At low tide this fall, a band of pale sand shows in the San Elijo Lagoon channel. It reaches from the inlet, under the railroad bridge and toward the Nature Center on Manchester Avenue. In a September 1 update, Nature Collective wrote that this sand piled up over the summer, after a March removal project cleared only part of the channel. The group runs the lagoon. Through the rest of 2026, whether the inlet stays open is the most important open question on Cardiff's lagoon side. Much of the neighborhood's October calendar takes place within a short walk of that channel.
What's building up in the channel
The March work removed more than 22,000 cubic yards of sand west of the railroad bridge, and the inlet stayed open all summer. That project used the money on hand, which wasn't enough to clear the whole channel. Nature Collective says the March job used up the partial endowment set aside for 2026 maintenance, so that fund can't pay for removing the new buildup.
The stakes are ecological. When the inlet closes, Nature Collective writes, water quality drops and rising water can damage the vegetation that endangered species depend on.
A plan is in place, but the money isn't. State and federal agencies have approved an adaptive management plan that would bring in land excavation equipment to clear sand east of the railroad bridge. SANDAG funds the plan as part of the San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project, which served as mitigation for expanding the rail line and Interstate 5. Once funding is secured, the full removal takes about two months. Nature Collective's preferred window is April and May 2027, after storm season. If the inlet closes this fall or in midwinter, the group may do a one- to two-day emergency clearing, "if necessary and if funding allows."
The weather could go either way. In its own words:
"Heavy winter rains from the watershed could act as a natural pressure washer, generating strong water flows that keep the inlet open. On the other hand, El Niño could bring massive ocean swells that push even more sand into the inlet without delivering the inland rain needed to push it back out."
One encouraging detail: Nature Collective noted that sand levels didn't rise after a strong storm in the week before its update. The full update, Navigating Sand, Storms, and Funding, includes a 2026 inlet stability chart and photos of the buildup at low tide.
Where to see the channel from
Since the channel is changing this season, it helps to know the vantage points. The San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center is at 2710 Manchester Ave., and San Diego County Parks lists it as open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nature Collective describes the second-floor observation deck as a lagoon-and-ocean viewpoint and the loop next to the building as an easy, accessible walk. The trails themselves are generally open sunrise to sunset, so the building closes before the paths do.
Three routes cover most of the lagoon on foot:
- Rios East Trail: an easy 1.2-mile round trip from the Rios Avenue trailhead.
- Rios West Trail: a 3-mile round trip to the Nature Center, with a Central Basin overlook and a quiet spur for birdwatching.
- Harbaugh Seaside Trails: an easy half-mile route off the Rail Trail and Highway 101 near Solana Beach, with a marine overlook, a West Basin outlook and an undercrossing to Rios West.
The restoration also added east-west and north-south trail links under I-5, so the lagoon's two halves connect on foot.
The sand matters to the birds too. Nature Collective describes the lagoon's mudflats as feeding ground for wintering waterfowl and as a place where migrating birds stop to rest and refuel. It names Dunlin and scaup as winter visitors, along with Mallards that stay all year. The tidal exchange that keeps those mudflats working is the same exchange the inlet work is meant to protect.
Wet weather affects access as well. County Parks warns that San Elijo trails can close after storms and that some can close during high tides. As of early October, its temporary-closure list showed no San Elijo entry. In a season Nature Collective calls one of "significant unknowns," checking that notices and closures page before heading out after rain saves a wasted trip.
October along Manchester Avenue
Most of October's events are on the same stretch of Manchester Avenue as the Nature Center, or out in the lagoon itself. In date order:
- Thursday, Oct. 8 (today): The third annual Water Career Day runs 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority campus, 2695 Manchester Ave. Olivenhain Municipal Water District, SEJPA and Leucadia Wastewater District host it for students and military veterans interested in water and wastewater careers.
- Saturday, Oct. 10: Nature Collective leads a free wildlife tour of San Elijo Lagoon from 9 to 11 a.m., for ages 15 and up. Registration is required.
- Saturday, Oct. 17: A free habitat restoration volunteer morning in the lagoon area runs 9 a.m. to noon, for ages 6 and up. The meeting spot goes out to registrants.
- Sunday, Oct. 25: The 13th Annual Encinitas Día de los Muertos Celebration fills the MiraCosta College San Elijo Campus at 3333 Manchester Ave. from noon to 4 p.m.
The Día de los Muertos afternoon is the biggest of these. Encinitas Friends of the Arts presents it with MiraCosta College, the Mano a Mano Foundation and the City of Encinitas, and admission is free. It opens with Danza Azteca Mission San Luis Rey blessing the Community Ofrenda, a remembrance altar. Workshops include face painting, tissue-flower making and sugar skull decorating. The Encinitas Ceramic Artists Collective will have Mexican-inspired pieces for sale, and the Callejeros de Encinitas Car Club puts on a lowrider show. There are also artisan vendors, food and opportunity drawings. Event details are at encinitasarts.org.
Families who want one more lagoon-themed morning can go a little south. Nature Collective's free Fall Festival runs Sunday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at San Dieguito County Park in Del Mar, with a costume parade, crafts and animal encounters.
A new Tuesday evening in Glen Park
Cardiff's newest event of the season is on this side of town too. Cardiff 101 is launching Music in Glen Park on Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 4:30 p.m. until sunset. The organizers call it a brand-new community gathering. Jesse Ray Smith plays, and more than 10 local artisans and makers will have booths.
Dinner is a picnic, ordered for takeout or delivery from restaurants in downtown Cardiff. Besta Wan, Seaside Market, Best Pizza & Brew and Trattoria Positano are on the list, along with others. Admission is free. In its release, reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Cardiff 101 encourages people to walk or bike and bring a blanket. Paid public parking is available off Aberdeen Drive and Birmingham Drive. The listing invites friends, families and four-legged companions, and the evening ends as the sun sets.
Two dates that affect the weekend, and what follows October
Anyone planning a train trip out of town this month should know about one date. The Pacific Surfliner advisory page lists no service anywhere between San Diego and San Luis Obispo on Oct. 10 and 11, with no bus bridge. That's the same weekend as the lagoon wildlife tour. This is a corridor-wide Amtrak notice, and live advisories can change.
After October, Cardiff 101's calendar moves to the holidays:
- Small Business Saturday in Cardiff, Saturday, Nov. 28: savings at more than 20 local businesses and the annual poster giveaway with a purchase.
- Holiday Passport to Savings, Nov. 28 through Jan. 31, 2027: discounts at 20-plus local businesses. The merchant list on the calendar page is still labeled as the 2025 roster, so the 2026 lineup hasn't been posted yet.
- Cardiff Kringle Mingle, Sunday, Dec. 6: a free gathering on Aberdeen Drive with music and photos with Santa. The listing gives two different time frames, so confirm hours on the Cardiff 101 events calendar closer to the day.
By the time the Kringle Mingle comes around, the winter storms Nature Collective is watching for may have arrived. If the inlet closes, the group's plan calls for a brief emergency clearing, if funding allows. If it stays open, the full two-month dig is still aimed at April and May 2027.
For more than 30 years, the team at Mike Williams has watched seasons like this change Cardiff, from the lagoon trails to the stretch of Manchester Avenue that runs alongside them. If you live near San Elijo Lagoon and want to talk through how projects like the inlet work fit into your plans for your home, we're glad to set up a consultation focused on your corner of Cardiff.
