Daley Ranch , northeast Escondido,

North of Dixon Lake and west of Valley Center Road. Access is provided via La Honda Drive to the south, Valley Center Road to the east, and Cougar Pass Road to the west.

Daley Ranch is a 3,058-acre conservation area acquired in 1997 by the City of Escondido With over 20 miles of multipurpose trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. Six distinct trails cover most of the property. Most popular are the Boulder Loop Trail (2.4 miles) which affords outstanding views of Escondido, and the Ranch House Loop (2.5 miles), which passes two small ponds and the site of Daley's original log cabin.

Directions

The main entrance is at the southernmost part of the property, just north of Dixon Lake at the top of La Honda Drive. Parking is available at the La Honda Drive entrance and a equestrian staging area at the north end of Dixon Lake Recreation Area. Through the guard/fee gate, tell the ranger you are staging horses and not using the Dixon lake facilities and there is no charge.

My favorite entrance is to the northernmost part of the property is along the unimproved Cougar Pass Road. From Down town Escondido take Broadway north and righr on Cougar Pass Road.

There is also an entrance from south Valley Center via Valley Center Road. Look for the dog park. Pass through the dog park and look for the tall eucaptlis trees