Daley Ranch - Escondido, CA

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Daley Ranch - Escondido, CA Daley Ranch is a 3,058-acre preserve offering over 20 miles of multipurpose trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. No entry fee.
(1761)

Open dawn to dusk every day. Directions to Hike Locations

All hikes begin at the Daley Ranch entrance on La Honda Drive unless otherwise noted. La Honda Trailhead—From Interstate 15, take the El Norte Parkway exit in Escondido. Go east four miles to La Honda Drive, turn left, drive one mile to Daley Ranch entrance and park in dirt lot on left. Cougar Pass Trailhead—From Interstate 15, take the El Norte Parkway exit in Escondido east about a half mile to Broadway. Take Broadway north four miles to Cougar Pass (dirt road), turn right, and drive one mile. Park in the asphalt lot on left. Caballo Trailhead—From Interstate 15, take the Valley Parkway exit in Escondido and go northeast about 5 miles. Turn left at Bevin into the Eureka Springs development. Follow the road toward the filtration plant entrance and turn right at the Escondido Humane Society sign (Volunteer Lane). Park in the dirt parking lot. Lake Wohlford Trailhead—From Interstate 15, take the Valley Parkway exit in Escondido and go northeast about 5.5 miles. Turn right on Lake Wohlford Road and go 1.9 miles to Oakvale Road. Turn slightly right onto Oakvale and go about one mile. Turn left into the fenced parking lot.

10/16/2026

This Halloween, skip the ghosts and goblins and join us on Saturday, October 31, for our special Halloween Nature Night Hike with a Ranger, where you'll meet the real creatures that roam after dark. 🎃🌌

This easy-to-moderate, 3.2-mile loop starts at the Daley Ranch Parking Lot at 5:15 p.m. Ranger Joe will lead hikers along the Boulder Ridge Trail through the foothills of Daley Ranch and share Halloween-themed tales. Along the way, you'll learn how nocturnal animals hunt, stalk, and survive in the shadows, and what kinds of critters live in the darkness around us.

📍 Saturday, October 31 | 5:15 p.m.
🚘 Daley Ranch Parking Lot: 1700 La Honda Dr.

👻 Don’t forget your costume! Please avoid costumes that block vision, create tripping hazards, or have scary elements that might frighten young children.

🥾 Know Before You Go: Wear sturdy hiking shoes for moderate hills and uneven terrain, and bring layered clothing for the evening temperature drop. Bring a flashlight, headlamp, or lantern, and extra batteries.

We hope to see you there!

10/08/2026

Heads up, Esco! Dixon Lake will be closed to the public next week, beginning Monday, October 12, at 6 a.m. until Friday, October 16, at 12 p.m. 🏞️

During the closure, rangers will perform routine upkeep on trails and facilities, and complete improvement projects around the park and campsites.

🏕️ Campers staying Sunday night will not be impacted and can check out at the time listed on their reservation. Daley Ranch and the La Honda Parking Lot will remain open during the closure.

Dixon Lake will reopen at noon on Friday, October 16. Thank you for your patience while we complete this important work!

Join us Saturday, October 10, for our next free Ranger-led hike at Daley Ranch! 🏞️This hike is a moderate-to-challenging...
10/06/2026

Join us Saturday, October 10, for our next free Ranger-led hike at Daley Ranch! 🏞️

This hike is a moderate-to-challenging, 5-mile loop beginning at the Cougar Pass Parking Lot at 7 a.m. Ranger Joe will lead hikers along Cougar Ridge Trail to Bobcat Trail, then Engelmann Oak Trail. From there, you’ll continue onto Burnt Mountain Trail, connect with the south portion of Cougar Ridge Trail, and return to the parking lot.

Along the way, learn about local flora and fauna and discover native plant species found throughout the preserve. 🪻

📍 Saturday, October 10 | 7 a.m.
🚘 Cougar Pass Parking Lot: 27072 Cougar Pass Rd.

🏞️ Know Before You Go: Please wear sturdy hiking shoes suitable for moderate to steep hills and uneven terrain. Don’t forget to check the weather so you can dress appropriately, and bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat.

👉 Looking for more free ways to get outdoors? Check out the Fall Recreation Guide (pg. 47) for information about Critter Chat with our Wildlife Ambassadors, Daley Ranch House Tours, and more at Escondido.gov/RecGuide.

We hope to see you there! 🌿🥾

Hike with a ranger
10/02/2026

Hike with a ranger

Calling all those who care about Daley Ranch! Show your love by volunteering a couple hours on Saturday, October 24 from...
10/02/2026

Calling all those who care about Daley Ranch! Show your love by volunteering a couple hours on Saturday, October 24 from 9-11 a.m. All ages and physical abili/es are welcome. Tasks will include possibili/es that may range from invasive species removal, trail maintenance to li_er pick up. Volunteers will gather at the main gate at the La Honda parking area at 8:45.

The Friends of Daley Ranch is teaming up with the City of Escondido rangers to sponsor this event, and we will welcome help from the San Diego Mountain Bike Associa/on. Tools and gear will be provided. Just bring your energy and your passion for Daley Ranch! Sign ups are required at https://daleyranch.org/october-habitat-helpers/

We’re at The Grape Day Festival!Come by and say hi!
09/05/2026

We’re at The Grape Day Festival!

Come by and say hi!

We'll be here! WIll you??Drop by our table and say hi!!
08/25/2026

We'll be here! WIll you??

Drop by our table and say hi!!

Donna Leon, a former preserve manager at The Escondido Creek Conservancy and current board member of FODR, gave an inter...
07/13/2026

Donna Leon, a former preserve manager at The Escondido Creek Conservancy and current board member of FODR, gave an interesting presentation on turtles today. She talked about their habitat, food and life cycles of turtles and how to identify different types you may encounter. The southwestern pond turtle is the only freshwater turtle native to the southern California coast and is threatened due to habitat loss, predation, and climate change. Turtles are important not only because they eat insects, such as mosquitoes, and help disperse seeds, but they also are health barometers of their environment.

The audience responded well to the talk and asked a lot of questions. What would you like to learn about next?

07/06/2026

~ Cougar Fire contained ~

The Cougar fire has been updated to 4.3 acres. Crews will remain on scene throughout the day conducting mop-up operations. This will be the final update, unless conditions change, Per CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire on Facebook.

~ Cougar Fire update ~Forward progress of the Cougar fire has been stopped at approximately 10 acres. Crews will remain ...
07/06/2026

~ Cougar Fire update ~

Forward progress of the Cougar fire has been stopped at approximately 10 acres. Crews will remain on scene through the night and into tomorrow per CAL FIRE San Diego on Facebook.

A fire has broken out this afternoon at the Cougar Pass trail head. Visitors and neighbors of Daley Ranch please exercise necessary precaution for safety and look for evacuation orders.

The Cougar Fire is at 27000 Block of Cougar Pass Rd, Escondido. According to Watch List (https://app.watchduty.org/i/106525), the fire is approx 8 to 10 acres running upslope with wind and topography at a moderate rate of spread in medium fuels, the fire is on both sides of Cougar Pass Rd and no structures are threatened - per radio traffic.
Both ground crews and air tankers are actively managing the situation. An additional 2 type 3 air tankers have been requested.

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3024 La Honda Drive
Escondido, CA
92027

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