I heard great things about hiking through the 9,000 acre Santa Rosa Ecological Reserve, with its unique ecosystem of vernal pools home to fairy shrimp. The hike takes you across a classic Californian landscape, through an oak grove, and is sits there untouched, giving you a glimpse of what it looked like here a long time ago.
It is located along the southern edge of the Santa Ana Mountain Range, in southwest Riverside County near the city of Murrieta.
About the Park
According to Rivco parks, the reserve is filled with “Engelmann oak woodlands, riparian wetlands, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, bunchgrass prairie, and vernal pools as well as more than 200 species of native birds and 49 endangered, threatened or rare animal and plant species, including mule deer, mountain lions, badgers, bobcats, western pond turtles, white-tailed kites and fairy shrimp. Of the two species of fairy shrimp that live in the seasonal vernal pools on the Reserve, one is found only here and nowhere else on earth.”
Old Adobes
There are two adobes here, the Moreno and Machado Adobes. These are the two oldest standing structures in Riverside County, dating to 1846. These areas and most of the reserve were closed at the time I visited, all except for the Sylvan Meadows Area of the Plateau.
The Hike Begins
So my hike began at Sylvan Meadows, during a rather dry spell. The landscape looked rather parching this particular spring. California has its dry years, and wet years. This was one for the books, as California received little rain throughout 2021. The snowpack was low in the sierras. Creeks were flowing, but at a trickle. In terms of seeing fairy shrimp in a vernal pool, the chances of that seemed slim to none.
Trail Length: 2.7 Miles
I headed off through the reserve, and enjoyed a peaceful hike amongst the Engleman oaks, and sycamores.
It was a warm spring day in the 70’s when I visited, warm enough to warrant bringing plenty of water, even for a short hike such as this.
As you can see the grass was drying up rapidly, even in early March, since there had been little rain.
This is a 2.7 mile loop trail, but you are not obligated to complete it, since you can turn around before the halfway point, to shorten the hike, to whatever works for you.
I began to see the first of many oaks I would see that day.
The trail is quite wide and flat, the entire way, with only a few minor ups and downs. So it’s perfect for just about every hiking ability. There are no major climbs to speak of.
These look like birds nests, but they are actually a parasitic plant that grows on trees.
There were a few helpful signs to guide you at a crossroads, of where to go next.
Sometimes there would be forks in the trail, and more narrow trails you could take, off the main trail, which would link back again to the main trail.
At the halfway point the oaks got to be much more numerous, and were just off the trail. So if you wanted to, you could have a picnic underneath one of these, to take a nice break.
This was my favorite part of this hike, when the canopy got more dense, and shaded, especially as the sun started beat down.
One section of the trail, has lots of large boulders strewn about amongst the oaks. These would be anther great spot to take a break.
I did not spot much wildlife, just this little guy today.
Some parts of the reserve were gated and closed off.
On the way to the parking area, I did spot this one bench.
It was a good spot to take in the view, with mountains in the distance.
Here is the map of the reserve for a reference. There is a small parking fee to visit this reserve, and they take only cash.
It’s an interesting area, and I hope to return again soon, to see more of the reserve when it opens up again. The surrounding Cleveland National Forest is a treasure in itself, with so much untouched beauty.
This reserve is what you would imagine, when you think of old California, and what it used to be like, before it was developed.
About me
I’m Serafina! I’m a writer and California girl who loves to go exploring. Hope you will get outside today, breathe some fresh air, and be happy!
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Disclaimer: The work on this blog is my opinion and my opinion alone and I am not responsible for the outcome if someone were to apply these thoughts to their own life. All text and photography copyright 2021 by Serafina, all rights reserved. Information and opinions provided are kept current to the best of the author’s ability. All readers’ usage of the ideas and opinions presented in the blog, are at their own risk. Be aware of the possible dangers of hiking, surfing, walking, cooking, and other activities, which may take place indoors or outdoors. By reading this, you agree not to hold the author or publisher of the content on this web site responsible for any injuries or inconveniences that may result from reading the blog, or partaking in any activity mentioned in the blog. Read the blog, and use its ideas, if you so desire, at your own risk.
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