Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → San Diego Area → North County → Daley Ranch

Location: Escondido area, northeast of San Diego

Distance: ~2.5 miles roundtrip (for the Ranch House Loop; other options exist for longer hikes)

Elevation Gain/Loss: ~400 feet

Time Required: ~1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: Open daily, from dawn to dusk. A map of the area trails can be found here. Modern Hiker describes a longer loop route, but the first part of the route goes to the Ranch House area, so you can turn back there or continue on the loop for a much longer hike.

What’s Nearby?: Dixon Lake, Blue Sky Ecological Reserve, Lake Poway, Potato Chip Rock, Fry-Koegel Trail

Daley Ranch is a large preserve of over 3,000 acres of historic ranch land, and includes over 20 miles of trails. The Ranch House Loop is a quick and easy introduction to the area, passing by a couple of small ponds and leading to the main area of historic interest, with the ranch house, a picturesque barn, and several other historic buildings. The “trail” to the ranch house is more of a road than a trail, so if you have the time I’d recommend taking one of the other trail options either there or back (the Creek Crossing Trail to the East Ridge Trail, for example), and there are enough trails that you can spend an entire day hiking the area if you have the time and interest. Like most areas, Daley Ranch is especially pretty in the spring, when there are wildflowers.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → San Diego Area → North County → Daley Ranch