I love this place. I'm especially appreciative, knowing it's taken care of by volunteers. I wish people wouldn't leave their dog poop bags along the trail or for that matter, not even clean up after their dog. I wonder if they realize wildlife may eat those bags and cause a choking hazard. Besides that, it's just plain old disrespectful to everyone. as disgusting as that sounds. read more

Los Jilgueros Preserve - Parks Near Me - Fallbrook, California

What an amazing discovery! You have to look real close on the side of the road because the sign is small 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. read more

Los Jilgueros Preserve - Parks Near Me - Fallbrook, California

My friends and I took a stroll here in the rain. The entrance to the parking lot is a bit easy to miss, 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. read more

Los Jilgueros Preserve - Parks Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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I can't believe in all my years in San Diego that I never heard of this place or visited the place before last weekend. It is a little hard to find the entrance, if you are not paying attention. There is a small sign that you can easily drive right past. Parking is easy, rocky dirt road, plenty of spots. It is free but there is a box to donate to help keep this place up and going. We had read to stay on the left trail, so that is how we started out and then looped around. I think we were there about 45 minutes with slow, casual walking, and my picture taking. There is plenty of different flora and fauna, saw a variety of birds, and stumbled across plenty of old, rusty, abandoned farm machinery, and some sculptures. Definitely a place to visit for a nice easy walk, pretty flat in most spots, and some wooden walkways in other, but some fun things to see. read more

Recently we had taken our new pup along with our two other pups for a walk here. This is not our first time here though. As mentioned in some of the reviews the parking for this place is hidden. Pay close attention to your GPS and watch for the cars behind you as you slow down to pull into the driveway. Cars on the main road tend to speed and tailgate. The parking area is all dirt parking. There is a stand with bags to pick up after your pet. Some areas of the path is very wide and some very narrow. Along one of the paths you will find a pond which is occupied by some birds occasionally. No swimming and no pets allowed in this pond. Some of the areas have trees that umbrella the path. There is an area with some bench seating to sit and enjoy the view. From what I understand some of the area is maintained by the Fallbrook garden club. You will find some beautiful plant species on your walk. After a nice rainfall the pond overflows into the creek and makes for a nice tranquil walk. There is a wood plank path that sits atop a pond, but at the moment that part of the pond is dry, completely dry. I only know this because as we walked the wooded path some bicyclists jumped off the path into the area that is normally filled with water. I have seen photographers use this area for family photos. You will find some owl houses posted high along part of the trail. I recently saw the rock garden not too far from the entrance of the trail. I would definitely come back here, especially when it's cooler and green, its very pretty, but come enjoy some of the fall colors too. Just for your info no restrooms are available here. read more

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This is very easy hiking. I took my three dogs and they loved it. Fairly flat and walkable for all ages. One of my dogs is a senior and we have a stroller for her, the stroller made it fine on all the trails. The preserve is advertised as a mile long. I clocked 4600 steps in the course of 45 minutes....1.5 miles? Theres a big pond with lots of ducks so bring your stale bread. We saw some statuary on our walk which was pretty cool. Lots of flora and trees. A very relaxing walk without a lot of effort. Great for kids and geriatric crews like us. read more

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Hiking is the thing to do these days. So, we thought we would start checking out some local spots. This one is an easy walking path good for daily walks. It's a short and pretty walk too. Dogs on leashes are allowed. There are benches through the area if you want to sit a bit. There's a small pond with ducks hanging out. There is also a small water fall. You will find trash containers and doggy poop bags at various places throughout. We were able to maneuver our doggy stroller with our small 12 pound senior pup through the paths, though there were some parts of the walk that were rough for the stroller. I wouldn't recommend pushing a stroller with a baby in it through here. This is definitely a good walk to do with toddlers. Because the reserve runs along South Mission road there is a lot of traffic noise in spots. Overall, we had an enjoyable walk with our dogs here. read more

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A mile long loop walk through Fallbrook's riparian forest. This is a beginners hike and perfect for those with kids and those with strollers. It's all dirt pathways, but it's well traveled and in good condition. The preserve highlights are the ponds and the ducks. While they don't really have a great way to get close the pond (no wooden pier or deck) you can find cracks in the reeds to get some good pictures. - The driveway to get to the parking lot is kinda hidden. Drive slowly when your GPS says to turn. - If you're lucky you'll ll see a small plane flying low over the preserve. There's a small airpark nearby. read more

