Elfin Forest, California

This article is about the settlement in San Diego County. For the botanical preserve, see Elfin Forest Natural Area. For the plant community, see Elfin forest.

Elfin Forest is an unincorporated residential community of San Diego County, California, United States, in the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains. The community is southwest of Escondido and according to the USGS it is located at 33°04′25″N 117°09′51″W in the Escondido ZIP code of 92029. It borders the rural, unincorporated town of Harmony Grove to the northeast, San Marcos to the north and west, Olivenhain to the southwest, and Rancho Santa Fe to the south. Elfin Forest is also located in the Rancho Santa Fe school district.

Hiking

The 750-acre Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve is a family hike through an ecological preserve. The Way Up trail climbs up to 1200 ft elevation and has many tributary trails. The Escondido Creek marks the trailhead. The main trail is 1.6 miles long and meanders up a wall then leads up to numerous trails of varying difficulties. There is a well-marked botanical trail describing the various plant life in the area. The hike passes next to the Olivenhain Dam and can also extend about 9 miles one way over the mountain to Lake Hodges.

Olivenhain Dam & Reservoir view from an Elfin Forest trail

Rock ledge

Flora and Fauna

Elfin Forest is one of the terms used by naturalists to describe the chaparral vegetation which formerly covered much of coastal Southern California. It is variously known as California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion, bush-forest, elfin-wood, heath-scrub. The coastal scrub supports many plants and animals, including the endangered gnatcatcher. The Elfin Forest valley contains one of the largest area leftover virgin coastal scrub in Southern California. Elfin forest is also a type of Dwarf forest in coastal California and elsewhere.

External links

• Elfin Forest Community website
• Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Fire Department