Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
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San Diego Coastal Rail Trail
Go take a hike next to the train tracks along San Diego's northern coastline.
San Diego's Coastal Rail Trail is a great way to experience hiking in a completely new way. The 33-mile trail is located in the San Diego Northern Railway and the North County Transit District's right-of-way. The trail follows the train tracks as they snake through the coastal cities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Solana Beach in San Diego's North County.
Carlsbad Train Station
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The trail is a 12-foot-wide shared use path that has been designed to shelter walkers, runners, and cyclists from the potential hazards of walking on the wrong side of the tracks. If you or your traveling companions are train watchers, the San Diego Coastal Rail Trail will be a real thrill. Conversely, if you are not that into trains, you might appreciate the common sense approach to using existing right-of-ways for public use.
Pacific Surfliner Map
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The trail runs along Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink/COASTER Corridor. Did you know that it is one of the busiest passenger rail corridors in the nation and Amtrak's second busiest? In fact, more than 2.7 million intercity train passengers and 6 million commuter passengers travel along this 351-mile rail corridor each year.
San Diego Coaster
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In case you were wondering, Amtrak operates 22 Pacific Surfliners per day and the North County Transit District (NCTD) operates 18 COASTERS per day Monday through Friday and 8 COASTERS per day on Saturday.
Solana Beach Rail Entrance
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Part of the charm and practicality of the Coastal Rail Trail is the 412-foot-long, 23 foot-high pedestrian bridge across the railroad tracks in Solana Beach. This bridge provides much needed access from residential neighborhoods on the east side of the railroad tracks to the businesses and beach areas on the west side.
Bicyclist on the Rail Trail
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The residents of Solana Beach went a step further than the other cities. They actually got together to make their portion of the rail trail more of a public art project. The fruits of their labor can be seen in the many artistic touches that greet both pedestrians and bicyclists as they navigate the path, including a grand entrance.
ACCESS POINTS TO THE SAN DIEGO COASTAL RAIL TRAIL:
Oceanside Train Station - 195 South Tremont, Oceanside
Carlsbad Village Train Station - 2775 State Street, Carlsbad
Encinitas Train Station - 25 East D Street, Encinitas
Solana Beach Train Station - 105 North Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach
Just look for the Coastal Rail Trail signs to point you in the right direction.
Coastal Rail Trail sign
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