Santa Margarita River Trail is a beautiful spot for getting outdoors, especially if you enjoy…read morenature and river views. The trail is mostly easy to moderate and great for walking, hiking, or even horseback riding. It's also very dog-friendly, but keep your dog on a leash; simple. There are horses and other trail users beyond you and your dog. Be considerate, which reminds me, pack it in, pack it out. It does get pretty busy, especially on weekends, so expect to see lots of people, dogs, and riders sharing the trail. Parking is free, but it can fill up quickly. The lot fills with trailers. Overall, it's a great place to enjoy nature, just be prepared for crowds if you go during peak times. Also, bring plenty of water and snacks because it can get hot during the summer months. The signage does remind you to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes, poison oak, and uneven or rocky terrain. I've seen plenty of poison oak, so pay attention.

Some Plants & Fungi found on the River Trail! The trail was amazing. Definitely get there early…read moreparking is always packed!

Best Hike I've done in the Temecula Area! I have yet to do the longer trail. However this hike was…read moreunforgiving! So worth it! Definitely 25-30% incline. Be careful going back down. Make sure your shoes are tied. I forgot to bring something to help with the sun so don't forget that! Bring enough water! Very easy to navigate through. A very popular Preserve. One of my fav's

Came down from a hike at monserate with handfuls of trash. Someone even left their name on their…read morelitter. Shame on u Sol.

Santa Margarita Preserve is a very popular spot for hikers and anyone looking to connect with…read morenature. The preserve has several well-marked, directional trails, which is super helpful in case you get turned around. It does get very busy, and parking is almost always full unless you arrive early or don't mind waiting. The views are beautiful, with lots of flowers along the way. I personally did about 5 miles, but the trails definitely go beyond that. It was a great hike--challenging but enjoyable--and perfect for my dog and me. The trail is dog-friendly, but we did come across horseback riders, so a friendly reminder to be mindful of others on the trail, especially horses, and to keep your dogs under control. Overall, this was an amazing hike and I highly recommend this trail!‍

Nothing less than five stars for this Fallbrook hike. It's got wildlife, a river system, and it's…read moredog friendly! Note: dogs must be on leash due to horse traffic. I'd consider this to be a mild hike, more like a nature walk. There's multiple river crossings throughout to be explored. We crossed at six, which was easily up to my knees. The stream was cold, refreshing, and completely clear. You can easily spot fish and we were lucky enough to see turtles. I also love that there's a sign at the beginning of the hike that lists/dates recent wildlife sightings. It does get incredibly busy here. Despite visiting on a Wednesday the parking lot was completely filled by 10am. Highly recommend arriving early if you want to snag a spot.

Great park nice walking trail. Picnic tables to eat at and a playground for kids. Dogs allowed in…read morethe park on leash and across the street is a leash free dog park.

Hubs and I found this community park while driving by on a Saturday afternoon. We paid the small…read morefee, parked and took a walk throughout the winding trails. It was small, but so cute. And not crowded especially for a Saturday. We were pretty impressed with all the amenities. There are tons of places to BBQ, have group gatherings or just hang with your own family. We even found a small amphitheater! So cool. There are at least 2 baseball fields, a volleyball court, soccer field etc... We saw a strong park ranger presence as well. I like how this creates a safe environment. The bathrooms we went to were simple, yet clean and there are trees all throughout. It's such a perfect place to be for outside air, family time and small gatherings.

What an amazing discovery! You have to look real close on the side of the road because the sign is…read moresmall and the entrance is even smaller. Once you pull in though everything opens up into this lush wilderness. It has a huge parking lot. Once you get on the trail it is well maintained and plenty of space for dogs joggers strollers etc. Bird watchers this is your heaven! There were so many different species in here. The funnest part of this trail is there is choose your own adventure. Along the way you choose left or right over and over. You can't go wrong because it is a beautiful view no matter which way you turn. The best part of all is if you are the type to get lost like me it will spit you out into the parking lot because it's a huge loop. A huge loop with different trails what a great place! The only reason I gave it a four-star instead of a five is unfortunately it's built right on the side of mission Ave which is the main avenue going into fallbrook so there is a lot of traffic noise. That is only part of the trail though not the whole thing. I will be back here on my days off because it's an easy going 1 mile so I feel like I barely had to do anything, got into nature and got my steps in.

My friends and I took a stroll here in the rain. The entrance to the parking lot is a bit easy to…read moremiss, but once inside, the lot was completely empty because of the weather. Some parts of the trail were flooded, but we were still able to find a one-mile loop around the affected areas. The scenery was beautiful with all the trees and fallen leaves glistening in the rain. I definitely want to come back when it's not raining and the trails aren't flooded.

I love Bonsall Preserve! When I lived in Bonsall I would go walking or bike riding here at least…read moreonce a week. There are trails and even places where you will see people on horseback from time to time. It's small and there aren't really any difficult hiking areas, but it's just big enough to really feel like you are getting into nature. The views of the surrounding Bonsall area are beautiful too. I even got my maternity photos taken here. Very peaceful and calm vibe.

