This is always a fantastic experience for kids, but the adults enjoyed it just as much. Ideally, go take the bus tour first thing when you get there. It gives you a good overview of the park, and you'll beat the crowds the rest of the day. The avian show was very entertaining and we of course learned a lot of fascinating info on the various birds and other bonus animals they brought out.

Brilliant park, expansive highly suggest getting the open air shuttle through the safari plains, getting close enough to see animals wandering or resting and great photo opportunities. Only complaint is “zoo radio” near the food which is too loud and not in keeping with a nature outdoor experience. Loved the tiger exhibit sounds! Can’t wait to see the new elephant exhibit later this year!

The San Diego zoo Safari Park. 15500 San Pascual Valley road in Escondido California. We are season ticket holders and pay $280.00 per year for two of us with free parking included. It is a magical place to view wildlife in their natural habitat. They also have lots of birds, flowers and plants. If you are up to it the paths are abundant and easy to walk. If not there is a tram which is included in the 76.00 each adult pays for a day pass. The tram is about a 40 minute adventure through the natural savanna reserve. The park is all handicapped accessible and they offer rental carts to ride around the paths inside. Parking is $17 dollars per carload. I have included some of our pictures from past visits. If Escondido is to far for you the San Diego Zoo near downtown is awesome at the same above listed prices. Membership includes two free passes you can use anytime.

What an excellent experience! So much fun! Took the deluxe Safari, which was well worth the additional cost even if you only pay for entrance into the park you will thoroughly enjoy yourself as there is so much to see and do. The animals are still abundant and the foliage is gorgeous!! We made it a day trip from Palm Springs and it was well worth the effort!

A wonderful park to visit! Animals in a natural environment, beautiful grounds full of interesting flora and fauna. We walked for three miles, many inclines so you will get some exercise! Plenty of benches though to take rests as needed. They offer hot air balloon rides and safari tours for an extra fee.

The best family day out we have ever had. The views round the park are like nothing we have ever experienced before. You can spend a whole day here easily and very good value for money. They have a hot air balloon which does cost extra but worth every penny to see the view of the whole park!

What a wonderful place! It delivered on everything it was supposed to be. A great vibe and a fun place for kids. Here are some tips that can be helpful when you’re going with kids (we had 2 under 2) •bring extra water and ur own bottle (there were barely places to refill and water bottles were $$$) •bring a double stroller! •it was VERY hot when we went and there’s not much shaded areas and LOTS of walking so bring a stroller fan, hats, sunscreen •the $20 extra fee for the priority pass for the tram is worth it if you have kids bc the line was 50 minutes long •download the safari app - it has a live feature on your phone that helps you plan the day and directions to sites. So much better than walking around aimlessly! We saw all the animals and went on the Africa tram. But my highlights were: *elephant viewing inside the herb garden (you have to go in the herb garden to see them. It’s like a hidden hideaway right next to the campground area) *the atrium. These were so beautiful and calming. Highly rec This place is HUGE. Lots of walking and hills. So wear comfy shoes and clothes and bring all the things you need. Enjoy!!

Best brewery garden in world. Love the rocks, bamboo, water features, tasty food, easy app for ordering and of course the beer. Perfect for a large group of all ages and celebration’s. Food exceeds my expectations for a brewery restaurant. Very happy group. App was much appreciated to avoid the pain of splitting a big bill.

I've known about this spot for years, located up north from our home, and we finally made the trip (totally worth it). The place is beautifully set up with a garden-style seating area that gives off a relaxing and laid-back vibe. The prices are more than reasonable: most food plates are under $20, and the beer is a steal — $3 for 5 oz, $6 for 9 oz, and $9 for 15 oz. We had the hamburgers, and they were perfectly cooked, juicy, and flavorful. Personally, I love their stout beer. All around, it was a great experience. It's definitely worth the drive, and I highly recommend checking out Stone Brewery if you’re in the area or even if you have to go a little out of your way.

