Ramona Grasslands Preserve

This is a lovely, easy walk through grasslands and oak grove stands. It’s about .5 mi to the wildflower loop. Elevation gain on the wildflower loop (2 mi) was very easy for the not-​so-​fit crowd, taking you past a pond and high enough to see sweeping panoramic views. Add some meadowlarks, egrets, tree swallows, and local cattle and you have a great afternoon outdoors. Watch for rattlers, especially in warm weather, and stay on the trail/​road.

My favorite spot to get exercise. Right now I’m the only one out here. If you want to skip the craziness of Woodson or Iron Mountain, this is the place.
There is a .8 mile loop and a 2 mile loop (but it takes .3 Mikes to get to it so it’s almost 3 miles by the time you’re done. Some days I do both loops.
There are some hills buy nothing too strenuous unless you run up them or go as fast as you can.
Wildlife is abundant. Crows, meadow larks, snakes, coyotes, hundreds of ground squirrel and cows.
I love the peace and stillness here.
Good for walking, jogging, horses and Mtn. Bikes.

LOVE this place. My favorite outing in Ramona. The panaromic views are breathtaking and it’s amazing have such a truly country experience so close to civilization.
Every visit is a different experience. Sometimes there are a lot of walkers, other times a lot of folks w/​dogs, and most of the time at least a few people with their horses.
I saw coyote pups there last summer! There are always a lot of birds and the past two times I’ve been, I’ve heard this hauntingly beautiful bird that I think might be a hermit thrush.
Beware this is a cattle range. The cattle will generally walk away when people come near, but if you have some curious youngsters or bulls, just be careful. I don’t think they’ll charge intentionally, just don’t back one into a corner!

This preserve opened in July 2011.
There are currently two trails available to use. The Meadow Loop is .8 miles. The Wildflower Loop is 2 miles. To get to the Wildflower Loop the connecting trail is .4 miles.
There are three groups who actively use the preserve: hikers, bicyclist and horseback riders.
Trail etiquette is such that bicyclist yield to hikers and horseback riders. Hikers yield to horseback riders. Horseback riders yield to no one.
The Wildflower Loop if you take the trail to the left, you will come across a pond, where mallards, koots, and buffleheads frequently hang out on the water.
The preserve also has cattle grazing the area on a rotating bases.
There is an area behind the information kiosk at the start of the trails that look like a groom checker board pattern in the field. In each of those squares that have the longer grass is a manmade dens for the Kangaroo Rats.
Because of how close these trails are to Ramona, a huge horse community, on any given day you will find horses on the trails. If you don’t like horses and what they leave behind don’t hike the preserve as you will find yourself trying to avoid constantly the «road apples». There tends to be a collection on the trails if it hasn’t rain in awhile, the smell might offend some.
The trails do get really dusty if it hasn’t rain in awhile and as a hiker you find yourself hiking through several inches of dirt.
Note that the ranger will close the preserve if ½ an inch or more of rain has fallen. It might take several days before it is re-​open. Check the county website for park closer. They list that info in the Parks and Recreation page under news and events.
Hours: Ramona Grasslands Preserve is open 8 a.m. — 5 p.m. in the fall and winter and 8 a.m. — sunset during the summer months. Open 7 days a week year-​round.