The goal of the Citywide Trails Program is to meet the changing and emerging leisure and quality of life needs of Carlsbad residents while supporting the protection and preservation of open spaces in accordance with the City of Carlsbad General Plan.
While the citywide trails system provides many recreational opportunities to enjoy the City's unique natural areas, it also provides a comprehensive network for non-motorized transportation routes, connecting neighborhoods to commercial and business areas, schools, parks, and Carlsbad beaches.
The city has been working for many years to develop and implement a comprehensive trails system. Beginning as early as 1990, a Trails Feasibility Study laid the groundwork for planning the trails within the City. The city's Open Space and Conservation Resource Management Plan expanded upon the study and provided conceptual trail alignments used today to plan for the city's trail network. In November 2001 the City Council approved the Citywide Trails Report which outlined the future vision and immediate steps to be taken to implement the Citywide Trails Plan.
Currently there are approximately 38 miles of unpaved recreational trails located in a variety of open space areas of the city with future plans calling for another 23 miles to be built in the future. In addition to the unpaved multi-use recreational trails, there are currently approximately 48 miles of bikelanes associated with the city's roadways, often referred to as the Circulation Element.