Hidden Gems of Kit Carson Park

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Hidden Gems of Kit Carson Park

There’s nothing like a park being big enough to have multiple hidden gems inside it. Hiking trails, a magical mosaic land, rock portals and old history attached to it to name a few. It’s the type of place that makes me want to dig deeper, and so I did, combing through the hiking trails and seeing what we could find.  Although my favorite hiking trail here is now closed off to the public, there is still plenty of adventure to be had out here so let’s dive into it!

The park is named after Kit Carson, a U.S. Army scout who served with General Stephen W. Kearny’s forces during the 1846 Battle of San Pasqual. Kit Carson Park lies within their historic route to get to the battlefield which means some of those trails you walk on may be the same trails the troops walked on. Anyway, onto the secrets!

1. Queen Califia’s Magical Circle Garden

By far the mosItQueen Califia’s Magical Circle Garden was created by the late, internationally famous Niki de Saint Phalle. It is one of the four large-scale sculptural environments designed and built by the artist and her studio collaborators, and the only one located in the United States.

2. Hiking Trails

There is a loop trail that winds you around the park.  You will navigate past the lake and many other great sightings.  I will just put this out there, but there are more trails than meets the eye.  Look for openings.  They are not official trails but open up into whole new worlds.  Happy findings!

3. Rock Portals

Exiting Queen Califia’s my friend spotted two large circle of rocks.  What is their purpose?  I am genuinely curious.  Looking it up online it seems they may have been part of an old, outdoor amphitheater but that’s still speculation.  Since we don’t know I’m calling them rock portals. I also found it interesting that no grass grows inside them and yet they are in a large, grassy field. 

4. Eagle Scout Lake

AccordingEagle Scout Lake is actually a man-made basin inside the park that originally served a practical purpose: flood and sediment control. The lake sits where Kit Carson Creek merges with a smaller tributary, and it was designed to catch sediment and debris before water flows downstream toward sensitive wetland areas and eventually Lake Hodges.

This lake is tiny but has birds, ducks and I swear I saw a beaver in the reeds.  I looked into this and apparently they’re sometimes spotted here!  Anyway, it’s a fun and tranquil spot to stop by. 5.

5. Giant Snake Sculpture

As you head into Queen Califia’s, it’s hard to miss the giant concrete snake sculpture that stands near the entrance. According to longtime locals and Roadside America reports, it originally functioned as part of an old playground structure. If you look closely you will see an attachment at the top of the snake that used to hold a swing. There also used to be a large sombrero slide which I will attach an old photo below.

Most of those structures were eventually removed, but the snake survived and became kind of a nostalgic landmark.

Here is a vintage shot of the sombrero slide which was sadly removed:

6. Remnants of Rancho San Bernardo

Mrs. Maria Antonio Alvarado Snook 1845