Stone brewing is one of my favorite breweries in the country and we always grab a drink and some food when in town. The restaurant/brewhouse are huge with indoor and outdoor seating with some of the seating being first come first serve. I love trying the new experimental beers at this location, some are amazing and I wish they’d keep them on the list! The Chicken Parm Supreme may have been one of the best chicken parm sandwiches I have ever had. I loved the taste of the sauce and the crispy sub roll that it was served on. Their tacos are all phenomenal, I suggest trying a few different tacos together. The only thing not pictured that we loved was the cheesesteak egg roll, I wish I had a photo of it because it was great!

Great location with easy access and parking. Beautiful interior seating, some with views of the brewery. Great outdoor seating too. Very friendly and helpful employees. Extensive beer selections, many made on site. The food selections were so good that it was difficult to select something. My wife ordered Stone Tangerine Express Hazy IPA and Blackened Salmon which she described as "buttery". I selected Stone Delicious Double IPA and Fish and Chips which is just right breaded. They also have beer that is fermented in a manner that breaks down and removes gluten, rendering gluten levels so significantly that the beer qualifies as a “gluten-reduced” ale per the FDA. We were given a taste, and want to try it the next time that we are in Escondido.

They say location is everything but I would say atmosphere wins overall. This location is in an industrial business park but once you enter the space Stone has created is unique and relaxed. A combination of outdoor and indoor areas with super high ceilings to provide a sense of spaciousness. The food was great, the salad i chose was very healthy, the superfood salad, with a side of grilled salmon. There was a lot of whole lettuce leaves as a bed, which were not very easy to eat, so it looked huge when it arrived. I would have preferred a smaller serving with all components ready to devour. The beer was great, as expected as well as very attentive staff.

What an incredible experience! The location is gorgeous. Everyone was great. Our server was Thomas and he was absolutely brilliant. Making great suggestions for beers to try after taking time to talk to us and get to know our likes and dislikes. If we asked a question he didn’t know the answer to, he reached out to others to get the answer. Food and beer were yummy. Excellent service ! 🍺

Awesome brewery. Kind of hidden with no obvious external signage, but the interior is huge and spacious, able to accommodate a lot of guests. Beautiful layout and very cool place to just hang out with friends. Very reasonable prices, only $3 for most 5oz pours, allowing you to sample a decent number of beers for a low cost. All the beers I had were good, being a light beer drinker I recommend buenaveza, garden crusher, cliche. Food is delicious, especially buffalo wings, fish & chips, brussels sprouts, burgers, and several other foods we ordered. Only wish they had a location in CO!

We have been calling and leaving messages for The Welk Theater to purchase group tickets for our seniors to attend the Tribute to the King concert on #/12/25, since 2/17/25. We followed their tape recorded instructions. Many days we called several times leaving messages on all available numbers listed. Just today 2/28 did I receive a return call with the explanation that they have been too busy doing other things to get back to us! Don't believe their recordings that the Box Office is open on Wednesdays or that leave a message and someone will return your call asap! This has been a very frustrating and disappointing experience for myself and my seniors. We will seriously reconsider attending their functions in the future.

The Long Run, Experience the Eagles. Enjoyed. Theatre runs cover band, private theatre group does musical theatre like Mama Mia!

I absolutely love The Theater at the Welk. Easy to get to. Every seat is a great seat. Plenty of free parking. Plenty of restrooms. Canyon Grille and Pizza Hut offer food. Little shop to for necessities or souvenirs.

Definitely an experience Hyatt needs to let Welk bring the plays back.

Grand parent memories hanging out here!! Loved this place.

Lots of Boomers rocking out to 70s rock. Very good CCR tribute band.

Enjoyed a Fleetwood Mac tribute concert by Gypsy Dreams at this theatre. The venue was awesome, comfortable seats , great sound and air-conditioning. Unfortunately it's a long drive on the 15 in traffic... Ugh

My husband and I have been loyal OWL members at this winery for many years. It's long been a hidden gem in Escondido--boasting stunning views, a welcoming ambience, and a team that once treated us like family. A few months ago, we stopped by for our quarterly wine pickup. We ordered a glass and began to relax, until an unfortunate interaction with a staff member left me feeling singled out and diminished the enjoyment of our visit. More recently, we returned hoping for a better experience, but things quickly took a turn. Upon arrival, the manager promptly instructed us to vacate the east-facing seats, explaining the those are spots are now reserved exclusively for guests with reservations. His tone was unapologetic and dismissive, leaving us feeling unwelcome and uncomfortable. This winery was once known for its genuine hospitality and family-friendly spirit under previous ownership/management. Sadly, it now feels more commercialized, and long-time OWL members appear to be an afterthought. We've since made the decision to cancel our membership and join a winery where we feel truly valued and appreciated.

