Daley Ranch Mile
Park in the lot at: N 33 10.002 W 117 03.134
This hike is almost exactly 1 mile one way (not as the crow flies,
but as the chicken walks) from the trailhead / parking area. The
trail is a wide (enough for a car) paved road the whole way (except
for the last few feet). Stay on this road, there is no reason to
leave it to get to this cache (again, except for the last few feet).
No bushwhacking necessary.
Although there are slight hills to climb on this hike, I think (in
my humble opinion) this is a perfect day hike. No poison oak to worry
about. Trees cover parts of the trail. The paved road makes for a
very even walking surface. There are benches every so often to rest
on. Once in a while you'll spot signs that help identify the flora.
Don't forget to take your time and take in the views. This is a walk
through some typical Southern California wilderness. Here you may
find: over 100 species of birds, Englemann and coast live oak, sage
scrub, chamise, manzanita, scrub oak, black sage, and ceanothus.
Suggestions:
- Bring water, snacks, hats, sunscreen, etc.
- Stay on designated trails and Save the Wildlife.
- When you get to the cache location, stay out of the white
house (there are signs that say so) it doesn't look safe.
- Be discreet, we don't want to upset the Rangers, or give
geocaching a bad name.
- Look at the pictures that I've posted (no spoilers) to get an
idea of the area.
- To learn more about this area, pick up a brochure at the
trailhead kiosk.
Official
City of Escondido Daley Ranch page
Tom
Chester's Daley Ranch page
Trail
Map
Tip: On Sundays you can skip the beautiful walk and take a
beautiful ride via a free shuttle available from 8:00 - 4:00. Pick
ups are on the half hour and on the hour. The return trip is on the
quarter hour.