more stats
1.6 miles
Distance
92 ft
Climb
-430 ft
Descent
00:12:11
Avg time
-338 ft
Altitude change
568 ft
Altitude min
973 ft
Altitude max
973 ft
Altitude start
636 ft
Altitude end
-3.9%
Grade
-34.7%
Grade max
30.9%
Grade min
1,611 ft
Distance climb
1 mile
Distance down
1,375 ft
Distance flat
00:12:11
Avg time

Whip Tail Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Rancho La Costa Preserve
    Encinitas, California
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Local Popularity
    95 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 70 in Trail Running
    • 65 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #61046 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #126825 in Trail Running
    • #127299 in Hiking
  • State Ranking
    #1,892 in Mountain Biking · California [+]
    • #6,266 in Trail Running
    • #7,117 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM
  • Direction
    Both Directions
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
  • Land Owner
    Center for Natural Lands Management

Really fun trail wth rocky sections and mellow berms. Best from the top all the way to Copper creek.

Tags
BermsRocky
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 2 rides
  • 10 miles average
6 Months
  • 64 rides
  • 11 miles avg distance
All
  • 609 rides
  • Last: Oct 6, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

Whip Tail Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jul 24, 2025 @ 8:34pm
Jul 24, 2025
It's back open but please stay on the trail.
Jun 13, 2025 @ 7:29am
Jun 13, 2025
Burned on 6/12/25 from the Claro Fire, will need time to recover.
Nov 16, 2024 @ 12:50pm
Nov 16, 2024
Good shape
Feb 17, 2024 @ 12:36am
Feb 17, 2024
Jan 20, 2024 @ 8:32am
Jan 20, 2024
more »
Status:
on Jul 24, 2025
Dry
Avg: 3.86 (10 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (4,041)
close
      Directions to whip-tail trailhead (33.086540, -117.212310)

      Photos

      98 more »
      mtb
      74 |
      Apr 25, 2026 @ 7:57am
      Apr 25, 2026
      mtb
      59 |
      Apr 25, 2026 @ 7:57am
      Apr 25, 2026
      mtb
      52 |
      Apr 25, 2026 @ 7:57am
      Apr 25, 2026
      mtb
      66 |
      Mar 28, 2026 @ 2:29pm
      Mar 28, 2026

      Videos

      7 more »
      MTB San Diego trail review, La Costa part 3
      mtb
      5:47 | 164 | Oct 21, 2024 , Encinitas
      Whip Tail Trail | La Costa | San Diego...
      mtb
      12:24 | 445 | Jan 19, 2022 , Encinitas
      Mountain Biking Whip Tail in Carlsbad California
      mtb
      15:46 | 792 | Feb 9, 2021 , Encinitas
      Whiptail to Copper Creek in San Elijo, CA
      mtb
      5:03 | 477 | Jun 14, 2020 , Encinitas

      Routes with this trail

      ★ 4.3 • 7 miles • 1,148 ft • 4 • Loop •
      Though Rancho La Costa is a small area, and this route is relatively short, as the song goes, every inch...
      ★ 5.0 • 11 miles • 2,102 ft • 11 •
      This route ascends the water tower access road at Rancho la Costa Preserve to ride Horned Lizard, then...
      ★ 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...
      3.8 ★★★★★
      10 Ratings
      5 ★
      4 ★ 80%
      3 ★ 20%
      2 ★
      1 ★

      6 Reviews & Comments

      IVDCA1
      Fun downhill with some punchy technical climbs.
      Ccgoehle
      Ride this if you like loose rock. I didn’t see a single berm, so not sure if they know what the definition of a berm is.
      dtdaniels dtdaniels
      Fun downhill ride with a few punchy climbs. Could use some trailwork after the 2023 wet season though, it was more chunky than previously described

      We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

      Create a FREE account to view all trail reviews and much more.

      • By jabrones & contributors
      • #21624 - 5,433 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Whip Tail located?
      Whip Tail 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 33.08654, -117.21231.
      ▼ How hard is Whip Tail?
      Whip Tail is rated as Blue difficulty. The average grade is 3.9%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Whip Tail?
      Whip Tail has 92 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 430 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 568 ft to 973 ft.
      ▼ Is Whip Tail a point to point trail?
      Whip Tail is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Whip Tail?
      Whip Tail is 1.6 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Whip Tail?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Whip Tail. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Whip Tail?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Whip Tail are:
      • March (30 activities)
      • April (28 activities)
      • January (27 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Whip Tail? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Whip Tail are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Whip Tail?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 12 minutes to ride Whip Tail. The trail is 1.6 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Whip Tail?
      Whip Tail is a very popular trail. There have been 4,087 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 4,041 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

      Hit the Trail

      Open in App

      Get this trail on your phone instantly.
      open trail in app

      Download Trail

      Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
      save the trail

      Find Related Routes

      Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
      find routes for this trail

      You must enter a description before submitting.