Santa Rosa Plateau Reserve

Photo by @sdhiker

Trail: The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve
Location: 39400 Clinton Keith Road, Murrieta, Ca 92562
Fee: $4.00/person

Yeah, this totally DOES look like a scene from Little House on the Prairie (I mean, look at that old timey garb we’re wearing!) but it’s not. It’s the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve in Murrieta.

Consisting of over 9000 acres, 19 different trails, 200 species of birds, and 49 endangered, threatened, or rare animal and plant species there are a lot of opportunities to interact with nature at this reserve.

There are also adobes and seasonal vernal pools. Be sure you go during the right time, though, as apparently the season we went in wasn’t vernal.

This place has tons of trails that weave in and out. We did a 9 mile loop of some sort to see the adobes at the opposite end of the Reserve in May. I’d suggest going earlier in the spring, however, as the fields are supposed to be beautiful and green.

Ha, I rhymed.

To learn more, check yourself before you wreck yourself (there I go again!) at the official site.