If you're looking for a trail to really open it up on and test your speed, the Raptor Ridge viewpoint trail in San Diego is the trail for you. Clocking in at roughly 10.5 miles and with just a little under 500' feet of elevation gain, Raptor Ridge offers great views as you pass through San Pasqual Valley along the Coast to Crest Trail. Along the way you'll encounter Mule Hill, a historic landmark where the battle of San Pasqual took place back in 1846. Make sure to catch up on your history as you pass by some informational pullouts alongside the trail, it's worth the read.
Raptor Ridge has multiple drop in points to make this trail as long or as short as you want. This video begins at the trailhead by North County Fair mall in the city of Escondido. As I mention in this video, the last time I ran this nearly 5 years ago, I did a much longer variation that was around 20 miles when training for Broken Arrow Skyrace. Upon reaching the Raptor Ridge viewpoint, you'l be rewarded with beautiful views down into San Pasqual Valley which hosts the San Diego Wild Animal Park, now known as the Safari Park. This is a very popular mountain biking trail so be prepared to share it with our two wheeled friends on any given day.
Make sure to check out our Trail Running GPX page so you can download the route and upload it to your watch or phone. This GPX page will be a continuous work in progress so make sure to take advantage of the GPX files we already have posted and be sure to check back weekly as we continue to update the page.
Also, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube @CirqueRunning to keep up to date with all of our latest trail running edits. Enjoy this short video of Raptor Ridge in San Diego!
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Cirque Running’s mission is to inspire our trail running community through elevated retreats and professional coaching, with certified UESCA ultrarunning coaches. We’re Trail Runners, Mountain Guides, Educators, Coaches and Stewards of the Sierra and California, and we want to share these remarkable places with all those seeking natural abundance in the Range of Light and beyond.
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