Santa Margarita Preserve is a very popular spot for hikers and anyone looking to connect with…read morenature. The preserve has several well-marked, directional trails, which is super helpful in case you get turned around. It does get very busy, and parking is almost always full unless you arrive early or don't mind waiting. The views are beautiful, with lots of flowers along the way. I personally did about 5 miles, but the trails definitely go beyond that. It was a great hike--challenging but enjoyable--and perfect for my dog and me. The trail is dog-friendly, but we did come across horseback riders, so a friendly reminder to be mindful of others on the trail, especially horses, and to keep your dogs under control. Overall, this was an amazing hike and I highly recommend this trail!‍

Nothing less than five stars for this Fallbrook hike. It's got wildlife, a river system, and it's…read moredog friendly! Note: dogs must be on leash due to horse traffic. I'd consider this to be a mild hike, more like a nature walk. There's multiple river crossings throughout to be explored. We crossed at six, which was easily up to my knees. The stream was cold, refreshing, and completely clear. You can easily spot fish and we were lucky enough to see turtles. I also love that there's a sign at the beginning of the hike that lists/dates recent wildlife sightings. It does get incredibly busy here. Despite visiting on a Wednesday the parking lot was completely filled by 10am. Highly recommend arriving early if you want to snag a spot.

Place is closed down, don't go. Seems almost abandoned. All bird cages are empty…read moreNothing to see here.

I am in the market for an exotic bird. Not quite sure what I want yet and I wanted to research the…read morepossibility of a Toucan or similar bird. SO HAPPY I found this place. It is so nice to be able to be outside and see birds away from a store environment. This place is on 45 acres and it's kept up so beautifully. I was especially impressed when I met the owner and found out he is recovering from a health issue. The gentleman had trouble walking, but I guess he is on the mend and doing well. They have over 500 birds on premises and are so knowledgeable. I did a little research on the owner, Jerry, and he is THE expert of the breeding and caring of Toucans in captivity. While we were there he had 2 phones calls from other facilities asking for his advice on this situation or that. He with a couple of partners are the ones who developed the pellets that are now fed to these amazing creatures by zoos and other exotic owners. Super impressed with his knowledge and the knowledge of his assistant Marcella. Since Jerry is having difficulty walking, Marcella took us to the nursery. When I asked detailed questions of some of the babies, she pulled out a journal where EVERY bit of information on every bird is kept, from hatching until they are sold. I was floored. Also impressive is how friendly the babies were. They are hand raised and each one is socialized. I am definitely going to purchase a bird from here, I just love the way they start their life. The problem is deciding which one, do I choose an Aracaris or a Toucan..

Hubs and I found this community park while driving by on a Saturday afternoon. We paid the small…read morefee, parked and took a walk throughout the winding trails. It was small, but so cute. And not crowded especially for a Saturday. We were pretty impressed with all the amenities. There are tons of places to BBQ, have group gatherings or just hang with your own family. We even found a small amphitheater! So cool. There are at least 2 baseball fields, a volleyball court, soccer field etc... We saw a strong park ranger presence as well. I like how this creates a safe environment. The bathrooms we went to were simple, yet clean and there are trees all throughout. It's such a perfect place to be for outside air, family time and small gatherings.

Great park nice walking trail. Picnic tables to eat at and a playground for kids. Dogs allowed in…read morethe park on leash and across the street is a leash free dog park.

Santa Margarita River Trail is a beautiful spot for getting outdoors, especially if you enjoy…read morenature and river views. The trail is mostly easy to moderate and great for walking, hiking, or even horseback riding. It's also very dog-friendly, but keep your dog on a leash; simple. There are horses and other trail users beyond you and your dog. Be considerate, which reminds me, pack it in, pack it out. It does get pretty busy, especially on weekends, so expect to see lots of people, dogs, and riders sharing the trail. Parking is free, but it can fill up quickly. The lot fills with trailers. Overall, it's a great place to enjoy nature, just be prepared for crowds if you go during peak times. Also, bring plenty of water and snacks because it can get hot during the summer months. The signage does remind you to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes, poison oak, and uneven or rocky terrain. I've seen plenty of poison oak, so pay attention.

