147 official trails lie within 25 miles of Oceanside — 422 miles in total, 109 rated easy and 17 hard or expert. Every distance and elevation figure below is computed from the agency centerline and a 10 m elevation model, not crowd-sourced.
The biggest climb nearby gains 4,465 ft; the median trail gains 161 ft.
| Trail | Miles | Climb | Difficulty | Drive from town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gomez Trail | 7.6 | 4,465 ft | Expert | 38 min · 24 mi |
| Black Mountain Open Space Park | 13.4 | 455 ft | Expert | 41 min · 30 mi |
| Los Penasquitos | 30.9 | 346 ft | Expert | 39 min · 28 mi |
| Tenaja | 4.8 | 1,844 ft | Hard | 1 h 22 min · 50 mi |
| Clark | 5.4 | 1,380 ft | Hard | 1 h 23 min · 34 mi |
| Tenaja Falls | 5.8 | 1,536 ft | Hard | 1 h 27 min · 51 mi |
| Rodriguez Peak Trail | 4.1 | 1,192 ft | Hard | 1 h 00 min · 30 mi |
| San Mateo | 7.2 | 618 ft | Hard | 1 h 27 min · 51 mi |
| Gonzalez Canyon OS | 6.8 | 307 ft | Hard | 36 min · 25 mi |
| Indian Potrero | 5.9 | 793 ft | Hard | 1 h 15 min · 46 mi |
| Bluewater | 3.0 | 1,612 ft | Hard | 1 h 22 min · 50 mi |
| Mount Woodson Trail | 2.7 | 1,715 ft | Moderate | 53 min · 32 mi |
| Carmel Mountain | 6.5 | 207 ft | Hard | 40 min · 28 mi |
| Monserate Mountain Trail | 3.5 | 770 ft | Hard | 33 min · 18 mi |
| Del Mar Mesa | 6.7 | 205 ft | Hard | 45 min · 33 mi |
| San Pasqual Open Space | 2.8 | 986 ft | Moderate | 45 min · 30 mi |
| Forster Ranch Ridgeline Trail | 3.8 | 479 ft | Hard | 42 min · 31 mi |
| Cristianitos Trail | 4.9 | 736 ft | Moderate | 42 min · 31 mi |
| SR-56 Bike Path | 7.1 | 514 ft | Hard | 39 min · 28 mi |
| Verdugo Trail | 3.8 | 492 ft | Moderate | 1 h 21 min · 47 mi |
| Palomar Divide Truck Trail | 2.2 | 1,016 ft | Moderate | 1 h 54 min · 40 mi |
| Palomar Magee | 2.9 | 778 ft | Moderate | 1 h 53 min · 40 mi |
| Cerro De Las Posas Ridgeline Trail | 3.4 | 437 ft | Moderate | 24 min · 13 mi |
| Margarita Truck Trail | 4.6 | 327 ft | Moderate | 1 h 08 min · 31 mi |
Summits: Black Mountain Open Space Park to Black Mountain; Los Penasquitos to Del Mar Mesa; Carmel Mountain to Carmel Mountain; Monserate Mountain Trail to Monserate Mountain
Lakes: Chimney Flat to Doane Valley Reservoir; Lake Poway Trail to Lake Poway; Lake Loop Trail to Calavera Lake; Sabre Springs Open Space to Duck Pond
Viewpoints: Forster Ranch Ridgeline Trail to Panorama Point; Cristianitos Trail to San Clemente Summit; Torrey Pines State Reserve Trails to West Overlook; Del Dios Gorge Trail to Pipe Scope Sculpture
Mountain passes: Palomar Magee to Crosley Saddle
Springs: Margarita Truck Trail to Cold Spring
Beaches: San Onofre State Beach Trails to Trestles Beach; Oceanside Beach Route to South Oceanside Beach; Torrey Pines State Beach Route to Blacks Beach; San Clemente Beach Trail to San Clemente City Beach
Nearby towns: San Diego (30 mi) · Laguna Niguel (31 mi) · Menifee (33 mi) · Riverside (49 mi)
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