oak glen preserve

The beauty of nature surrounded me as I walked the trail. I felt at peace with tall trees overhead. Following the trail, I discovered the pond with ducks and a floating deck. It was peaceful and a good walk.

Last October, I just thought it would be a nice day outing to head with my two dogs to the hills outside Yucaipa in Oak Glen for a little bit of fall color along with some apples off the trees. What I didn't expect was the frenzy of applie-pickin' families. That made the people-watching fun but it was all overwhelming.But there was a small oasis adjacent to Los Rios Rancho: the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden, part of Oak Glen Preserve, overseen by The Wilderness Conservancy. They have a children's garden, a demonstration garden, and a couple of ponds that attract waterfowl. There are several easy loop trails from less than a mile to around four miles, if you hike all the side trails. Dogs on leash are welcome (because, c'mon, most off-leash dogs would harass the wildlife). The Preserve also includes some surrounding peaks in its 2000+ acres, but I only hiked the main flat trails.Bonus: it's free! But since a non-profit operates the place, give a few bucks at the entrance to help maintain it. In fact, the Preserve wouldn't even exist without The Wilderness Conservancy's acquisition of this land that only a few years ago was threatened with subdivision development when a hostile bank-owner marketed the area for quick profits. But now, it's just a pleasant respite from the throngs of apple pickers invading tiny Oak Glen in the autumn, plus apparently they have some year-round activity offerings. Take the time to check it out!