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.

If you head for the Santa Margarita River horse crossing north of the 500 foot trail shortcut (E), there's long stretch of sand. You can head west along a trail by the river for a little bit, but the poison oak thickets now have closed this trail off. The high rocky bank has quite a few Dudleya Pulverenta in full bloom.

Plants along the 500 foot and Santa Margarita River Trail - June 2011 Mexican Elderberry is in bloom Lots of Bushmallow (malacothamnus fasciculatus) with pink blossoms along all the stems. Caterpillar phacelia thickets have a few blossoms left The Sacapellote is in full bloom, filling in lots of open spaces in the chaparral Flat-topped buckwheat is everywhere Heart-leaf penstemon is having a good bloom year Some golden yarrow Lots of sapphire wooly star on the trail after the one shady spot, between F and G on the map Winecup clarkia California Rose thickets around J on the map A thicket of Basketbush a bit after the California Rose 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 - caterpillar 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, bull 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 GPS Markers - Be safe on the trail! Know your location! There are emergency trail markers approximately 1/4 mile apart on the trails in the Santa Margarita Open Space Reserve and on the Santa Margarita Trails. Fallbrook's North County Fire and the San Diego County Sheriff respond to emergencies in this area and have been provided the GPS location for each of the markers. When you provide the location number you are telling the Emergency Responders both your location and the street location from which they can reach you. When you have a 911 emergency tell the California HIghway Patrol Operator that answers you cell phone call that you: Medical -- need to speak to the North County Fire dispatch. Provide the information requested - Your location is the letter and number of the nearest emergency location marker. Law Enforcement - need to speak to the S.D. County Sheriff dispatch. Provide the information requested - Your location is the letter and number of the nearest emergency location marker. Marker Information Markers on the Santa Margarita River Trail are prefixed with an "A". Number 1 is at the Santa Margarita Open Space Reserve Trailhead with the number getting larger as you travel East on the Fallbrook side until you cross the Santa Margarita River and head West on the De Luz side. Markers on the 500 Foot Trail are prefixed with a "C". Marker number 1 is at west end of the trail and get larger as you travel east. Markers on the High/Hill Trail are prefixed with a "B". Marker Number 1 is at west end of the trail and get larger as you travel east. Some of the plants along the trail in June: Buckwheat Bushmallow Caterpillar phacelia Chalk Lettuce Winecup Clarkia