San Pasqual Valley
San Pasqual Valley is located east of I-15, south of Escondido,
north of Rancho Bernardo and Poway. It is an agricultural preserve
largely owned by the City of San Diego. The San Diego Wild Animal
Park is located in the San Pasqual Valley, as is the San Pasqual
State Battlefield Visitor's Center. The San Dieguito River Park
has many projects planned or underway in the San Pasqual
Valley.
The San Dieguito River Park recently completed a
10-mile-long, multi-use, non-motorized trail in San Pasqual Valley. Click here for a trail map of the new trail . This
project is part of the Coast to Crest Trail . Construction began in
February, 2001 and was completed in time for a Grand Opening on
June 1, 2002. The trail has two parts - the Mule Hill Historical
Trail and the San Pasqual Valley Trail. Each are described
in more detail below. Funding for this project was received
from State Environmental Enhancement Mitigation Program Funds (EEMP),
State Public Resource Act funds, Statewide Transportation Enhancement
Act Funds (Federal), National Recreational Trails Act (Federal)
funds, and the San Diego Assocation of Governments (Local). In
addition, funding for engineering design was received from the
City of Escondido. Funding for interpretive signage was provided
by the County of San Diego Community Enhancement Grant funds, via
3rd District Supervisor Pam Slater. Read on for
a detailed description of the new trail.
Mule Hill Historical Trail
This segment is a 1.25-mile-long trail for hikers,
bicyclists, and equestrians beginning at the Sunset Drive cul
de sac adjacent to I-15, extending south of Sikes Adobe but north
of the wetlands. A box culvert was used to cross Kit Carson
Creek. The trail runs across the back side of the
Hodges Golf Improvement Center and then alongside
Via Rancho Parkway for a short distance, then turns south on
the same course as an existing dirt farm road, heads south
to terminate at two interpretive stations. There are many
historical resources in this area that are interpreted at
the two interpretive stations, notably several skirmishes in
the Mexican-American War of 1846, the flooded town of Bernardo,
and the old San Diego to Yuma road.
San Pasqual Valley Agricultural Preserve Trail
This 8.75-mile-long segment continues where the Mule
Hill Historical Trail (described above) ends. Ascending
a slight rise, the trail user can see that agricultural uses begin
here. In the future trail signs will be added that inform
you what is being grown in the various areas where the trail
passes close by.
Please bear in mind that the trail is in the valley as a
result of the cooperation of the farmers. Your help
is needed - under no circumstances should you leave the
trail, interfere with any farming operations, or take
produce or equipment! There are times when the trail may
be posted that it is closed for pesticide spraying. RAs the trail
passes by areas in active agricultural use, the trail will be
fenced to protect against theft of produce. A protocol
for trail closure when an area near the trail is being sprayed
with pesticides was developed and approved by the County Farm
Bureau, County Farm Advisor's Office, and the affected farmers..
emember that this is for your safety, so please observe the closure.
After about a mile heading straight east, with the
organic asparagus, gourd and squash farm on your left, the trail crosses
the floodplain and the San Dieguito River (via a low-flow crossing). At
the old weigh station adjacent to Highland Valley Road, the trail
bears left, and continues for another mile or so adjacent to
the river on the bed of an old dirt road.
When you come to a large kiosk and picnic table,
the trail changes decidedly. It narrows and climbs upward
steeply. Please be careful in this area to avoid conflicts
with other users, as horses, bicyclists and hikers may all be
encountered. This section of the trail is called the Raptor
Ridge Trail. At the top be sure to stop and enjoy the fantastic
views!
Continue on down the hill until you get to the staging
area at Ysabel Creek Road and Bandy Canyon Road where you can
check out the San Diego County Farm Bureau's interesting signage
about agriculture in San Diego County.
Continuing eastward, you will arrive at the beautiful
cantilever trail that the River Park built for trail users as
an extension off the existing Bandy Canyon Road Bridge over Santa
Maria Creek.
The trail lies next to Bandy Canyon road
for some distance. Fortunately, this is a country road
with relatively few cars on it. You will soon encounter
the Verger Dairy, which is directly adjacent to the trail. There
are usually calves to be seen next to the trail. The trail
takes a 90 degree turn to the left when you reach the orange
grove. The trail is fenced on both sides, giving a tunnel
effect, for a short distance. When you reach the river
(Santa Ysabel Creek) the trail turns the right (east) again. In
this stretch, you may pick and eat the oranges on the trees inside
the trail fence when they are ripe (beginning in May).
The trail ends at the Highway 78/Bandy Canyon Road
staging area. Future plans are to extend the trail through
the gorge to Boden Canyon and the Cleveland National Forest.
Sikes Adobe Restoration
Restoration of the historic Sikes Adobe Farmhouse
was completed in 2003. The adobe farmhouse dates
to circa 1870 and once was the head of a 2,400 acre ranch. The
River Park hired a consultant (Ione Stiegler of IS Architecture)
who specializes in historic architecture to prepare a Historic
Structures Report (HSR) and Restoration Plan, including construction
drawings and specifications. Other consultants on the team
included historians Stephen Van Wormer and Susan Walters,
cultural landscape consultant Vonn Marie May, photographer Philip
Rittermann, and landscape architect Laura Burnett of Wallace
Roberts & Todd. The HSR was awarded a prize in the
documents category by the California Preservation Foundation
on February 8, 2003. The Restoration began in March 2003 and was completed in time for a January 2004 Grand Opening. The restoration received a People in Preservation Award from the Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO). Click here to see photos that documented the restoration progress, and for more information
about the project.
Future plans include the restoration of the farmhouse's exterior - the period gardens (ornamental and kitchen), the well, the adobe creamery, fencing and wheat field.
Future plans also include the planning and design for future Interpretive Center adjacent
to the Sikes Adobe Farmhouse. The Interpretive Center,
which is currently not funded, would interpret the pioneer farming
experience and the role and history of agriculture in San Diego. Its
setting on the shore of Lake Hodges also offers wonderful opportunities
for active naturalist programs for the public, in particular
birdwatching, as Lake Hodges is a Globally Important Bird Area
(as recognized by the American Bird Conservancy).
Clevenger Canyon/San Pasqual Trail
This trail segment, which is not part of the Coast to
Crest Trail system but connects to it, has been
completed. The Clevenger Canyon/San Pasqual Trails, which are located on
both sides of Highway 78, were
built and are managed by the City of San Diego. The trails include a total of 14 miles
of hiking trails on land leased by the federal Bureau of Land Management to the
City of San Diego. There are two staging areas on Highway 78, approximately 5
miles east of the Wild Animal Park. Portions of these trails were burned in the Rancho
Guejito fire several years ago, and have since experienced severe erosion; some
segments of the north trail on the upper plateau cannot be found.
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