Some Plants & Fungi found on the River Trail! The trail was amazing. Definitely get there early…read moreparking is always packed!

I come here for my garden club meeting once a month. The area that we have our meeting is quite…read morespacious and could be divided into two rooms with a room divider. There is a cafeteria serving area, which I heard they serve meals here for senior citizens. There are restrooms, and I could only speak for the ladies room that it has a handful of stalls and that is always kept up to par. I hope to take advantage of some of the programs they have to offer in the future. Outdoors you will find they have tennis, basketball and pickle ball courts. They also have two different play areas with play structures. The play areas do have scheduled hours for students. It is open to the public after those hours. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture of that info. There is designated parking that seem to fill up fast. Also available is street parking.

Being a new mom, I'm always on the lookout for activities for my daughter. The Fallbrook Community…read moreCenter offers so many classes for all age ranges at really affordable prices (some are free!). I would recommend following them on Facebook to keep up to date on what's currently being offered/what's coming up. We're currently enrolled in a toddler ballet class and look forward to attending every week.

A small little park that is so easy to miss if you don't know it's there! There's an older kids…read moreplayground, a younger kids playground, some benches and a gazebo. Towards the back there is a sand volleyball pit (bring your own net) and a half soccer turf with goal. I like that there is only one way in & one way out because the littles like to try and escape towards the street sometimes. Downside: NO parking! I mean there's one or two spots and one handicapped spot. You'll have to park on the street or walk if there are more than a couple of people at the park. And no restrooms!

What an amazing discovery! You have to look real close on the side of the road because the sign is…read moresmall and the entrance is even smaller. Once you pull in though everything opens up into this lush wilderness. It has a huge parking lot. Once you get on the trail it is well maintained and plenty of space for dogs joggers strollers etc. Bird watchers this is your heaven! There were so many different species in here. The funnest part of this trail is there is choose your own adventure. Along the way you choose left or right over and over. You can't go wrong because it is a beautiful view no matter which way you turn. The best part of all is if you are the type to get lost like me it will spit you out into the parking lot because it's a huge loop. A huge loop with different trails what a great place! The only reason I gave it a four-star instead of a five is unfortunately it's built right on the side of mission Ave which is the main avenue going into fallbrook so there is a lot of traffic noise. That is only part of the trail though not the whole thing. I will be back here on my days off because it's an easy going 1 mile so I feel like I barely had to do anything, got into nature and got my steps in.

My friends and I took a stroll here in the rain. The entrance to the parking lot is a bit easy to…read moremiss, but once inside, the lot was completely empty because of the weather. Some parts of the trail were flooded, but we were still able to find a one-mile loop around the affected areas. The scenery was beautiful with all the trees and fallen leaves glistening in the rain. I definitely want to come back when it's not raining and the trails aren't flooded.

This is an awesome place if you could just not have ticks there. I don't recommend going at least…read morenot when I went which was the middle of April. We were covered in text. Most definitely do not explore anything off trail and check yourself head to toe.

Minimal street parking, no restroom, a fair amount of dog-doo. The views are great!…read more This is a fairly short up and back hike, so we combined it with a nearby hike on the same day to make the drive worthwhile. (Los Jilgueros Preserve around 3 mi from this one). After taking a few minutes to actually find the preserve, we managed to park on the street tucked in behind 3 other cars. Go through the white wooden arch structure and you'll find a bench under a big tree. That's where we ate our lunch with the bubbling sounds of the nearby Ostrich Farms Creek. There is a sign warning of rattlesnakes, but luckily we didn't see any. The paved path takes you up to quite an elevation where you feel like you're almost as high as the soaring birds above and you have sweeping 180 degree views over Fallbrook's rolling hills dotted with cyprus trees, large houses and below there was horse ranch. The hike is uphill, but I didn't find it especially 'steep', but that opinion might depend on your own personal experience and fitness level. When the trail flattens out, there's a small area where you can admire the view. Someone had placed a painted rock garden there. If you continue on towards the large houses, the trail is unpaved. We went a little further, but soon turned around and hiked back down to the car. We saw a dog-walker, another couple enjoying lunch on the bank of the creek and a few other groups of hikers.