Santa Margarita Preserve is a very popular spot for hikers and anyone looking to connect with nature. 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!‍ read more

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Nothing less than five stars for this Fallbrook hike. It's got wildlife, a river system, and it's dog 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. read more

First hike of the new year! There are two options at the beginning of the trail and we took the one on the right. Very nicely shaded although right now trees have shed leaves. The ground is sandy and has sandy gravel which was odd and unexpected. Also the trail had a lot of horse poop and one of us had to be on the look out. The trail has a river which is about shin deep and you can jump on rocks to cross. Pretty decent and under a mile each way- easy enough to do with kids and dogs on leash are allowed. 1/25 read more

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It's so peaceful listening to the water in the river. The area is clean from litter, but I wish people would pick up their dog's poop. Excellent spot to watch turtles is by the bridge. Family friendly, there's several watering holes to cool off on when it's hot outside. read more

Loved this great hike in Fallbrook! There's a few twists and turns to get there, but it's worth it for a quick hike. There was ample parking when we arrived, which was early to avoid the heat. One side of the parking was for horse trailers and the other was for cars, but neither side was busy for a Thursday morning. The trail is well marked, and our dog LOVED getting to cross the streams and generally play in the water. We were able to cross one section by stepping on rocks along the way, but we had to take off shoes and socks to get across the other section. It only went about shin deep. I would say that the trail is about 50% shaded which makes walking through very comfortable. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

This is an excellent trail for all levels of hikers, children and dogs. The trail is fairly flat with only two areas where poles are helpful if you aren't as steady on your feet while going over the small cropping of rocks. Alternate trails take you up in elevation which are more difficult. The trail is very shaded and follows the river with several benches to stop and enjoy a lunch or rest. The parking lot is small so be prepared to have an alternate hiking plan if you visit on a weekend. Clean port-a potties and a hand sanitation station are located at the trailhead entrance. Downtown Fallbrook is 10 minutes away for a quick side trip. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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I visited this place with my 7 year old daughter a month ago and during the whole Covid-19 nonsense. Naturally, one would do some research before visiting a place like this, especially with little kids because you don't want to make the trek and find out it sucks. As usual, there's very little information online as to what it's like, what you do there and if it's worth it. So...here you go: The parking situation was a little dumb for starters. I understand. Covid. But the parking lot maybe fits 30 vehicles tops, and they limited it even more to every other space, not their doing, as the genius politicians (good idea fairies) deemed it a necessary measure. We found a spot luckily because someone was leaving. The hike is very doable for kids. Almost all level ground, with some spots where you have to climb up or down some small rock formations, but no uphill areas and the trail is pretty well maintained. The trail runs parallel to the creek which is nice. You can just pick a spot anywhere along your journey and go chill in the creek, which isn't deep by any means. It's not a river really, more of a creek. There are some cool places to swim and sit on the sand and are plenty of sand bar areas with lots of nature for a little one to explore. Horseback riders use trails along the creek as well. All in all, I nice little journey for kids or to just relax by the creek. Bring lunch and snacks and you're good to go! read more

Beautiful trails! Loved coming here with my pups for a nice 5 mile hike. The scenery was beautiful, trees, river, nature sounds. It was a pretty easy trail, not much incline. Perfect to take kids. We had my boyfriends nephew with us and he loved it. I can imagine this nice on a hot summer day since there's water, and it looks pretty fresh and clean, honestly. About an hour from SD, not a bad option when wanting a little day trip out of the city and into some nature :) Also, its a horse friendly trail, and there is a parking lot available. read more

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My dog practically loves it here..it's a beautiful get away from the city. Unfortunately you can not camp here.. it has a lot of shady areas to walk under and You can swim and play in the water read more

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This trail is lovely. Shaded, alongside a river, plenty of trees. But the parking is terrible. If you don't get here early, you won't find parking. The lot is small and they've put signs up along the roads that you can't park (even though there's plenty of space to park and would double the parking capacity). Sucks! read more

Nice place to get away, spend time in nature and cool off. Out of the way but worth the drive. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Creek - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

If you live in the area this is a so-so trail but not worth the drive if you aren't in Fallbrook. The initial bit of trail is fine but then there's a rough spot to climb through and then it goes back to a normal trail experience. The down side, it is almost all sand so it is SUPER dusty! I went with a group of people and dogs and we all seemed to experience a little coughing/sneezing, not to mention the sand in my shoes. It was hot as well so the dogs paws didn't enjoy the sand in the non-shaded areas. This is also a horse trail so there is poop EVERYWHERE! I was in the lead and trying to call out "poop!" so the others could avoid it but then it sounded like "poo-poo-poo-poo-poop-poop!" so I gave up. As a dog owner I have to pick up poop and wish they required horse owners to do the same or put them on their own trail. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

