Annie's Canyon Trail

A narrow slot canyon cuts through sandstone eroded by thousands of years of rain, tight enough in places that hikers turn sideways to pass, inside the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve just off Interstate 5. Two sets of stainless-steel rungs bolted into the rock lead up through the squeeze to a panoramic overlook of the lagoon and the Pacific beyond, and the climb runs 40 to 60 minutes depending on which of three trailheads a hiker starts from. Dogs are allowed on leash everywhere except the slot itself, where the ladder makes carrying one up the only option.