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Print Friendly MapThis paved trail along Escondido Creek can help residents commute to the Escondido Transit Center or to local services, as well as providing a pleasant opportunity for recreation. The trail connects to the Inland Rail Trail at the Transit Center, which will eventually run along the Sprinter line all the way to the coast in Oceanside, but currently offers a convenient pathway to San Marcos and Vista.
The creek is channelized through urban Escondido, and the trail hugs the edge. A small gap in the trail between North Quince Street and North Broadway was eliminated in 2019 thanks to a "Missing Link" project, which created new trail and protected bike lanes to allow for a much more seamless experience. Further improvements are in the works thanks to grant money from the state Parks & Recreation Department, which will extend the trail slightly and improve large segments of the existing route, with work scheduled to start in 2022 or 2023.
Free parking for the Escondido Creek Bike Path is available at the Escondido Transit Center (700 W. Valley Parkway).
My wife and friends have enjoyed this path a couple of times. It offers a rear view of the city. Traffic is minimal- a great Beginner Trail. The very west part off the trail has a homeless camp but again, a different view or aspect of life. I personally did not feel threatened but a female friend felt intimidated. I would highly recommend for new bikers or walkers / runners.
I do my cardio workouts on this trail 4 days a week. Are there homeless? Yes. Could it be touched up and repaved a bit? Yes. Cleaner? Yes. What part of San Diego doesn’t these days? With the homeless, I don’t bother them and they don’t bother me, and they are few and far between. This trail is a key to my overall health and fitness. I don’t have to pay a monthly or annual membership fee to use it. It doesn’t close at 11pm, and it’s just outside my door. And the best part it’s free. I love it!
Tried this path with my wife. Lots of homeless people discussing where to get hypodermic needles sitting in the path.
Good for bikes, just what I needed
Left transit station...no markings in plaza..rode about 2 miles....trail marked stay out...private land... other side of the canal is closed... the trail has no markings...avoid it
I didn't see any homeless on the trail and it looks like it's fairly cleaned up (we saw Escondido employees cleaning on the way). It's not an amazing scenery but it wasn't sketchy in any section. It wasn't very busy. It ends near the Humane Society and Daly Ranch. Signs say it closes at dusk.
As a resident of Escondido I use the bike path all the time for pleasure and commuting to work. It really surprises me that there are no crosswalks where the path meets the busy streets. It’s very difficult to cross and cars do not yield. It would be simple to put paint striping aka crosswalks to make the space safe and more useable for all.
You take your life in jeoprardy on this trail. Many street crossings, none have striping and are poorly signed. Cars will not stop, even if you are in the middle of the street.
The west end, from the Transit Center on, has a ton of trash left by the homeless. Also be careful riding under the underpasses that you don't run over someone sleeping.
I was using the bike path everyday to commute to work but the past couple weeks I haven't been riding the bike path at all cause every time I do I get flat tire of two.... Literally every single time, so my question is "how often does the path get cleaned and I mean the actual riding path????
Anywhere between Ash Street and where it ends/begins at Harmony Grove is sketchy. The bike bath is not well lit in this section, with the occasional group of drunk bums. After Ash street the roads paved nicely perfectly well lit and a little safer. The trail ends near the Escondido humane society and a dog park, where you can find a fruit stand.
I just moved to Escondido and tried to run on this trail. I started at the entrance at Broadway. The asphalt is newly paved so very great to run on! I discovered that the bike trail is closed from Hickory to East of Date (I did not go further than Date). Until they open the bike path again, it is virtually useless to me since only 2 blocks are open (that I know of).
It is a useful tool for me to ride the bike trail to the train, but it looks as if the city is closing down the bike trail bit by bit putting piping in the ground. It has closed from Grape day Park to Fig and it looks as if there is going to be no attempt at re-opening anytime soon. Hopefully they do open back up I have been using this trail for years, its not the prettiest bike trail but it keeps you off the dangerous roads in Escondido.
very fat guy here, just began riding after 20 years of excessively bad lifestyle habits. i start off of Bevan Rd by the dog park where the trail begins, then i just cruise through town. i started in sections, slowly increasing the length of my rides until i conquered the whole creek ride. it's mostly flattish, nothing most folks can't handle, and i have COPD and heart issues as well as being a weighing a quarter ton. my endurance and stamina has increased, and with my modified fatso diet, i am reaping the benefits of cycling along this creek ride. to me, it is one of the most wonderful and valuable municipal assets. four out of five only because it is not as safe as most bike trails i know of, fortunately, i am well protected from criminals, so to speak.
Moved to Escondido about 3 years ago. Had seen the bike path near my home, but I didn't own a bike. Recently got a job in downtown Escondido, so I bought a cheap bicycle and started commuting on casual Fridays. How cool is this? The path runs about a block from my home and about 6 blocks from my job. What a relief not to have to worry about the automobile traffic on my trip downtown. I get on the bike path and just cruise. There are several intersections where I have to cross streets, but all-in-all my commute is a breeze. I make the 4-mile trip in less than a half-hour without really breaking a sweat. And on weekends, I can run out to the east end of the bike path and watch the doggies play in the dog park. This has raised my quality of life and gotten me some much needed exercise too. Sometimes you even see water fowl in the flood control channel. I'd give it 5 stars, but there is a certain homeless element who will always try to bum cigarettes off you. Just wave and keep riding.
I started at the west end of this trail by parking my car across the street in the big free lot at the Grape Park. Neat park with six relocated 19th Century buildings. The big train depot and a train car are open Thursday to Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Definately worth the visit. After only a couple hundred yards on this trail, I realized I'm not in Irvine anymore! No shortage of intoxicated homeless and home boys. The trail is almost completed covered in painted-over grafetti. Definately not a trail to ride if you are solo. The trail follows the creek at an imperceptable slight upgrade. There are at least a dozen at-grade street crossings, two of which are boulevards. By the last quarter mile of the trail, the grafetti is gone and new upscale houses appear. There is a nice fruit stand at the end of the trail (on the other side of Valley Parkway). They sell cold drinks, ice cream, fruit (of course) and one of the best hot tamales I have ever had. Also, if you are riding a mountain bike, there are dirt roads starting just east of the end of the trail that go up to Dixon Lake Recreation Area.
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