This was my first time camping alone, and this was the perfect place to do it. Super easy booking…read moreand not too deep into the wilderness. The camp spots are all quite close to each other with not much privacy, but that wasn't a problem for me. If you plan on pitching a tent, I really hope you have mats (like we did) because the ground is (as you can see) plain dry ground. The park itself seems really great for biking and just walking around. They have long and short trails with lots of nature to look at. The lakes themselves are not too big, but I did see people fishing. There are many benches throughout the trails. There were also many trees that gave me many options for putting my eno up! Amenities: - 50¢ for 4 min showers - the bathroom is only for campers and it was SO clean. The shower was really warm and i actually felt clean after using it lol

Guajome Regional Park has a lot to like. This fairly large space has multiple parks with…read moreplaygrounds, nice picnic areas, a fishing area, and a campground. That's the Western half that is more like the park. The Eastern half has walking trails that are more like a nature preserve. Some reviewers commented about how the trails are unkempt, and that's mostly true on the Eastern side and the Nature Trail. It wasn't too bothersome, as most of the trails were wide enough. The annoying part, though, is that there's a lot of dry, dead weeds/plants that carpet the trails with little splinters, which inevitably get into my shoes and jab me. Other than that, it's an easy, flat-ish 4 miles of walking. Lots of birds by the lake. Parking is paid in the lot, but there's also free parking along the street.

Hidden gem in Daley Ranch…read more... This is a great spot if you don't want to deal with the crowds on the main path. Park in the dirt lot, cross over, go over the metal gate and you're in. You'll see an information board. Be aware...there have been mountain lion sightings here. Really nice views, different paths, dog friendly, some incline.... 5 stars!

Beautiful Trail. It's got a lot of shade, perfect place to get some exercise without getting beat…read moredown by the sun. When you park, there is a trail off the parking lot... that trail is not the trail head. The trail head is across the dirt road you came in on. The trail head is marked by a metal gate meant to keep vehicles off the trail, and there is an information post about 100 ft in. The trail is easy enough for an off road stroller with inflatable tires to do. I think the trail might be a little too bumpy for any thing with solid tires. The trail does have some hills to climb. My wife and I, along with our 9 and 10 yo had absolutely no problems on this trail. We did see one mountain biker and some evidence of horses. I would definitely come here with either if you have them. Most of the trail has good head room for riders and the trails are wide enough to share with hikers. You're on the outskirts of town, so we saw evidence of large wildlife like paw prints and skat. There is signage warning you of the local animals in the area. Just watch the time of day, have a plan and you should be safe.

So last week was my second time to this spot. I enjoyed it the first time that I asked my friend…read moreto join me again for another leisurely hike/walk. There is a small fee of $3 to park and enjoy a walk or hike. Each time of our visit it seemed like they were maintaining certain areas. This spot is located right off the main road of Pala, which you must give a enough time to give the driver behind you with a warning brake and use your signal. This turn will sneak up on you as you are coming downhill at a decent speed. I like this area because it is not too far from where I live and it has a lot of nature habitat that I feel like I am deep in a canyon. You can make this a leisure walk or a moderate hike by taking a different trail. There is a small pond nearby and a couple of benches to sit and enjoy the pond. While on this walk we watched a healthy coyote roam the area. We didn't feel threatened by it. We opted to head up the hill which we managed much better than my first time. There are areas that have soft soil/sand. We didn't come across any snakes, but I see a Yelper had encountered one. We are in their territory. During our walk at mid morning there was a constant breeze, that was a plus. There is a porta potty available if needed. During our first visit rangers were driving the roads periodically, which this time we didn't seen anyone driving in the area. I hope to do another leisure walk or hike here again soon. Come check it out! Be cautious turning into the entrance and also exiting the Preserve.

The entrance to this place WILL sneak up on ya, and it's a steep entrance so drive slow! This is…read moreone of my absolute favorite places to go to with all my dogs. This place is very peaceful on weekdays, it has plenty of easy trails to use and a few that are a little more difficult but not ridiculously steep and there's stairs on one trail! When the rains are heavy you have to cross the river at the start, IF the current isn't crazy strong. If so, it'll likely be closed and you can only walk on one trail near the parking lot. Parking is $3, but there's a year pass option which if you're local enough it pays for itself! They're also closed on Wednesdays and their hours are 8am-4pm.

Beautiful, Peaceful and Clean. Campsite has fire pits and hookups. Great time spent there!read more

It's my first time here (3-31-2023), and it's already hot in the late morning. There are…read morebreathtaking views of the mountain ranges and fairly quiet. The lake has a calming presence, and apart from some of the mud caused by the raining, it's beautiful. It feels like a day-trip or mini-vacation driving here. There's wildlife (squirrel, fish, birds [Canadian geese?]) here and there that I encountered during my walk. Thankfully, not too many bugs. I'd recommend this to nature-lovers and those who want a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.