Live music in Friday and pizza from Amalfi served. We ordered a bottle of red and enjoyed the music and view from outdoor patio seating. It was busy but had good turnover around so we didnt have to wait long for table. Very enjoyable and relaxing time. The pizza and red we had was delicious too!

The winery has officially turned around, since the new ownership has been in charge. I popped in as a member, and every single time it’s been pleasant, warm and inviting. The wine is delicious, the food from Amalfi is fantastic (get the pizza or meatballs). Sarah, whomever she is ROCKS! She is attentive so sweet, customer-focused and the crew just wants us members to have fun. Go check it out, and tonight they had a DJ which was awesome.

Stacey and Joshua were amazing!! What an exceptional winery!! We felt so welcomed by the lovely staff at Orfila Vineyards & Winery, and the wine tasting was an absolute blast! We had lunch from the food truck which was super delish, and purchased 4 bottles of wonderful wine before we left. We also had fun plying a game of Cornhole while enjoying the gorgeous view. We cannot wait to come back next year!

When you first arrive, this place seems like a cute vineyard. We ordered food, had our tasting wine, and found a cute place on the lawn. It quickly turned to an unpleasant experience. All we could smell was the bathroom outhouse. We got the food: pizza, meatballs, and a salad. One of the worst pizzas and meatballs we have ever had. Seemed like it was a step above lunchables. The cheese wasn't a gooey, hot consistency and the meatballs were bland. Throughout the whole time we could only smell the foul bathroom smell and ended up leaving early due to the bad experience. Wine was ok, but not worth the bad food and smell.

We have been members here for several years. We had cancelled our membership for the winter months, but then they had a membership drive, so we reactivated our membership. It has new owners; Amalfi now owns the vineyard/winery. We get 10 glasses of wine per month per membership. We often order food at the Amalfi mobile kitchen. It is delicious. We meet friends or go solo. The mobile kitchen has a varied menu, and the service is speedy. I do miss the live music, especially Jimmy and Enrique, and Fercho.

This review is just for the food truck, Amalfi. The claim that they are part of the Amalfi pizza restaurant chain but oh man oh man, the frozen pizza from the grocery store is 100 times better. It is terrible, don't waist a penny. You are better off w the chips and the crackers, at least they come without the attitude.

This is my first time visiting this winery. It's located in a spot with a great view. I think the best time to come is probably at dusk. The food seems to be mainly pasta and pizza. The pizza was very delicious.

Overall, a fantastic experience from the nice, fun drive up the hill to the beautiful grounds and view to the very good service, food, and beverages. They have a wide range of wines made from local grapes as well as some from other regions. I'm not a wine expert as they pretty much all taste good to me! My only wine criticism is the $25 price for a sampler totalling only 8 oz of wine. I think they'd generate more bottle sales by reducing that price and/or adding more samples. The food, which you order at the beverage counter for delivery to your numbered table, was very good: Meatball appetizer: three big balls in tomato sauce with a delicious whipped ricotta and lightly toasted crostini bread. Minor criticisms are that the meatballs, which are clearly a blend of beef and pork, have too much of a pork flavor and are a bit too dense for me. Also, I don't know which brand of canned tomatoes they use, but it doesn't have a great, rich tomato + spices flavor. They should be using one of the Stanislaus brands like Alta Cucina, 7/11 Ground, or Tomato Magic. Calamari appetizer: a medium-sized plate of large and reasonably tender rings with a few tentacles. Minor criticisms are that they could have been left in the fryer a bit longer and served with tartar sauce in addition to the marinara. Pizza: very good crust with a golden bottom and cornicione with tasty toppings. They claim it's New York style, but IMO it's really not. New York style has a thinner, more chewy crust while this is lighter and more bread-like, but not too thick. I don't know how long they ferment the dough, but it could use more flavor. While the topping were very tasty and generous on the Stagioni version, they were a bit too sparse on the Meat version. On both, the tomato sauce was barely noticeable. They need to add a little more and use one of the brands mentioned above to take their pizza up a level.

