7.0 miles
Distance
149 ft
Climb
-128 ft
Descent
00:35:35
Avg time

Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Otay Reservoir
    Chula Vista, California
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    All Year
  • Family Friendly
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • TTFs on Trail
    Bridge
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Global Ranking
    #72405 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #89461 in Trail Running
  • Local Popularity
    75 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 50 in Trail Running
    • 65 in Hiking

This popular trail encircles the Lower Otay Lake. The trail itself can be completed as a 'lollipop' or it can be connected to other trails in the local network to create an all day epic ride. The trail is primarily singletrack and it pops out onto the dirt/gravel road in a couple spots. There are a few forks and off-shoots, but the overall trail scheme follows the path of the shoreline so a rider can't really get lost. The trail is frequently overgrown in the early spring and then gradually thins out later in the season as the foliage dries. There are a few small 'bridges' along the path on the western side of the lake and depending on the season their use may be necessary to avoid getting wet. Families and new riders will frequent this trail and it is occasionally used for organized races. The boat launch at the southwestern side of the lake has restroom facilities.
In 1897, the first Lower Otay Dam was completed by the Southern California Mountain Water Company. When full, Lower Otay Reservoir has 1,100 surface acres, a maximum water depth of 137.5 feet, and 25 shoreline miles. Lower Otay Reservoir has a water storage capacity of to 47,066.9 acre feet. Water levels are monitored weekly. The reservoir is the home of the United States Olympic Training center for rowing sports. A Curtiss SB2C Helldiver plane was spotted in the lake in February 2009 by a bass fisherman. On May 28, 1945, it had been on a practice bombing run from a nearby aircraft carrier when a stalled engine forced an emergency landing in the reservoir.

Traditionally Indigenous Territory
More Stats for Lower Otay Lake Trail multi-use trail trail
  • Altitude change
    19 ft
  • Altitude min
    486 ft
  • Altitude max
    524 ft
  • Altitude start
    493 ft
  • Altitude end
    512 ft
  • Grade
    0.1%
  • Grade max
    -11.8%
  • Grade min
    8.7%
  • Distance climb
    2 miles
  • Distance down
    1 mile
  • Distance flat
    4 miles
  • Avg time
    00:35:35
  • Avg reverse time
    00:48:38
  • view trail stats
Status:
on Jan 22, 2023
Prevalent Mud
Avg: 3.85 (7 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Inadequate
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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      Directions to lower-otay-lake-trail trailhead (32.618990, -116.934090)
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      Lower Otay Lake... Trail Reports

      statusdatedescription
      Jan 22, 2023 @ 12:12pm
      Jan 22, 2023
      Super wet. Huge puddles and muddy sections. Let it dry.
      Jan 8, 2023 @ 4:56pm
      Jan 8, 2023
      Trail is varied from ideal to big mud holes- majority is good riding with infrequent wet or muddy sections.
      Dec 25, 2022 @ 1:04pm
      Dec 25, 2022
      Good riding
      Dec 10, 2022 @ 8:09am
      Dec 10, 2022
      Lost jeep keys! Eastern side
      Oct 29, 2022 @ 9:46am
      Oct 29, 2022
      New bridge work was recently done by 619 MTB - thank you!
      view all reports »

      Recent Ridelog Activity on Trail

      Past Week
      • 0 rides
      •  
      6 Months
      • 16 rides
      • 14 miles avg distance
      All
      • 394 rides
      • Last: Mar 18, 2023

      Photos

      more »
      124 |
      Jun 29, 2019 @ 10:32am
      Jun 29, 2019
      119 |
      Jun 29, 2019 @ 10:31am
      Jun 29, 2019
      182 |
      Apr 13, 2018 @ 2:36pm
      Apr 13, 2018
      211 |
      Jul 19, 2017 @ 1:40pm
      Jul 19, 2017

      6 Reviews & Comments


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