Roller Coaster

Flew in from North Carolina and immediately hit the trail. The hills hurt but it’s a great trail for running.

Tough hike super steep hills, lots of great views!!
We were disgusted by how many lazy pet owners use this trail and don’t clean up after their animal!!

Good run if you incorporate single track trail that starts after you reach the flag, around a hill, down to the valley and back up. We got in a 10+ km morning trail run :)

Took the kids and dog, great workout and loved adding on patriots trail

As previously mentioned, up hill must of the way. It's like a choose your own adventure book, lots of branches off the main trail! Great views too! Looking forward to going back to try a different adventure!!

This trail actually can lead you to Patriot trail and/or Harbor View trail, which are better than just Roller Coaster, in and of itself. Still had fun though.

Easy access local San Clemente/San Juan Capistrano hike. Good workout with a lot of climb right out the gates. Great views at the top.

Gorgeous at sunset... nice hills!!

It's a light conditioning trail with openness to the ocean.

Awesome butt buster!

Great up & down hill, nice workout. Go when not too hot as sun hits your back.

Pretty good work out but was very brown and dry when I went in December. The dead thistle plants looked really cool. Neat ocean view at the end!

This is an enjoyable hike. You can take a number of different trails once you get to the top. The Patriot Trail leads to a flagpole and great ocean views.

Great trail. Starts off straight uphill for the 1st half mile, then you get roller coaster type hills as you see your destination, the american flag as you finish the last leg on the patriot trail. You are then treated with a beautiful view at the top of Dana Point and the ocean.
Nice wide dusty, dirt packed trail. Views on the way up of rolling hills and highway 5 in the distance. Many trail variations. Great area to get some cardio. Took 1:30 round trip at 4.5 miles.

Definitely a roller coaster. Great views

Some steep hills but nothing too strenuous. It was actually really fun! This trail is actually comprised of several trails in the San Juan area. However, if you follow the track it will take you to the flagpole and you can see Dana Point Harbor and then Saddleback mountain in the other direction. Good hike for kids and dogs!

Some steep hills and great views of San Clemente and the beach. It's not super intense or anything but you can still get a great workout or nice walk from it!

Nice lollipop-loop in a larger trail network. This route is entirely on dirt roads, but near the top by the water reservoir there are some optional pieces of single track that parallel the road. Views are expansive, but mostly of developments. Nice if you're in the area, but not a destination.

Would NOT recommend after any sort of rain, as the road does not drain well and becomes a muddy mess.

The good: Leashed dogs are allowed. It's well maintained with good signage. Great training ground for cross-country runners. A challenging and thrilling mountain bike ride. There are some beautiful views of the Pacific and Dana Point harbor when you reach the flagpole. Parking is free and has never been a problem.

The bad: It's essentially a large fire road, so it's quite dusty and hot and feels more like... a road. The views along the trail aren't great. It skirts between several housing developments, ending near the 5 freeway. You're never far from civilization and can see and hear it along its entire route. Houses, power lines, and the freeway are constant companions.

This is definitely not a destination trail. If you live in the area, it's worth a look. I found it to be moderately difficult, with a few really steep areas. The California drought has really burned up the land in this area, so it's a lot more haggard looking than it once was.

nice trial did a few connection ended up doing 8 miles.

Not too hard. Not too far from home. Beautiful view at sunset. Many side trails to take.

Beautiful views! Nice trail. Great if you don't have much time.

A lot of fun! It's really versatile in that you can change up the difficulty by choosing different trails along the way. You may not reach the flag pole by doing that, but the view is still pretty darn amazing!!

Fun!!!!!!! I liked the steep hills and different little off road trails. Great for mountain bikers too.

Hard on my old ass. But I made it!!!

been hiking here all my life, it is hard at parts but easy overall it is a nice afternoon hike takes 2 hours walking to the flag pole and back

Aptly named, this well groomed trail has some very steep (but mostly short) inclines/declines. Downhill stretches can be rough if you have knee issues. Plenty of free parking at trail head. Dogs allowed on leash only & doggy-do-do-bags provided. Alot of mountain bikers and hikers on this busy trail.
You'll never completely leave the city on this trail because it remains visible/audible for most of it. But it's top notch for ocean views and on a clear day, Catalina island is visible.
Can get very warm in summer, take water. Flagpole and mailbox (with guest book to sign) at end of hike.
Lots and LOTS of rattlesnakes, beware for yourself and your dogs...keep dogs on leash. TARANTULAS also on trial, watch your step (see pics)
Lots of coyotes early morn and evening.

It was ok. Street parking only, the parking lot at the end of the road is blocked off. Wide trail with lots of ups and downs and many side trails. Great views. Bring water. No toilets or benches. Enjoyed a 4 mike hike.

Awesome! I went with my family and it was such a great hike. It's very hilly but I was still able to push my little one in her stroller. I couldn't tell exactly which trail leads to what so be sure to have a great sense of direction, a GPS watch or a map. I am looking forward to going back without the kids so I can really explore the trails.

Great hike! A real butt kicker if you're not in great shape. Really gotta watch out for mountain bikers here because like the name states, its a roller coaster! The up and down hills allow mountain bikes to gain tons of speed. Other than that the views are awesome and if you do this hike a few days a week, you'll be in excellent condition. Happy hiking.