on my bucket list at first but once I saw photos on Instagram from other hikers, it became one I knew I had to experience. So it was a spur of the moment decision to hike it on a Monday afternoon.
We started at the top of the trail. It is about a mile long (two miles there and back). It takes you downhill slowly where the scenery is not super adequate. The highway is right by this trail so until you reach the rock walls it is not the prettiest hike. Once you enter the rock walls though it is fun.
The hike through the walls takes you back up steep, and it is very enclosed through the walls. At the end, you reach steel ladders that take you to the top of the canyon, overlooking all the nature you just walked through. From there, it is an easy walk circling back the way you came. My favorite part was walking in between the canyon walls. There were a lot of cool spots to capture photos that you could show a lot of abstract through.
My Rating of Annie’s Canyon Trail: 7/10
As an overall hike in distance and incline Annie’s Canyon Trail is not difficult. However, if you have issues with claustrophobia this is not the hike for you. The further you get into the hike the closer and tighter the space between the walls becomes. It has moments of great difficulty. You have to finagle your body in different ways to squeeze through certain areas.
Also, once you have started the rock wall trail, there is no turning back. There is not enough room to pass by anyone. The hike is short through the canyon but once you commit you have to finish it. I found it enjoyable, but not a good hike if you are looking to break a sweat. It is a great hike for some awesome photography but that’s about all it has to offer. On a scale of 1-10 I would say it is a 7. I haven’t experienced a canyon like that before.
Need to Know Before you Go
Annie’s Canyon is located in Del Mar. This is a great little town in San Diego. There are many places to stay and many hikes within an hour or two if you are trying to hit multiple hikes. The beaches are only 20 minutes away from Annie’s Canyon too – so the location is very accommodating if you are visiting California on a vacation and are looking for outdoorsy things to do.
Overall, the hike is simple but maybe it is not suitable for kids, as like I said the rocks get steep and the spaces are tight. I am not sure this would be the best hike for children. Other than that, wear clothes you don’t mind getting dust on as your body rubs against the walls constantly. Annie’s Canyon is a fun, short hike worth going on if you love taking cool photos!