I love this place and try to visit every time I'm in Southern California. Excellent Italian family-owned vineyard. It's been inspiring to watch it grow over the years. Great wine Excellent food Fabulous service Gorgeous views I feel like I've been transported to Tuscany when I visit. Tiramisu ❤️

It's our first time here at Cordiano winery and the place was so beautiful! The drive up to the to winery is also so refreshing and makes you feel you are headed to a countryside. I recommend a reservation to get a table with a view. You would need to walk over to the bar counter to place your food order. We tried the breadsticks with a garlic flavor, the best we have had in San Diego. The basil pesto pasta was equally good. The vegetarian pizza was ordinary, Tiramisu was a nice finish to wrap up a beautiful evening with incredible sunsets. Overall, the food was great and the views make it worth the visit.

We visited on Thursday and enjoyed the food, the service, and the wine. The staff was attentive and provided great recommendations for food and wine. The views were nice, and there was a lot of room between the tables, so we could enjoy ourselves. I drank the Tempranillo - Estate wine, and it was great. I had the Spaghetti Bolognese, which was good, but my mother had the Penne Basil Pesto, and it was amazing! And to finish the meal, we had delicious tiramisu. We definitely plan on returning.

Gorgeous views and the food was absolutely delicious. I don't know how the wine tasting tastes , but the Sangeria is delicious. Next time I will take an Uber!! Great service and beautiful outdoor seating.

1st time visiting the place, I must say it has super views, plus enjoyable relaxing music, and great food! Not a normal restaurant, they seat you issued menu and ur must go to the bar to order drinks and food. This place is busy but, we got lucky but a reservation is suggested to get a view table. Bottles of wine some somewhat pricey compared to other places.

Colorful and engaging sculpture installation, it is also open on 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from 9 AM until 2 PM. There is a knowledgeable docent on hand who can tell you stories about the artist and the works.

This is such an incredible, enclosed display of incredible artwork. The art was from an article from France. This part of Kit Carson park has specific hours where it is open, on Tuesdays and Thursdays and only in the morning. There are also tons of parking lots so go off of the google directions and walk to the path immediately to the left of the handicapped parking spots.

Amusing mosaic sculpture garden located within Kit Carson Park. I've been to this park many times and never been in until now, it's just that tough to get there when it's open unless you're retired or took the day off. Make sure you check the schedule beforehand. Other than that it's pretty great! One of a kind and very special!

Wonderful work of worldwide known French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The kind person supervising (volunteer) was lovely and knew everything about the artist. Not that easy to find (and opening hours are limited, please be aware!), but we absolutely recommend the little detour!

Fantastic. Stop in then fly to Tuscany and see the larger version.

Great places for kids to explore and to get some super unique photos! The vivid colors are super magical and make for a stunning backdrop! It's only open a few hours a week and locked up the rest of the time (I think to prevent vandals) but totally worth the trip! Settled in a large green park on plenty of acreage. Kids playground within walking distance and loads of pathed trails!

This is one of the most beautiful parks i have ever seen. A hidden gem that my kids loved. We did a nice trail walk to get there and they played for hours. It's free with select hours and certain days do be sure to check before you go but worth the trip.

The seating was comfortable, and our view was great. Pricing was overly done since it's an older auditorium. The sound wasn't too bad.

Sue Palmer opened for Joe Castro.What a phenomenal woman! I have never seen anyone make a piano dance like she did! Super fun and relatable. Joe Castro rocked socks,just!sayin!

This is such a nice venue (both inside and out) but the multiple times we have come here for somewhat higher energy bands... the layout of the theater kills it. Remove the first 10-15 rows of seating for general admission... Bands need people on their feet/ dancing to keep up the energy exchange during the set. When everyone is seated ...motionless... it kind of sets the tone for the show. If its a play... or an educational/cultural type performance... put the seats back in. High energy main stream bands would change the financial picture for this venue and I as a life long North County Resident want it to succeed.

