Touring * Fitness * Beginner * Slalom * Artistic *

From Interstate 15 northeast of San Diego, exit onto Mira Mesa Boulevard heading east. Turn right at the intersection with Scripps Ranch Boulevard, and then take a left onto Scripps Lake Drive. The entrance to the Miramar Reservoir is just up the hill on the left. At the top of the hump where the entrance road reveals a view of the lake, turn right and park in the free lots there.

Is this place a gift from the skating gods? For all but one mile, Miramar Reservoir is encircled by a smooth two-lane road that has rolling humps, swooping curves, and almost no cars. Autos are allowed as far as tiny Natalie Park four miles in, but since the road is blocked off to through traffic just around the corner from there, you are likely to see only one or two cars per lap. There are even signs warning drivers to "Watch for skaters." That's proper respect! Another sign nearby reads, "Watch for rattlesnakes." Do both.

Ducks, geese, and trout populate the rush-filled waters of this clean, man-made lake, and the scenery is naturally adorned with a few eucalyptus saplings, wild sagebrush, and other shrubs on the surrounding hillsides, with no signs of fussy, manicured landscaping. For most of the route, evidence of development is limited to the homes perched high on the surrounding ridges.

Most people skate the loop in a counterclockwise course, probably for the same reason that skaters at indoor rinks favor that direction: the predominantly stronger right leg. If you skate fast and don't want to have to wait for a clear view around the corner to pass people, consider skating in the opposite direction; no rules regarding the subject have been posted. Even with all of the hills and curves, lower level skaters can have fun here, too, because the road is wide enough to allow room for navigational corrections, no matter how wild they might be.

Beyond the roadblock, the last mile of the loop (when skated counterclockwise) is a standard asphalt trail with a few raised cracks. There is a broad view to the west where the trail crosses the dam at the end of the reservoir. Be sure to watch for automobiles as you skate back across the entrance road and through the parking lot to your car.