The gap begins at the Fairgrounds at Jimmy Durante Blvd. To go west to the beach will involve crossing Jimmy Durante Blvd., the Fairgrounds, as well as the railroad bridge and Camino Del Mar.

What’s been done:

• A Reach the Beach Feasibility Study, done in 2012, studied various trail alignments, and recommended that a crossing both north and south of the river be constructed.
• Trail easements have been secured across the Fairgrounds property.
• A grant application for design of a north crossing was made, but not received.
• SANDAG has agreed to construct a railroad bridge undercrossing for the continuation of the Del Mar River Path trail on the south side of the river when the railroad bridge is replaced as part of the double-tracking project. Est. before 2030.

As part of Phase II of the Del Mar Fairgrounds South Overflow Lot wetlands restoration project, a segment of the Coast to Crest Trail will be re-routed closer to Jimmy Durante Blvd. This segment is NOW COMPLETED AND OPEN.

TRAIL ALERT: for more information and updates, including a study that has been completed, read this blog.

The Coast to Crest Trail will be constructed under a new El Camino Real bridge (to connect the existing trail segment on Horsepark to a new trail on Polo Fields) when the old bridge is replaced by the City of San Diego. Est. 2020.

Currently the City of San Diego is considering proposals for a new long-term lease on this City-owned property (the San Diego Polo Club’s lease expired in 2012). Once that decision has been made, construction of this trail section will be the responsibility of the lessee.

At the east end of the Polo Fields, the trail would encounter the Morgan Run golf course and must cross the river to the south. This involves the construction of a 220-foot-long bridge. From there the trail alignment would likely cross a portion of private property before reaching San Dieguito Road.

What’s been done:
A Bridge Feasibility Study has been completed. The Study analyzed types of bridges that could be utilized, the environmental impacts associated with the bridge types and locations, and estimated cost. Easements, compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and grant applications for construction funds will be future steps.

The most likely alignment will be in the road right-of-way through this section, until it reaches the Black Mountain Open Space Park trailhead parking lot on Camino del Sur.

This gap extends across private property from the County’s existing Lusardi Creek Preserve to the existing switchbacks on the Santa Fe Valley section of the Coast to Crest Trail. The San Dieguito River Park JPA is working with the County of San Diego and the Rancho Santa Fe Association to obtain easements.

This gap extends from the existing San Pasqual Valley Staging Area (Bandy Canyon at Hwy 78) to Boden Canyon. The first two miles is planned through orange and avocado trees on the farm leasehold. A general alignment has been scouted with the lessee. The last section is across rugged terrain.

Issues:
The west end of this gap requires crossing Hwy 78 and the east end is through rugged terrain.

This gap assumes that the trail is continuing on the north side of Hwy 78 from the existing Clevenger Canyon North Staging Area. A feasibility study was completed for this section that evaluated trail alignment alternatives through this rugged terrain.

This gap is an existing dirt road that would connect Gap 4.1 to the existing Lower Santa Ysabel Truck Trail. Some improvements are needed that will require agency coordination with the California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and the City of San Diego, each of which own a portion of the road.

This gap is one of the River Park’s top trail priorities. It will connect the existing Lower Santa Ysabel Truck Trail to the existing Upper Santa Ysabel Truck Trail through Pamo Valley, adjacent to Pamo Road north of Ramona. Detailed engineering/construction plans have been completed. Permits and funding have been obtained. Construction is expected to begin Summer 2017. Read more here.

The challenges on this lengthy gap involve identifying an appropriate alignment, either on the north or south shore of the lake. The lake is owned and operated by the City of San Diego, which grants permits for seasonal hunting around the lake. Once past the lake, the trail will be on property owned by the San Dieguito River Park JPA, but much of the land is remote and rugged. Additional field reconnaissance and environmental studies are necessary to identify a preferred trail route.

The trail must pass through a portion of the Mesa Grande Indian Reservation. Discussions with the Tribal Council for an easement are underway.

Once past the reservation land, the trail will continue on scenic but very rugged land owned by the San Dieguito River Park JPA to connect to the County’s Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve West. Park Rangers have conducted a few exploratory hikes through this property to come up with potential routes.

When completed, this gap will connect existing trails on the County’s Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve West to Highway 79/Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve East. Until recently half of this gap was on private property, but in 2015 the County of San Diego acquired 175 acres that will join the two Preserves. A trail alignment will be identified and built through this gap when the County updates their Resource Management Plan.

When completed, this gap will connect the east end of the existing trail across the Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve East to the beginning of the existing Volcan Mountain Summit Trail.  Field work to identify a preferred alignment has not yet been done.