Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve

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What visitors say

• Javier Rosete★★★★★

  Again, rare for me to ever offer a 5 star rating, yet, here we are . Literally, an all-around, family oriented, get the word out , fun loving place where one can truly feel at peace and part of nature. There are two sections, the santa margarita river preserve and the county preserve. The river trail has the most extensive trail system- from easy moderate to even difficult. For bikers hikers walkers joggers and equestrian. Rocky trails, river crossings, rock climbing, steep inclines to quick switch back trails that are slippery and with loose soil downhill. Scenic views, river crossings and even challenging sand dune trails and swamp like areas. From 2 to 5miles and even 10 to 20 mile adventures can be easily achieved. Parking lot get filled up super fast by 8 am, as gates open. Ranger on site, clean as can be Parking lot - porta potties - trash cans -maps gates entrance. The river trail is highly visited vs the county preserve, located southwest is around 2miles south - with around another 5 miles of trails and with some awesome creek crossings. Pack for an all day adventure, pack lite and be aware.if your surroundings.

  a month ago

• Lauren Hazlett★★★★★

  My daughter and I love coming here for our hikes! Beautiful nature preserve not far from Temecula (only about 25 minute drive) with multiple hiking trails to choose from. Our favorite is just along the creek where you can spot fish, frogs, ducks, so many interesting birds, and if you're lucky a few bigger animals as well! Most of this hike is shaded by massive trees and while it does still get warm, it has the benefit of not being in direct sun the whole time. There is a free parking lot at the entrance and one porta potty (bring TP if you're planning to spend the whole day there) There is also a board with lists of animals that have been spotted in 2026. We try to go on weekdays if possible but I've never seen it too busy. Just after a rain is always a good time to go. Most of the animals seem to be most active first thing in the morning or before sunset.

  4 months ago

• Anzelika Sk★★★★★

  Santa Margarita River Trail is one of the more unique hikes in Southern California . Unlike most dry, exposed trails in the area, this one follows a river and has a surprising amount of shade, which makes it much more enjoyable, especially on warmer days. The trail itself is mostly easy to moderate, with a mix of dirt paths and some rocky sections. There are a few small river crossings, which make the hike more interesting and fun, but you’ll want proper shoes. It’s a good option for a casual hike. The scenery is peaceful — lots of trees, greenery, and the sound of water — so don’t expect big panoramic views. The biggest downside is how crowded it can get, especially on weekends. Parking can also be limited if you arrive late.

  5 months ago

• Doug Rosson★★★★★

  This was a cool trail to find. Never knew it was here and its only about an hr from our house. The parking lot is large but was pretty full when we showed up. We did come on a Sunday with great weather. There a good amount of trails but we basically just walked straight down and took a couple of the water crossing spots just to get closer to the water. The trail is nice and easy with no real elevation gain. The oak trees are awesome and provided good shade spots. We did end up a what seemed like the end of the trail even though we knew it wasn't. There were large rocks that we sat on to eat and looked for the rest of the trail but couldn't find it. I think tere was a fork that we missed. We will definitely be back to finish the train on another day.

  7 months ago

• David Whitesell★★★★★

  Always love the hike at SMRT! Some great memories are made with my son. We were also using the Merlin Bird ID app, picked up 18 different birds. Saw lots of butterflies and everyone always friendly. Only challenge is parking. Gotta get there early if you don't want to wait.

  5 months ago

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