Tip: Terrain view is the default and doesn't zoom as close as Satellite or Hybrid views.

Blue: Trailhead to 500 foot trail and back - 1.78 miles
Turquoise: 500 foot trail and Santa Margarita trail loop - 3 miles
Yellow: 500 foot trail and Santa Margarita trail shortcut loop - 2 miles

• A. Trailhead parking lot
  • From the trailhead to the Santa Margarita River crossing the trail is an easy, flat hike except for some boulders at the beginning.
• B. Uphill away from river
  • 1.14 miles from the trailhead, head uphill on dry open trail out of the protective cover of the shady oak woodlands.
  • At the top of the path near the oak tree and roadrunner ranch, trail heads back down to woodlands
• C. To the 500 foot trail
  • Past the picturesque wreck of a 1950's Ford station wagon on the bank of the river, the trail heads uphill.
  • The Santa Margarita River trail continues along the river. The way to the 500 foot trail doubles back the opposite direction. Something to keep in mind if it is a hot day - there is only one shady spot on the 500 foot trail!
• D. FPUD DG pit
  • The SM trail emerges into a wide open space where the Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD) dumps dirt for later use - called the DG pit (decomposed granite).
  • The 500 foot trail starts at the east end of the FPUD DG quarry.
  • There are great long views from the 500 ft trail. Before the 2007 fire you couldn't see over the top of the chaparral unless on horseback. The native plants are recovering nicely.
• E. Shortcut back to the SM Trail
  • Too hot? You can take a shortcut back down to the shady Santa Margarita River Trail from the 500 foot trail. This cuts a mile off of the distance.
• F. Shade on the 500 ft traill
  • The 500 foot trail winds around a ravine, the one shady area on the 500 ft trail.
• G. Santa Margarita / Rainbow Creek Road
  • The Rainbow Creek direction goes out to Rainbow Creek Road.
• H. Sycamore Grove
  • Heading down from the 500 ft trail from the SM / Rainbow Creek intersection you enter a grove of sycamores that were severely burned in the 2007 fire. From what it looked like right after the fire, the recovery is amazing
• I. Woodland Oaks
  • Black trunks and cut logs are evidence of the fire, but the upper canopy has filled in along with all the green understory plants.
• J. River view
  • The Santa Margarita River looks more like a creek most of the year. After a rain you can see the heights it achieves by the doubled-over reeds in the river.
  • Head back to the trailhead, you'll recognize the way back when you see the old Ford on the bank of the river trail.

Interesting plants along the trail - early June 2010 Shrub or small tree with flat-topped clusters of small pale yellow blooms - Mexican Elderberry Leggy shrub with pale pink blossoms budding from stems with fuzzy leaves - bushmallow (malacothamnus fasciculatus) Rambling bushy plant with pale pink fuzzy curly blooms - branching phacelia Tall and leggy plant with buds in clusters on the tips, not blooming yet - Sacapellote Small and bushy plant with flat-topped clusters of off-white blooms - Buckwheat Tubular orange flowers on arching branches - heart-leaf penstemon Tall plants with many yellow blooms on ends of straight bluish stems - Golden ear-drops Erect plant less than 3' high with blue flowers attached to stem - Nuttall snapdragon Small purple flower on top of long stem - winecup clarkia Lots of invasive weeds like black mustard, italian thistle, and grasses Interesting plants along the trail - late June 2009 Tall and leggy plant with many tiny pink blooms - Sacapellote Small and bushy plant with off-white blooms - Buckwheat Tubular orange flowers on arching branches - heart-leaf penstemon Tall plants with many yellow blooms on ends of straight bluish stems - Golden ear-drops Erect plant less than 3' high with blue flowers attached to stem - Nuttall snapdragon Fringed yellow cup-like flower with rust/brown spots on straight stem about 1' high - Calochortus weedii What else to see along the trail? Red-tail hawks Great blue heron California crows Mallard ducks Various birds depending on season Squirrels Lizards Snakes - watch out for rattlesnakes Best times to go January - March: great just about anytime of the day We had some really warm weather early in 2009, check the forecast Spring, summer and fall, go EARLY it can get really hot out on the trail Better if it is windy - keeps the biting flies at bay

SM River Trail - 500 foot trail Santa Margarita River and 500 foot trail photos Some of the plants along the trail in June: Buckwheat Bushmallow Branching phacelia Chalk Lettuce Winecup Clarkia