Distance: 1.3 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 513'
Elevation Gain: 350'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.2
Round trip time: 40 minutes
Recommended water: 0 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Tamarack Ave
Difficulty: Easy
Cerro de la Calavera is the remains of a small extinct volcano. It is part of the Carlsbad Highlands Ecological Preserve. Parking was free along Tamarack Ave and there were a dozen or so vehicles lined up on the road. There was a single public restroom at the start. The trail crossed a dam and led to a view point with a storyboard about the volcano. A weave of trails provided many options to reach the high point, but I took the shortest route along the ridge. It only took a few minutes to reach the summit. It was just high enough to see the Pacific ocean over the Carlsbad hills. There were no marks and no register on the summit. Nearby was a makeshift grave surrounded by painted rocks, most in loving memory of a pet. An odd location for such a memorial. I got back to the truck in 40 minutes and made it home earlier than planned. The day didn't require much effort, but I was glad to get outside for a while.
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