It's unfortunate that I have to give this hike 3 stars. First off, I'm glad I followed the directions on GoogleMaps instead of on Yelp because I hear the trailhead at De La Ruz Rd requires many river crossings. That being said, you want to *start your journey at the end of Sandia Creek Dr.* to avoid this. You're able to traverse the south bank of the river and a crossing isn't absolutely necessary (we found out later hah). The dirt parking lot here was rather small, but thankfully we found a spot without a problem at 8am on a Sunday. The trail appears to be more horse friendly since you're walking on what appears to be beach sand and all river crossings have no bridges. You'll also find this stuff down by the watering hole/ swimming area which is one of the most frequently visited areas of the hike. This makes the river very popular with families and dogs. I might note that it was weird finding sea shells in this sand. This hike was very frustrating for a number of reasons: #1, the topographical map posted on the trail head sign was very confusing, so even if I took a picture of it at the beginning, it made for difficult reference material. We needed a map too because this trail wasn't very well maintained and the signs were old, fading, and not very helpful. #2, we heard you want to stick to the southern part of the river, but when the trail ended just over a mile later with a dreaded river crossing, we were under the impression we had to make one to lengthen the hike. All river crossings require you to strip your socks and shoes and you may get a little wet. #3, while initially very scenic and shaded with all the tree cover, there was SO MUCH TRASH everywhere. It was very disgusting seeing beer bottles and soda cans on many parts of this trail. #4, way too many people. After trying in vain to find the trail leading further down the river, we decided to end the hike and venture out into Fallbrook to find another. SO many people were in the parking lot at this point. We even saw a man holding a birthday cake preparing to trek out to the watering hole with it. Wtf... #5, there were two horses with riders in the parking lot passing out flyers regarding the future of the Santa Margarita River Trail. It appears the city of Fallbrook wants to shut it down and these riders were rallying people to go online to sign a petition to stop this from happening. They initially seemed passionate for their cause so I stood in front of the entrance where I met them waiting to hear their story. I received none and instead was rudely asked if 'I could move now' so they could get by. Super turned off by the horse people. They seem to be overly self-entitled. Once again, very disappointed by this hike. I'm not even sure how it's deemed family friendly since there's *so much poison oak everywhere.* Our hike ended up being an EASY 4 miles although much of it was spent walking back and forth trying desperately to find another trail. I found out later that we should have climbed into the hills away from the river to get around to another trail. Ugh... Very annoyed in the end by the lack of maintenance to the trail, people, and horse riders. Maybe others enjoy this trail for the watering hole but I'll pass on swimming in that dirty water. read more

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I should start by saying the GPS took us out to the middle of nowhere. Be on the lookout for the entrance to this preserve before your GPS tells you that you have arrived. Otherwise, you'll miss it and unfortunately, cell phone reception is not the best out here. If you are looking to hike the Santa Margarita River Trail, this is NOT where you should start. Please see my review for the Santa Margarita Trail. The trail head is off of Sandia Creek, not De Luz Road. This preserve does have a hiking trail but it is also meant for horses, in fact, it appears to mostly be for horses. You have to walk about 2- 2 1/2 miles in what is sandy beach thick sand before you get to the Santa Margarita trail head from here. The best advice I can give you, is that if you want to hike the Santa Margarita River trail, don't start here. It is not clearly marked and there appear to be several small trails that take you to the riverbed. You will cut across the river/stream about 6 or more times. I'm not kidding! After a while this gets old and tiring and you'll have to balance carefully so you don't fall over into the mud while you attempt to put on your shoes. Some parts of the riverbed are very rocky and not very comfortable to walk through. The water is relatively cool and actually quite refreshing. Be prepared to get your feet wet and your socks and shoes dirty. Eventually on this trail you hit a sign telling you are leaving the Santa Margarita Preserve and entering the Fallbrook Public Utility Land. If you keep going, you'll hit the main road. Here you will cross the street and atlas, you will find the trail head. It seems like a lot of people are reviewing the Santa Margarita River Trail on here, but in fact the preserve and the main trail head are different. This was very confusing for me as it was hard to figure out the correct location for the start of the trail. I am strictly reviewing the preserve here. I recommend you bring plenty of water and a pair of dry shoes/clothes if you choose to cross the river. read more

