A few weeks ago my cousin and I were looking for a chill way to spend the day. Our plan was to…read morelook for a place without a lot of people, hike for a while... nothing too challenging, but to get some exercise. We also wanted to bring a picnic for after our hike. Goodan Ranch was suggested to us by a family member, as he does regular mountain biking there. Anyway, getting there was relatively easy. We spent a good deal of time on a small, but neatly paved road that lead a ways off a highway to a gravel lot. I know that they do stargazing and other events there, so I imagine the lot can get crowded, but that day, there was ample parking available. I liked that there were several signs mapping the trails around the area. There is a large loop, larger loop and a few ways to cut back for a shorter hikes. The paths are mostly open, providing space for bikers or horses. We only saw a couple bikers and a couple hikers during the time that we were there. I enjoyed the green pastures and variety of colorful wildflowers. It was really quite beautiful. There were a couple of picnic tables. When we had finished our hike, we grabbed our cooler from the car and we were able walk back down a short ways to the picnic table. Another plus is that the restrooms near the parking area were very clean. I look forward to heading back for a stargazing event!

I was looking at hiking trails online and noticed this was a 6.5 mile loop on a preserve just south…read moreof Scripps Poway Parkway and west of Hwy 67. I entered the property on the northeast side off Hwy 67. It was a staging area set up for horses to be unloaded and taken on the trails. The path started off wide for equestrian riders and meandered up and down to the south and west before tailing off. After the descent, the trek followed very flat terrain and headed northbound to a ranger station which was in the middle of the ranch. On my way, there was a historic windmill which I somehow completely missed. I will have to notice that landmark next time and take a photo. I didn't make a stop inside the ranger station, but it was a nice sized building which had outdoor restroom facilities too. Continuing north for another mile or so brought you to the Goodan Ranch Staging Area. That was the main entrance to the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve. A small lot was available for parking. To finish the loop back to where I started, a one-way trail (Martha's Grove) took me east, south and then west before a sharp switchback towards the east again led me up Cardiac Hill. This was the last segment before I arrived where my vehicle was parked on Sycamore Park Drive at the Hwy 67 Staging Area. Overall, this was an easy to moderate difficulty hike. There wasn't much shade until you were near the ranger station and then on the Martha's Grove Trail. I completed the entire circuit in 2.5 hours in beautiful mid-70 degree weather with low humidity.

It's a great river swim with the family…read more However be very careful.. I feel in a whole in Sept 5th,2022 and twisted both ankles. Which I'm still suffering pain from Two month in my injury. My family had lots of fun( I didn't since I was in pain but since it was 2hr drive I suck it up for them). My toddler love it.. we went when LA hit over 100* heat... it very nice in the water!! Many ppl with floating I do suggest to make sure everyone know how to swim as its now drag ppl down the stream..

I could see this being a 3 or 4 star hike depending on the season and weather conditions you do the…read morehike in. I hiked it on 2/24/19 and found the conditions to be ideal for my enjoyment! Location- it was only about a 30 minute drive for me since I spent the night after attending a party at a family member's house in El Cajon (suburb of San Diego); I jumped on the 8 East and as the elevation reached 3,000 ft I could begin seeing snow on the hills near the fwy and I got even more excited for this hike- took Exit 47 for Sunrise Hwy and the trailhead parking was about 2 miles away from the fwy and there was a large lot on the side of the hwy to park Trail- you access the trail by walking across the road and going to the right of the metal barrier...the snow was the deepest on this portion of the hike for about half a mile and the first part of the hike is where the trail is the narrowest with portions where you have to bend over and get low to continue past low branches; at about 3/4 of a mile you will get down to creek level and make a left to get to the waterfalls...I carefully climbed up to reach about 4 parts of the waterfall and it was flowing really well with all of the recent precipitation of this winter and it was a pleasant surprise to find this so close to the city of San Diego; it is about 2 miles RT and not anything too extreme in the way of incline and I loved having the trail/falls all to myself for the nearly 2 hrs I was there *I used microspikes just to be safe but I could see it being fine with just hiking shoes

This hiking trail starts near Santee Lakes and ends in Sycamore Canyon/Goodan Ranch County Preserve…read morein Poway. Some sections run through MCAS Miramar / private properties. Park rangers at Sycamore Canyon told me that' a permit from MCAS is required for bikers but not for hikers on foot. Still a lot of flowers yesterday (6-11-23)

