| Elfin Forest, California | |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community Census-designated place |
| Pushpin Map: | California#USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in California |
| Pushpin Image: | California Locator Map with US.PNG |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | California |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | San Diego County |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 2.025 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 2.025 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 600 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone: | Pacific |
| Utc Offset: | -8 |
| Timezone Dst: | PDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -7 |
| Elevation Ft: | 679 |
| Coordinates: | 33.0788°N -117.1769°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Blank Name Sec1: | FIPS code |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | 2813412[2] |
Elfin Forest is an unincorporated foothill residential community and census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California, United States. The community is southwest of Escondido and according to the USGS it is located in the Escondido ZIP code of 92029. It borders the rural, unincorporated town of Harmony Grove to the northeast, San Marcos to the north and west, Olivenhain to the southwest, and Rancho Santa Fe to the south. Elfin Forest is also located in the Rancho Santa Fe school district.
The 750-acre Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve is a family hike through an ecological preserve. The Way Up trail climbs up to 1200 ft elevation and has many tributary trails. The Escondido Creek marks the trailhead. The main trail is 1.6 miles long and meanders up a wall then leads up to numerous trails of varying difficulties. There is a well-marked botanical trail describing the various plant life in the area. The hike passes next to Olivenhain Dam and can also extend about 9 miles one way over the mountain to Lake Hodges.[3]
Elfin Forest is one of the terms used by naturalists to describe the chaparral vegetation which formerly covered much of coastal Southern California. It is variously known as California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion, bush-forest, elfin-wood, heath-scrub. The coastal scrub supports many plants and animals,[4] including the endangered gnatcatcher. The Elfin Forest valley contains one of the largest area leftover virgin coastal scrub in Southern California. Elfin forest is also a type of Dwarf forest in coastal California and elsewhere.[5]
Elfin Forest first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census.[6]
| White alone (NH) | 495 | 82.50% | |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 8 | 1.33% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 1 | 0.17% | |
| Asian alone (NH) | 4 | 0.67% | |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% | |
| Other race alone (NH) | 6 | 1.00% | |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 23 | 3.83% | |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 63 | 10.50% | |
| Total | 600 | 100.00% |