rancho san antonio open space preserve

This is a really delightful place to get some exercise and some fresh air while enjoying Mother Nature's bounty. Seems very popular. Plenty of parking.

Clearly, do not expect this place to be a park. It's not. It doesn't have lakes, human architectures, or flowerbeds except the conveniently scattered parking lost on the hillsides and the well-paved driveways leading to the parking spaces. But here a visitor could see Its original and even its primitive state of the nature -- the untouched rotten, fallen trees, a groundhog having its head emerging from a hole inquisitively looking at us, a jungle covered with dead branches and brushes, and the hilltops overlooking the city.The trails saw joggers of all ages, as well as strollers and horse-riders. The parking lots were as full as those in the Greal Mall on the weekends. Visitors love the sunshine, the fresh air, the vast openness of the preserve, and snake-forwarding trails which would take them to new sceneries and new surprises.

We arrived at this location later in the day, so we didn't spend that much time there; however, we enjoyed every minute of it. Loved the outdoor area, beautiful deer surrounding you at every step, amazing. I truly enjoyed it!

My hiking group uses this as a fall back when we're too lazy to think of somewhere else. Easily accessible from 280, it's convenient. We enjoy looking at the farm animals as well as the wild turkeys and deer, as well as occasional coyotes and bobcats. The variety of trails is great if one of our hikers is rehabbing from an injury. If one of us has to leave early, we're not concerned to let her hike back to her car alone. We also appreciate the bathrooms in two locations and drinking fountain to fill our water bottles. Lots of shade for hot summer days. We usually get there at 9 AM and have had no trouble finding parking. There are upper parking lots to use if the lower ones are full.

I have been hiking at Rancho San Antonio for over 20 years. It is a wonderful place to hike. I basically do the same hike each time with a little variation. Get here early because the parking lot fills up. Also it gets hot in summer and fall. I would recommend to be here between 6am and 7am for best experience. I have seen rattlesnakes here, a bobcat and many deer. There is also a farm for families with little kids. Watch out for yellow jackets at the farm. Great place, please support all the open space Preserves in the district.

Rancho San Antonio Is great for friends, families. You just have to like walking (and a little bit of hicking ;)). It has a small Farm as well.

Any local, reasonably accessible and semi wild park lands gets high marks from me. The if I remember correctly real working farm is pretty cool and different from the average park.