Western Sojourns: Travels with Camissonia: SANTA ROSA PLATEAU ECOLOGICAL RESERVE: 12/30/18 Engelmann Loop, Sylvan Meadows Rd. & ManzanitaTrail (Murrieta, SW Riverside County, CA)

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

SANTA ROSA PLATEAU ECOLOGICAL RESERVE: 12/30/18 Engelmann Loop, Sylvan Meadows Rd. & ManzanitaTrail (Murrieta, SW Riverside County, CA)

Manzanita Trailhead

After all these years of living in La Cresta, we finally took our first trek with the fur babies on the multi-use Sylvan Meadows area of the Santa Rosa Plateau, a 10-15 drive from our house and the only trail system within the reserve that you can bike, ride your horse or walk your pooches in. Why didn't we come sooner?!!! Anyhoo, better late than never. The Engelmann Loop trailhead on the right side of the parking lot is an easy hike through a landscape of, what else but, Engelmann Oaks! Addy took a ginormous dump along the way, which I had to unceremoniously scoop into a poopie bag. Gil was no help because, well, sigh, no comment...Trip note: clean up after your dog and be prepared to pack the doo doo out cuz there are no trash bins out here. After doing a brief jaunt through the Engelmann Loop Trail, we continued on out to Sylvan Meadows Road and then Manzanita Trail in hope of finding some manzanitas. As this trail was more upslope, we were, or should I say the fur babes (namely Addy) were, tiring out, so we headed back down before traversing the entire trail and actually coming across any manzanitas. That's another trek for another day. We'll be back in a few weeks to check out the wildflowers that should be spectabulous this year due to the abundant rains.