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Disappointed on how the river banks were filled with bags of empty beer cans/bottles and even disposable coolers. and all the trash from people through out the trails. Other than that I loved it. It was very green and peaceful. By the way has anyone actually seen beavers there. I was told by locals to look for their dams. I only found a few but not animals present read more

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Such a awesome place to take your pups, and family. The hiking trails aren't that long, and you get to jump and play in the river! Some spots in the river smell a little weird, but if you get the right spot, you'll have a blast! I suggest wearing shoes or water shoes because we did see a few pieces of glass on the side, also, little fish try to nibble on your toes! Such a awesome place. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Nice hike with a awesome dip in the river to cool off. - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

There is nothing bad to say about this preserve. We hiked the 5 mile in and out trail and it was awesome. Beautiful scenery and the rains recently made for beautiful green nature everywhere. Parking area at trailhead is accessible and easy to get to. Trail is well-marked and there are various options and add-ons to add additional miles if you'd like to extend 5 miles. Will be back!!! read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Nature trail - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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Went today around 1pm! Very pretty but beware of rattle snakes ! We saw one at the end of the trail past A7. Also, very Rocky and a steep in the beginning. read more

I wish I would've read more reviews before I went! So this place is SANDY! Which was great for the workout I wanted to get in because it definitely had me working to run! But I didn't realize the trail has a river through it and there's no way around it :/ so I had to cut my walk/jog short This is a great trail for horses! I saw 5 and they seemed to love it And because of that there is horse poo EVERYWHERE read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Horse poo bigger than my dog! - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

If you are looking for something to do in Fallbrook and you like to hike, check this place out. Various types of terrain. Nothing flat and boring about it. For the 1 hour we hiked was near the water. I think at one point it crossed the river (for those on horseback) Easy to read map, which kinda resembles this http://home.znet.com/schester/fallbrook/hiking/map_links/sm_river_trail.gif but with better graphics. And the trails were well marked with these posts that tell you where you are at. Dog friendly and off leash too. Other hikers were friendly too. Not so good for bicycles. read more

This is one of my favorite hiking in spots in California. I've hiked so many places and I keep coming back here! It's an easy hike and absolutely beautiful. I sometimes take my dogs, as it is dog friendly. Just be sure to bring ur own poo bags :) This place is great for warmer days too. There is a lot of shaded areas and water to cool off in. Also u can bring a picnic lunch and sit on the rocks. read more

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Wanted to try out a new trail and came across Santa Margarita River Trail on Yelp. As Beth A noted, the parking lot off Sandia is closed. The sign says "permanently closed" and there are barriers alongside the road. If you've never felt like someone didn't want you to use a trail system, you'll feel that here, at least I did. I parked on River Edge road, there's limited parking and the road narrows pretty quickly, so I imagine parking will be tough on the weekend. There are two entrances, the side opposite the now-closed parking lot has NO TRESPASSING signs all over it, though it still looks like the trail is open? Confused, I went to the parking lot side and entered the trail system there. As others mentioned, the majority of the trail is sandy, it wasn't too bad, I was running the whole time, it wasn't loose like beach sand, at least in my opinion. There are limited trail markers, the markers you'll see have ID marks giving you reference points should you need emergency assistance. I stayed on the more defined trail and it took me to the water crossing, it wasn't very deep and the water was clear. After that, it becomes more of a horse trail and I only went another mile or so before turning back, it turns out running with wet shoes isn't all its cracked up to be. This would be a nice leisurely hike, on a warm day, when you can enjoy the water. I wouldn't return to run the trails, but a nice, easy hike would be just about right. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Parking lot on Sandia permanently closed - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

The trail is perfect for horse riding, but not hiking. I hiked there with my husband and our dog. Its sandy trail, mostly in the shade.There are about 4 easy river crossing, where you dont get in the water and 2 crossing where you'll get wet.They are knee deep, don't have any way around, and mud is everywhere, you won't be able to rinse your feet and put shoes back on. We went only up to the 2nd deep water crossing and turned around, it's 2.2 miles round trip from parking lot. My dog never saw houses before, so she was freaking out and barking. I will never hike this trail again. But I saw a lot of horse riders who love this trail. read more

