San Dieguito River Park Rangers began a Trail Management Project at the Bernardo Bay Natural Area (south side of Lake Hodges in Rancho Bernardo) in November 2014. Work is in progress. This includes new fencing, signage, and native plants to help define the officially designated and open to the public trails as shown on our Piedras Pintadas and Bernardo Bay Trails map (see below).
Please respect the sensitive habitat, endangered wildlife, and cultural resources in the area by only using the officially designated trails.
- Designated trails are shown on our trail map (see below). Bike and Hike on designated trails only.
- If we cannot protect the habitat and manage trail use, then this distracts the Park from providing more trails.
- We are not the land owner for most of the trail system- we are an advocate for the trail system.
- We need to defend trail use, and this is difficult when we cannot keep trail users from impacting wildlife.
- The Coastal Sage Scrub habitat here is important, very rare, and home to endangered species.
- The habitat is suffering from the impact of the 2007 wildfires and 3-4 years of drought.
- There is a lot of pressure on the habitat from the proximity of neighborhoods, roads, and freeways.
- Please don’t make the Park have to spend the resources and install more fencing.
- If the sign says area closed or keep out, then the area is closed.
Please direct any questions to our Resources and Trails Manager at jason@sdrp.org. Thank you.