Wonderful venue for all kinds of events. I've attended concerts, plays, and annual gatherings from local organizations here. Most recently I saw Euphoria Brass Band for some amazing New Orleans jazz and blues.

Accessibility: there are many accessible/handicap parking spots in the parking lot as well as multiple ramps to get onto the sidewalk that leads to the museum, theaters, ticket office and conference area. When heading toward these buildings from the parking lot the pathway is lit with string lights and street lights in the parking lot. You might come to an option that says the left hallway is for the museum and right hallway for the theaters, ticket office, conference center...only the right side has a ramp so you might need to take that and go a little further until the sidewalk wraps around to the museum side. It's not much farther. If you come from the other side of all these buildings because you parked somewhere else, it is more flat ground and ramps. The museum has a pull door and inside it is very well lit with tons of open space. There are restrooms open in the museum and they have one larger stall for those who need it. Experience: I really loved this museum. It's beautiful inside, very spacious, not too hot or cold, and the tickets are not too expensive compared to some museums. The staff are super friendly and helpful, and the art is very well taken care of. I will definitely come back. Outside the museum there is Grape Day Park which is absolutely beautiful, free, and has many benches and trees with shade.

Large venue right in downtown Escondido. Tons of parking, indoor and outdoor stages, wide variety of free and paid events for all ages. Amazing!

Went to the Sunday 2pm performance of Giselle at Escondido Center for the Arts on October 26th, 2025. When we were being seated, the theater was unusually warm. The Usher expressed to me that "maybe I should take my thin, cotton jacket off.." I left at the intermission, due to the temperature being intolerable. The Center must have known about the temperature issue before they piled people in for the performance. Who can concentrate in an 85-degree theater..Waste of money. Unethical practice.

I generally come here several times a year driving from North County. It's a great, secluded spot for those wanting to get to the mountains and see vegetation like that at Idyllwild or Big Bear Lake / Arrowhead but don't want to drive 2 or 3 hours to get there. The pictures I've used for this review are from my April 26th / 27th overnight camping trip when it was foggy/rainy. Not the best sleeping/camping experience in itself (not knowing how to hang up a tarp to be used a a rain guard while setting up a tent, Fry's Creek camp lot itself was on a bit of a slope, clothes were a bit damper than I thought etc.) but the actual hiking in Palomar itself during this time was a nice experience. Also felt like I was in Oregon/Washington at times for some reason, despite never being there. While venturing out here be mindful of several things to make your stay enjoyable: 1. Try not to tent camp during ANY chance of rain, even if it's only supposed to be less than a quarter inch - Unless you're already experienced in properly setting up a tent site when it's raining 2. Poor cell phone coverage in the general area. 3. Lack of eating options save for the one general store at the crossroads 4. Motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts love to drive up and down the S6 - South Grade Road. Be on the lookout when driving up and down from that road. 5. Hiking boots or hiking sticks are recommended as some of the trails can be quite steep, especially those near Doane Pond

I went there for the bike ride and I was really impressed by the road and the views. The mountain run is twisty and technical and can be done in the uphill and downhill direction. My humble advice for you is not to get carried away because it’s not very forgiving. This is a highly recommended spot for a bike ride.

A quick escape from the hustle and bustle of the hustling bustle. Make this journey into the mountains and lose yourself in the nature the moment you enter. You never ever wanna let it go. Whether it's a trail run after work or a picnic with the crew, you can find something to do you.

Not a lot to do here besides camp - Doane Pond is so weed choked it can be a dishes in a couple very small condies areas. No water to cool off in.

Palomar Mountain State Park It’s about an hour and twenty minutes from San Diego, and I was surprised to find such a beautiful mountain and hiking trails there. Since it’s autumn, there were lots of acorns scattered on the ground — be careful not to slip while walking! I went to see the lake, but it was more like a pond in size. The water was murky with some algae. However, the trail was nice and cool because of all the trees, and the park felt more like a national park than a state park. I also checked out the campgrounds — they were very clean, well maintained, and quite large, with two main areas. I definitely want to go camping there next time. Highly recommended!