This is a fine trail, but it's more of an SDGE maintenance road than a traditional hiking trail…read more Tips - As this yelp page title suggests this is the South Trailhead. There is also a North trailhead in Escondido off Highland road.. This is probably the preferable starting point out of the two. - The parking lot and the trailhead are far apart. It's a bit confusing at first, but keep walking down the dirt path along the road and the trail will be next to a large metal gate of a mansion on the left side of the road.. - Look for small hidden rocks with painted pictures on them along the trail.. Look, don't keep... - The vast portion of this trail will be along million dollar homes and the Maderas golf course. There is one shady area along this trail..Bring a hat on hot days. For beginner hikers, just walk to the metal bridge and back. For advanced hikers, hike all the way to Highland road in Escondido..

The bridge is finally completed. There are actually two ways to get to the trail (South Staging…read morearea in Power or North Staging area in Escondido - 12460 Highland Valley Road near the Evergreen Nursery in Escondido). As my review indicates I opted for the South Staging area which can be accessed by exiting interstate 15 and head east of Rancho Bernardo Road. The road eventually turns into Espola rd, turn left on Old Coach Rd and the staging area will be immediately to your left. Park at the staging area and you will see the trail (make a left) and follow the signs. Take note that you will have to cross the road twice but at the end you will end up on the same side of the trail as when you started and the trail entrance will be marked with a sign "OLD COACH TRAIL ENTRANCE" (see the photo). Follow the trail until you get to a fork, take the trail to the right which will take you to the new bridge. It is hugging the golf course and it is pretty straight forward, some rolling hills until after mile two when the trail is actually parallel a road that takes you to the nursery. It's downhill all the way to the nursery so you know what that means if you are going out and about... uphill on the way back. My round trip hike was a little over six miles so I am sure you can get extra mileage if you follow the trail by the nursery (that will be next time for me). The overall hike is not too bad except for the downhill at the end which translates to uphill on the way back. I recommend it and there are endless possibilities with all the different trails in the Poway area.

Great camping spot Dog friendly…read more Clean toilet Fun activities hiking and bicycling I love the experience with my family, it is a beautiful place to camp, very relaxing and quiet. Be aware for some rattle snakes.

This is a peaceful campground only an hour from San Diego. The small town of Pine Valley is nearby…read moreand is a good stop for the basics. Cibbetts Flat is first-come first-serve and I got here early enough to be choosy and find a good spot before my friends arrived. The requisite bench, fire pit, water access, and primitive restrooms are all in good condition.

The best view to capture the sunset. Totally recommend it. I couldn't expect nothing nicer than…read morethis. There is so much trees and pure nature for you to enjoy, breathe the right air/ real air, Views and views for days.

Beautiful drive. I go this way going to and from Julian from El Cajon. Always got to stop by the…read moreOutpost on the way back home.

Great moderate hike! There are several trails to choose from, but the one we did was just over 3…read moremiles with over 800 ft of elevation gain. The trail is well maintained and rewards you with a beautiful panoramic view of Poway.

Short and sweet out-and-back trail. ~1.9 miles total, can finish in about an hour. Start in…read moreSilverset Park where there's a nice parking lot, a bathroom and a lot of families walking around. The hike itself is very quiet, I was expecting bigger crowds on a Sunday afternoon with beautiful weather but only ran into 2 solo hikers the entire trail. This could be a pro or a con depending on if you're seeking solitude or have some concerns about safety (e.g. a female solo hiker), but the area itself feels extremely peaceful and safe and embedded in a lovely suburban neighborhood. I also had cell service the whole time on this trail too which was nice. Gets steeper closer to the top and might have to climb over a good number of rocks (some of which are a bit loose) but nothing that you can't handle with a good pair of hiking shoes and a bit of caution. Agree with the other posted reviews that there's a network of trails that is not super well labeled and the signs are not helpful. Still, you can see the summit from the trail pretty much the entire time and that helped me orient myself, just choose the path leading in the direction of that summit. Great workout, views at the top are beautiful and completely worth it!

This is an open space preserve in Lakeside. Its main trail starts at Los Coches Rd near Los Coches…read moreCt and ends at West Rym Rd near Skyline Church (on Los Coches). The distance is about 1.8 miles with 400 feet elevation gain. Nice view of Lakeside and El Cajon Mountain from the top.