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.

Went on 4th of July and got there about 20 mins before the gates opened with only one car waiting…read moreahead of me. I read a few reviews here and figured it was going to be the smartest move since it can get insanely busy, especially on a holiday. Me and the pup started our hike at about 8am and unfortunately because I'm not usually a hiker, I definitely got lost even with a map. I didn't really know there was like 7 different paths you could go on and well I guess I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that and ended up leaving about 3 hours after. It was a pretty one for sure but be careful of dog poop. A lot of dogs on the trail and not a lot of people picking up that poop. Unfortunately, there are not any trash cans on the trail so if your dog has to go, try to do it before the hike instead of on it. I was carrying that bag what felt like forever. The greenery is gorgeous obviously and the water seemed nice, I just didn't feel like going through it to get wet. Fairly easy hike except for some sketchy rock ledges. Other than that, be cool, wear a hat, pick up your dog poop and watch out for the horses.

A very nice trail, decent incline gains but nothing too crazy. This trail is great for beginners,…read moreand for more advanced hikers when you get to 4 corners you can take the trail up to Sitton Peak to make for a more challenging hike. The parking area for the trail is pretty big, and has a restroom and trash bins. Map directions to Ortega Oaks Candy shop & the parking area for Bear Canyon Trail will be right across the street. Don't forget to display your adventure pass. The start of the trail out to 4 corners is a little over 3 miles depending on what split you take around mile 2.

I was here on Saturday, May 13, 2023. I hiked Sitton Peak. I arrived at the parking lot at 6:30am…read more There were a few cars in the parking lot already but there were still empty spaces. The parking lot is easy to get to. There's restrooms in the parking lot. The adventure pass is required. This is an easy hike except the last .4 of a mile closer to the peak. It's really steep. Be careful. Trekking poles are helpful coming down in that section of the hike. There were several other people in the trail today. There was a group of kids who I think were boys scouts. There are a lot of bugs and I recommend you bring insect repellent. Overall, it was an awesome hike. Happy hiking! The 74 highway is under construction. I recommend you check the 74 Ortega Highway Widening website for future closures. They occasionally have 55hr full highway closures on the weekends. It's anticipated to be completed by Spring 2025.

If you visit this location, please bring your own trash bags. Please do NOT litter. Do not ruin it…read morefor other visitors. Be aware of poison oak all along the trails and the stream. The rocks disguise some of the clusters. I was so surprised there is still running water in the stream and the waterfall is still flowing. I came today (June 24, 2019) for an easy after work excursion. Picked up my Adventure Pass (daily parking pass) at Big 5 on my way to Ortega Hwy. if you're coming from the OC side, you can grab a pass if the Ortega candy store is open I believe. An annual Adventure Pass is $30. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/passes-permits/recreation?cid=stelprdb5282717&width=full Many people do not know this, but a parking pass is enforced. They do random inspections. The first time I didn't know about this and I was issued a citation to log online and get a daily pass, even after the day was ended. If parking pass citations are not paid, they do accumulate. Fines start at $100. We accomplished the hike and waterfall excursion in two hours. The hike involves rocks and sandy trails. Be careful. It's steep at a few points, but nothing too difficult in my opinion. Once at the water though, I found it easier to follow the stream. We even went splashing and swimming a bit at one of the smaller waterfalls. We began our hike around 2 pm. We were one of three cars. Drove from the Lake Elsinore side. Hiked from the Ortega Hwy Turnout just past Hells Kitchen, and I didn't realize it, but the far left trails led us towards the bottom of the waterfalls. Wear good hiking shoes that you don't mind getting wet. I found the hike easier if I followed the stream. That entails getting into some puddles here and there. So glad I left earlier because by the time we got back to our car around 4 to leave, there was no parking available. There had to have been at least 15 cars between both sides of the road. Most without passes visible. If they're not needed during the weekday, please let me know. BIG 5 said I needed it. Overall, a fun and easy afternoon hike. To avoid the crowds, I suggest weekday before noon. The main waterfall is definitely a quarter of its volume from my March visit, but it was the perfect temperature to swim and cool off. Enjoyed the visit very much. If you'd like to watch my video of the excursion, you're welcomed to check it out via YouTube~ https://youtu.be/meJWuMWtK8k

My favorite "hike"! I prefer to do more of the "rock climbing" and going along the water but there…read moreis a trail that goes around. Lots of people on the weekend but never too busy. Best time is the spring, late winter.

