more stats
1,378 ft
Distance
97 ft
Climb
-59 ft
Descent
00:03:51
Avg time
38 ft
Altitude change
466 ft
Altitude min
564 ft
Altitude max
526 ft
Altitude start
564 ft
Altitude end
2.8%
Grade
-22.7%
Grade max
30.9%
Grade min
741 ft
Distance climb
607 ft
Distance down
30 ft
Distance flat
00:03:51
Avg time

Lizard Connector Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Adaptive Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Rancho La Costa Preserve
    Encinitas, California
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    95 in Mountain Biking heatmap [+]
    • 85 in Trail Running
    • 75 in Hiking
    • 5 in Adaptive Biking
    • 5 in Gravel Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #76647 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #114141 in Trail Running
    • #125493 in Hiking
    • #6059 in Adaptive Biking
    • #18982 in Gravel Biking
  • State Ranking
    #2,488 in Mountain Biking · California [+]
    • #5,598 in Trail Running
    • #7,012 in Hiking
    • #370 in Adaptive Biking
    • #1,276 in Gravel Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Adaptive MTB, Gravel
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
  • Land Owner
    Center for Natural Lands Management

Short trail that descends into a small open space with a loop, then climbs up to switchbacks.

Access Info

Takes you from the bottom of Horned Lizard to Switchbacks. Take a right just before the electrical tower at the bottom of Horned Lizard. If you miss the turn, make a right just after the electrical tower from the fire road.

Tags

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 65 rides
  • 8 miles avg distance
All
  • 659 rides
  • Last: Nov 11, 2026
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update trails status or condition

Lizard Connector Trail Reports

Status:
on Mar 22, 2025
Ideal
Avg: 3.49 (4 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (4,216)
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      Directions to lizard-connector trailhead (33.082430, -117.219830)

      Photos

      9 more »
      mtb
      50 |
      Mar 25, 2024 @ 4:31pm
      Mar 25, 2024
      mtb
      53 |
      Mar 25, 2024 @ 4:31pm
      Mar 25, 2024
      mtb
      52 |
      Mar 25, 2024 @ 4:31pm
      Mar 25, 2024
      mtb
      25 |
      Mar 5, 2022 @ 5:22pm
      Mar 5, 2022

      Videos

      no videos have been added for Lizard Connector yet, add a video.

      Routes with this trail

      more »
      ★ 5.0 • 20 miles • 3,672 ft • 39 •
      20 miles and tons of climbing to hit the fun downhills in Rancho La Costa. This route has you do Horned...
      7 miles • 1,121 ft • 3 •
      The paved section will end at the water tank where you can choose your own adventure. To the right, you...
      3 miles • 613 ft • 3 •
      A simple loop to help find the down-mountain connector trails in order to re-connect to the fire road climb.
      2.8 ★★★★★
      4 Ratings
      5 ★
      4 ★
      3 ★ 75%
      2 ★ 25%
      1 ★

      2 Reviews & Comments

      IsaiahSimon1406
      Really sucks if your going up, but if you do NASCAR your gonna need to

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      • By The-dirt-farmerTF Pro & contributors
      • #25327 - 1,618 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Lizard Connector located?
      Lizard Connector is located in Rancho La Costa Preserve, Encinitas, California, United States. It is part of the Rancho La Costa Preserve trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 33.08243, -117.21983.
      ▼ How hard is Lizard Connector?
      Lizard Connector is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 2.8%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Lizard Connector?
      Lizard Connector has 97 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 59 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 466 ft to 564 ft.
      ▼ Is Lizard Connector a point to point trail?
      Lizard Connector is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Lizard Connector?
      Lizard Connector is 1,378 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Lizard Connector?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Lizard Connector. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Lizard Connector?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Lizard Connector are:
      • March (38 activities)
      • April (37 activities)
      • November (37 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Lizard Connector? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Lizard Connector are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Lizard Connector?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 4 minutes to ride Lizard Connector. The trail is 1,378 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Lizard Connector?
      Lizard Connector is a very popular trail. There have been 3,944 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 4,216 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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