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Note: No restrooms at this preserve! It's easy to miss the entrance to this Preserve as we did -- went sailing by and had to make a U-Turn. The sign is quite small. Enter and go down a short road to a sizable parking lot. There are two entrances to the preserve from the parking lot -- we took the one on the left. We saw lots of plants and used Google lens to see what species the were. There are two ponds -- we saw ducks and a turtle at one. There was a garden of native plants and another one featuring fire retardant plants. We saw what looked like a homeless person on a bench near the pond and discarded clothes from someone else under a tree, so it looked like people take shelter here. There were several benches with memorial plaques and a memorial statue, which shows a lot of people must have enjoyed their time at this preserve. Near where the preserve backs onto some houses, we saw several rusty old farm machines and a painted rock collection, which added interest. We saw a lizard, a squirrel and several birds. Overall a pleasant short hike. While we were in the Fallbrook area, we also hiked at Heller's Bend Preserve a few miles away to make the drive worthwhile. I give it 3 stars as there were no restrooms and it's fairly short, a little unkempt in places, but has several things of interest. read more

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Went here with my son and his friends and it was the perfect little trail for kids. There's a big grass area that we were able to have a picnic on, a couple bridges, and some unique olden structures that the kids loved. Overall, it was beautiful, wagon friendly, and not too long of a walk. Side note: there's a little pile of cute painted rocks that you can take from We'll be coming back to bring our own! read more

Los Jilgueros Preserve - Parks Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Cute trail, good for kids! Flat the entire time. Lots of scenery with smaller intertwined trails that eventually link back to the perimeter trail. We walked 1.4 miles in half an hour, stopping to take pictures along the way. We even diverted a bit and found to other entrances into the preserve, so without that, the loop trail around the perimeter would likely be a mile. It was a nice park to explore but definitely more of a walk than a hike and super super short. read more

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The Los Jilgueros Preserve is located just north of Fallbrook High School. It is 46 acres with a variety of looping trails through field and riparian forest. The looping trails total over two miles. There are a few ponds and tons of native plants as well as wildlife. The preserve was originally used as orchard/farm land so you'll see old farming equipment around the preserve. The preserve is open from dusk to dawn. The preserve and trails are well maintained and cared for by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy. There's plenty of parking. This is a great place for walkers, joggers, and bikers of ALL ages. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Like always, pack it in, pack it out...respect the wildlife habitat! There are a few trash cans, use them! There are no fees to enjoy the preserve, but donations are welcome and help to maintain the beautiful land/property. read more

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Easy flat walk. Some pretty native plants. Water with ducks! Well maintained trail. Some cool old farm equipment. Very noisy from nearby traffic. Pretty but not peaceful! The dogs can get in a nice walk. read more

Los Jilgueros Preserve - Parks Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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If you're looking to wander around this is the spot. The trail has close to 6 other options you can take that will eventually lead back to the main trail. I like this preserve because you can suspend your thoughts and take different turns without having to worry about getting lost. When I go there isn't many other hikers on the trail but if there is you'll run into them a few times like you would a maze. I haven't been here after a good rainy season but I bet it's beautiful!! There's 2 ponds that are unmaintained so natural beauty lingers and the one closest to the road has a walking path going through it. Lots of different plants that range from desert cacti to Fallbrook native wildflowers. Good place to bring little ones as the trail is flat and no rocks to trip over. Oh and look for the secret garden!! read more

Los Jilgueros Preserve - Parks Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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I went for a run here over the Thanksgiving break and was really impressed with this park/preserve right off the main street. To run all the way around the loop was a little over a mile long with some nice elevation changes to challenge you. There were wide open paths that had no foliage, a fun part right by the road that had a canopy over it, and a ton of variation in between. The back side of the park has some old, abandoned trucks and farming equipment that were neat to look at. I saw a ton of wildlife of different types in trees, floating in the ponds, and scurrying around on the ground. There were tons of people walking their dogs, spending time with their families, taking pictures, and exercising. It was a really nice, quiet space to get away to. read more

Nice place to walk. Dog friendly. I was one of the few walkers without a dog. Close to Mission Rd so a bit noisy. read more

The preserve has a variety of very nice walking trails that loop around. The trails are very well maintained. Great place to come bird watching and check out lots of indigenous plants to the area. It is dog friendly. There are no restrooms or water fountains so please do plan accordingly. read more

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Beautiful preserve, and a great place to hike. There are many trails you can take and I love to see the ducks in the pond. This is a great place for everyone in the family to walk at, and the bridges are my favorite part of the preserve. Great place to take pictures too. read more

Cool area with easy to walk trails. Dog friendly and shaded area. Could use a drinkable water source but overall good place to go for a walk with a pet or with friends. read more

The Los Jilgueros Preserve is part of the Fallbrook Land Advocacy which made this place specially protected and made for rabbits, birds of prey, ground squirrels and much more. You will be best walking during the day than at night. I've seen a guy out there walking his beagle and I'm not kidding you. He is holding a heavy metal baseball bat in one of his hands to be safe out there. You will see native plants out there. The best time as after the storm rains you will see a creek flowing through the reeds from the ponds to the rain clouds which takes play. There are plenty of park benches dedicated to people of the remembered. This preserve was once farmland. There are some ancient farm relics here and orange trees. You'll be here to calm down those nerves to walk and hear a sweet sound of other birds all around. There isn't a toilet/outhouse around. The preserve is open from dawn till dusk. I give this place 5 stars! read more

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