First of all, a score of 4.25 stars is the rating for this trailhead. Open trails that lead into…read morethe hillsides of the Murrieta CA area that's also interconnected to the Cleveland national forest. Currently, in June, its dry - no streams. Trails are twisty, rugged, steep downhill and uphill . Some trails are loose gravel and weak soil- careful, one can easily loose footing. Pathways are filled with brush and can mildy be abrasive. Steep hills and rock climbing over large boulders will be part of the hike. Once on the upper trails, its a roller coaster ride of fast trails.. There are 3 main trails - lower os the Cole trail - main trail is the wiashal trail and the surrounding trail is big rock scramble. The main trail would be the wiashal trail and cris crosses the entire range. Initial trail of Cole is around 2 miles... including the big rock scramble would be another 2 1.5 miles and the wiashal trail is around 4 miles or more. On a good walk jog run bike or horse ride - from 2.5 miles to 10 miles can be expected- depending on your skill level. This path is easy moderate and difficult. Parking can be accessible via street parking via Cole canyon entry or wiashal entry or by Clinton Keith road - only thing missing... signs - markers- maybe a bench or two ..a water fountain at the entrance or a map... all those would have given it a better score...

This trail is terrible…read more Horrible access for my mobility scooter to start. You had to walk so far from the car to get to the trail head. There were kids riding scooters and bikes which I thought was dangerous. We came across a rattle snake in the middle of the trail. It was evening so luckily my wife had a camel pack on full of juice and a head lamp to we caught the stupid snake before it could harm us. I will never return

What an absolutely amazingly beautiful view you get from this view point! It's a very short hike up…read morethe hill from the parking lot. The hike is fairly much so straight up the hill. Some with medical issues may not want to do it. However there are a couple spots to stop and rest if you needed to. Once on top of view point you can enjoy the view of the lake on one side, the dam,and the valley. Definitely a must go to.

Los Pinos Peak was one of those hikes that was less traveled over the weekend. My previous review…read morehad all the details you needed. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/kB1cpv4NCdI

Pretty bad trail. Barely any signs. Ran into lots of spider…read moreweb at the narrow paths. Several thorny bushes interfering into the slim trails. Lots of flies buzzing around the summit. No restrooms. So be sure to use the porta-potties at the convenience shack located a few mins before you reach the trailhead. Those toilets lack hand sanitizer. Also during the last third of this hike, there are steep slopes with lots of loose rocks. Easy to slip. Keep your wits about you. There were no other hikers when I went on a hot Sunday midday. So you might be on your own. Prep well for lonely, dry weather. Likes: + occasional shade For trailhead coords, refer to HikingGuy ( https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/hiking-orange-county/hike-los-pinos-peak-orange-county/ ): 33.66236, -117.44794

Drove about 30 minutes to check this trail out and it was a complete disappointment. The location…read moreis misleading and the parking situation is way worse than what old reviews make it sound like. First off, the "parking" isn't a parking lot at all -- it's literally a small dirt/grass hill on the side of the road. It's not obvious, easy to miss, and fits maybe 2-3 cars max. I had to do a U-turn just to even attempt parking. Once parked, I walked over expecting a trail entrance and instead found a short double-gated fence with locks on it. No clear entrance, no signage, no posted hours, nothing. I checked online and couldn't find any info saying it was closed. What made it worse is that older Yelp photos show a trail sign with the name on it -- that sign is completely gone now. The area honestly feels abandoned. This listing hasn't been updated in years, and that really shows. Save yourself the drive and frustration. Definitely not worth it.

Didn't see any wildlife. But highly recommend a hike through this field…read more We're in Temecula and with Covid many of the wineries are either closed or very limited seating. So we thought what else is there to do. This place came up on Google Maps and instantly we got curious. Getting here is fairly straightforward. However there are no signs or banners or anything. Your gps directions will just abruptly end and you'll see a wooden structure that has the title French Valley Wildlife Area engraved in it. There's parking for about 5 cars right on site. From there, it's a very nice trial that goes throughout the flat land. We felt our spirits lifted seeing so much energy and space. Definitely a change from the congested city life. Can't wait to go back here again :)

The Morgan Trail is part of the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest. It's…read morea very easy hike that's 10 miles long depending on how far you wish to go. If you start for Killen road then the first portion is very shady with lots of oak trees. We enjoyed this portion immensely but once the valley opened up and the chaparral changed we turned around. This portion was very easy for our young kids. We will definitely be back to explore some more. There are many trails in this area.

A little hidden gem. The trees surround you, the air is crisp, and the vibe is serene. It is mildly…read morestrenuous that children can complete with breaks in between. Bring a blanket/sheet to rest on and plenty of water and snacks.