I enjoyed this 5 mile loop on the Shasta Sendero Loop Trail in March. It was spring, the flowers were blooming, and the trail was a bit muddy post rain.
I would begin my hike on the Shasta Sendero Loop at Sendero field.
The San Juan Creek Trail encircles this park. It is free to park here from dawn until dusk, daily.
There are restrooms here, and a pickleball court.
There is an underpass at the far east side of the park, which takes you under Antonio Parkway.
I did not go under it, but stayed on the San Juan Creek Trail, toward the trailhead for the Sendero Loop.
I decided to hike around the park, and alongside the north side of it.
There is a wide flat trail that runs alongside San Juan Creek.
I passed underneath many oaks and sycamores.
Eventually I heard San Juan Creek flowing close by, and eventually got a good look at it.
The recent rains have filled all the creeks in the area to capacity.
We are certainly out of a drought now.
There is a bridge you pass over, to cross the creek, which leads to Reata Rd.
This is the San Juan Creek Trail.
This is where I left the trail along the creek, and made a right.
I would cross the bridge, and get a better view of the creek from here. The most full I have seen it in years.
After the bridge, I would merge to the right on to another parallel road, adjacent the EV path. This road is also San Juan Creek Trail, a Class 1 bike path.
Next I would make a right on Reata Rd., passing the sign for Sendero.
You will walk uphill until reaching the second traffic circle.
Here you cross the street, and make a left. You will notice a gated road to the left.
Walk past the gate, on the paved sidewalk, along the road, which will take you to the trailhead.
You will begin the uphill climb on a paved trail, or the road next to it.
You will eventually see a sign from Shasta Sendero Trail.
Continue walking up the paved road, until you reach another sign, and this is where the unpaved trail begins.
You can check out the video I made about my hike on this beautiful trail, on my youtube channel Serafina Hikes. Please Like and Subscribe!
As I proceed on up the trail, I found it to be steep, overgrown, and a bit muddy.
I continued climbing uphill for about 500 more feet, amongst the wildflowers.
The hills were golden, blooming with wild mustard, and dozens of other flowers.
It is mid-March, and we have had a ton of rain, and the wildflowers were loving it.
The distant mountains were full of snow, and we are having a super-bloom.
I have been trying to get outside as much as possible to enjoy all this beauty.
The trail continued climbing up to the ridge, and the neighborhood of Covenant Hills.
Off in the distance, I could see the rolling foothills of the Chino Hills. Even further off was the silhouetted ridge-line of the San Bernardino National Forest.
At the top of the ridge was a bench to sit and enjoy the view, post climb.
I stopped here for a moment to enjoy the view.
Rancho Mission Viejo was in the distance, which is a privately owned preserve. The ranch manages most of the trails in the area.
I glanced off towards San Juan Capistrano. This is the greenest it will look all year. Am I in Ireland, right now or Southern California?
I made a right here onto a wide trail, alongside the homes, heading towards Antonio Parkway.
The trail eventually links up with a hard packed wide trail that runs alongside the homes of Covenant Hills.
The views from up here were stunning.
The village of Sendero below, and the hills of the Cleveland National Forest in the distance.
There were some rules posted, and mileages which was helpful.
After meandering along the ridge awhile, there is a narrow, also overgrown singletrack, that leads back into the community of Sendero.
This part of the trail was very steep, and narrow. It looked as if mountain bikers had carved out the path, and it was a bit rutted.
I was all alone of this trail, in these golden hills. Well at least I thought I was. That was about to change.
I came across another bench, slowly becoming buried by the new spring growth.
It began to get much much steeper on the last section. This is when I noticed I had company. Certain wildlife can be active around this time of day, as night-time approaches.
At first thought I saw a dog, but it was actually a coyote. He trotted off down the trail, along the ridge, and disappeared into the canyon, off to the right.
It was not getting late in the day, as I left the unpaved portion of the trail, and entered a short paved section, where I found another bench at the foot of the steep hill.
Eventually I exited the trail in a neighborhood, and the rest of the hike back was on the sidewalk.
I passed a playground, a golfing area, a club house, and a bocce court.
I continued straight until the road dead ends, and then a right, followed by a left back onto Reata Rd. From here I went back toward Sendero Field the way I came.
Sendero Loop on alltrails
When to Visit
Past March this trail may be impassable due to brush, so the best time to see it, is after it dries out in September through till March, which it becomes full of wildflowers.
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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