Went here with my friends for the very first time and we did the whole 6.2 miles all right..... but being lost and circling around and around hahaha. It's because we were thinking of not crossing the creek but we had no choice so we did and just walked where our feet leads us until we hit a dead end and then turn around again. It was fun walking here because of the trees giving shade and it's not crowded even on a weekend so the other reviews are true this is one of the "quieter" hiking or trekking spots in San Diego. We did not see the old car though but overall we had fun and we had a good work out for the morning. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - sandy trail :-) - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Love hiking these trails! Going up South) is the best...follows a stream and has a canopy of trees. Going down (North) is still fun but dusty and less tree coverage. Get outdoors! This is the place to do it! read more

Amazing, soothing hikes. We went on a weekday afternoon and nature was giving us tremendously amount of inner peace. Good for all levels, not stroller friendly and there is some mild climbing over small rocks along the way. The river is very serene and the landscapes is amazingly green. The hike will definitely revived your spirit, highly recommended! read more

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This is a great easy hike for all age groups. The complete loop is ~ 6 miles and includes crossing the river - please watch out for the horse manure as the trail is open to foot traffic and horses alike. If you come early in the mornings or at sunset you stand a great chance of seeing wildlife everything from birds to raccoons, rabbits, deer, and coyotes (possibly a bobcat if you are extremely lucky - I've seen their tracks along the river but have yet to catch a glimpse of one). Mostly, the critters are out at night but their tracks are a dead give away to their nocturnal adventures along the river. If you choose Santa Margarita River Trail as your hiking trail of choice, please be careful as there are many trip hazards. This is not a good hike for folks who have mobility issues as the ground various from soft sand to small boulders with a few steep inclines thrown in for good measure that have to be navigated. Parking can also be a challenge as it is limited and this is a popular hike, but if you come early enough to catch a peek at the wildlife parking wont be an issue. Overall, the Santa Margarita river trail has great scenery, a smooth easy hike / walking path, and is a great way to spend some "you" time and de-stress. Have fun!! read more

PROS: ~Nice that the trail follows along a stream/creek. (Wouldn't really call it a 'river'!) At the end of the hike, we put our feet in to cool off. Several people were enjoying the river in lazy river rafts, wading or hanging out on the water's edge. ~Several horses and their friendly riders on the trail. One stopped to say hello. The horse droppings weren't a problem for us. Just keep your eyes out. ~Length: About 5 miles there and back if you go to the sign that says 'Willow Glen' and 'Rainbow Creek'. You could easily turn around at any point and go back. ~Partially shady. ~Gravel/sand parking lot at the trailhead. ~Good for: Families, couples, horse riders. We also saw dog walkers, joggers and mountain bikers, although I would recommend it for just hiking. ~Varied scenery, sweeping views at high vantage points, lots of foliage, lizards, birds, water, horses. CONS: ~No bathrooms or porta potties! (When you've driven an hour to get there and you have a 3 hour hike ahead of you and you drink a lot of water, you kinda need to go!) ~Trail needs better signage. We were following the hike as laid out in the book "60 Hikes within 60 Miles", but we kept getting to splits in the trail and didn't know which way to go. ~No maps at the trailhead. ~Very sandy trail -- be prepared for sandy socks, shoes and legs! ~People seem to use this area as a beer hangout. ~There is no 'prize' at the end of the trail. When we reached the Willow Glen trail sign, we just turned around and started back again. There's nothing special to look at when you 'get there'. It's more about the journey of course. We found this hike in the San Diego Magazine 'Hike and Bike' issue as well as '60 Hikes within 60 Miles' book. read more

Went hiking on this trail yesterday...if you pull into the parking lot and hike east, you'll have a great hiking experience and a challenging trail with great views. If you cross the road and hike west, you'll be hiking right into a local swimming and party hole crawling with people drinking, blasting radios, and fighting you for trail space. Stay on the east side and you should be fine. :) Trail loses a point for having a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde personality. read more

Never gets old! My dog loves it! If you have one, make sure you leash them! Too many loose running around that are semi aggressive so that's not fair to have aggressive dogs coming up to hikers picking on leashed dogs. I have a pit bull and she's friendly but if your loose dogs tries to attack me, my dog will protect me so unless you want your little shit dog eaten by my protective non instigating pit... Then LEASH YOUR PET! After the rock climb down at the end of the hike, if you can manage to get your pet up and down the rocks (my pit rock climbs like a champ) then un-leash them there cuz there isn't people done there usually... Its hard to get down there so if your athletic and don't mind getting wet.. Then that's where I suggest free play for dogs.. Where fights won't occur. My pit loves laying in the river on the rocks and I love sitting next to her painting :) read more

We took two dogs, a Dobbie and Shepherd/hound, yesterday - Memorial Day. Parking was at a premium since we had a dual cab truck and an Outback to squeeze in. Five stars if there was more parking. Lots of families in the river and on the sandbars, but still not crowded or rowdy. Either go barefoot or wear river rock sandals, hard to see some underwater rocks as the sand gets stirred up and watch out for slippery growth on the rocks. I'm 73 and my hubby 83, had kids and grandson with us. Unless you have a waterproof camera, or someone on the trail above to take pictures, I would not take my camera or cell phone in the river. I am posting this video I found since I didn't take any shots. Although we live in Carlsbad, my son and family are Fallbrook residents. Here's a video of the river I found on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ3FB8R_SxU read more

Nice river banks and trail. We were confused by the google map. The hiking trail entrance is different from horse trail. I dropped the pin to mark the hiking trail parking lot. Hope this helps. 4201-4293 Riveredge Rd Fallbrook CA 92028 read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - This is the main entrance of the hiking trail. Great hike! - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Long drive from West O.C. but wort it. Arrived around 11 am, plenty of parking. Light hiking traffic, ran into about 15 on horseback. Nice walk in and out, about 1.7 miles. Difficult to figure out the loop. Description says 6 miles but the map trail ends before crossing the creek. Must get wet to cross creek, no rocks or logs to use. After crossing the creek about 1.7 miles in, trail leads into different directions. We stayed on the low side and ended up at the asphalt road. Completed 3.7 miles. Kid and dog friendly. 4 stars for dog friendly and for the creek. Will like to go back to figure out 6 mile loop. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Relief from 90 degree heat. - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

One of the best days ever! What a great hike for anyone!!! Im 7 months pregnant and we did the 6 mile loop! It was great! Some switch backs but nothing to severe or painful! Really difficult to understand where to go... I didn't see the car or the rope swing but we did see people swimming. It had zero trail markets so literally we could have went any way but map my run said we completed the 6 miles... read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - 2 steps later I was thigh deep! - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

My family and I went up here two days in a row during spring break. Day one we explored the horse trail that's off the first parking lot, it's very sandy & you have to cross the river a few times which is a pain in the butt because we were taking off our shoes a lot. Day 2, we went to the second lot that's down the road past the fork. Day 2 was much more family friendly. The trail is well kept & easy to follow. Lots of places that lead down to the water where you can relax, play & eat. It's so beautiful, I can't wait to go back. read more

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I have been here so many times and just love this place. It is near home and has lots of trees and is along the river where you can cool off for a little bit. I always take family and friends up here to share my favorite place. We went up yesterday morning and I usually go to the waterhole after the hike. The water is low and you will not be able to swim like before. I was pretty sad about that. The main trail was still beautiful and we loved seeing the dogs in the water and the horses that drank and crossed the river. Since I've found this place, it is always hard for me to do hikes with just dry land without water, shade, and dogs. If you do decide to go on this trail, PLEASE clean up after your dogs and dont just leave doggy bags on the side. Also, don't leave cans and the such behind. Help keep this place clean and beatiful. read more

Santa Margarita Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Fallbrook, California

One of my favorite hikes. Theres always water in the river. Cool old rusty car to check out. The hike is not too long or too short and you can take several different trails. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this hike! I saw photos of it online and was like, eh it's a hike so I'll enjoy it regardless. This hike has everything you could want from a hike! You can walk along the water bank the entire time! Very relaxing to hear the sound of rushing water. We saw what looked like to be Beaver dams but I'm not sure if they actually were. This hike is stellar for little ones with a great reward! Playing in the water and maybe even riding down the stream if you bring your inner tube! There's a ton of trail off paths to go on and rocks to climb and explore. Be careful with them though because you can easily end up on a different route. In order to get over a large part of the water we hopped on some rocks like frogger. Beautiful selection of wildflowers and moss areas. Lots of shade from the trees and beautiful birds from it. This hike is definitely a right time of the year one though. Spring, yes! Summer would just be purely a good workout. read more

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Came here after perusing our new "Trails of San Diego" Guide. Directions were slightly confusing but we found it. Cool we did. Being relatively new to San Diego and California in general; and as a hiker I love to be near water. In parts the "river" is small and in parts it is huge. I can only imagine what it would be like if there is no drought. Plenty of trails. A little difficult for me to understand the whole system my first time here, but it provides plenty of motivation to come back and try a different route read more

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This was such a fun and beautiful trail for a family hike on Mother's Day. There was a nicely cleared path to walk on, with little offshoots that took us down to the river. Periodically along the trail there was also benches in the shade for a nice break. The parking lot was ample and we all found it to be a great spot! read more