Beautiful and interesting area. Very friendly and helpful ranger. Great vistas, scenic trails, and interesting ecology. Some of the trails are in desperate need of maintenance and obviously get washed out on a regular basis. Other trails are in great shape. Definitely worth a visit for some good hiking, beautiful terrain, and lovely views.

Great hiking at the park. Enjoyed the meadows and various trails. Some cool things to check out along the trails.

Parking is a little tight. Place is in the center of a Escondido across from grape day park. It's does have snacks for purchase but no food court like the museum in Downtown San Diego since this one is a little smaller. There is a play area for babies were I could entertain my 6 months old while looking at my 4 year old. It has AC inside. There's an outdoor area, I suggest you have your child wear sandals because mine got water on her shoes while watering the plants. Went on a Saturday at noon and it wasn't that busy even though there was an even at grape Day park. Found parking no problem but it started to pick up by 1pm.

A perfectly sized museum and center for kids to learn and have hands-on fun activities. This museum is divided into two areas: indoor and outdoor. The indoor area has sections and setups to do pretend grocery shopping, understand some physics principles around fluid dynamics and gravity, learn about money (financial center), pretend kitchen area, pretend laundry area, learn about common bugs and insects, etc. There is also an enclosed and safe play area for toddlers (2 and younger). The outdoor area also has a variety of activity sections. They have sand boxes to let kids do some fossil finding, flowing water to do some gold mining / search, plant sections explaining various veggies, compost center to play around with worms, gardening section, obstacle course , pollination center and an enclosure with a pet turtle. They also run sessions where kids can make their own fossils. Overall a great place to spend time with little kids and educating them on some of the common activities and things around us. To top it all off, the staff is super nice and the place has ample free parking. Definitely a place to visit.

My sister and I took our sons this afternoon, and it was so much fun! Our kids are 13 months and 22 months for reference. There was tons of activities, an area for just kiddos under 2 yrs old. A great outdoor space with many different sensory experiences. There was a bubbles experiment, awesome water table, fish tank. Tons of things to do there. Friendly staff. Highly recommend!

We love this place. Great for little kids. They have a lot packed into a small area, nice that it is very contained (your kids can't escape far). Gated area for babies as well. Nice outdoor space & water table. They also have daily "schedule" activities/crafts kids can participate in.

My daughter is a toddler, and she loves to come here to play. It is a great place for children to explore, play, and experiment with different settings, including water play, garden area, air, lights, and creative building. Well worth the trip.

Space night is out of this world!!! The DJ is rockin’ it, the kids are sciencing and dancing and it’s a 10 out of 10 night! This museum is so amazing!!!

Visiting from out of town and came across the Children's Discovery Museum and so glad we did. Took my 21 month old daughter and we had the best time. The tidal pool little kid area was so nice to break away from the bigger kids and play, plus the real fish aquarium was a lot of fun to watch and see. We enjoyed the life size Lite Bright, the huge water table, and so many more kids stations. All the staff was incredibly kind and welcoming and showed us around. Would definitely recommend to locals as well as those visiting San Diego and surrounding areas.

Very nice, quite place for hiking, biking. All age, good time for all family.

Nice place to learn some information about stress-ribbon bridge. Don't recommend to hike here with small children on a warm day since there's not really any shade there. Look out for bikers and share the road.

Wonderful walking/biking bridge across the dry end of Lake Hodges.

Great area to stroll through. It's a less traveled route that can cover miles. There are occasional horseback riders, bikers, and hikers. Coyotes are present but generally leave us alone. The bridge doesn't get too hot so dogs are able to walk across and on the trails without any problems.

A beautiful lake with nice trails to hike and mountain biking!

Very nice walk/hike. Great view of Lake Hodges too. So nice they have that Bridge as well.

It's ok. Lots of walkers and bikes. Fun to hike trails but gets hot. Bring water .

Great area to go to for fishing. Daley Ranch is just outside the entrance of Dixon Lake if you like hiking and mountain biking. Dixon Lake offers fishing and fishing licenses. There is also a concession stand and picnic areas. The campground is a bit tricky navigate. Finding the sites is easy, but parking and setting up your tent is the tricky part. I wouldn't recommend many of the sites for people who have mobility problems.

I have so many happy memories of this lake and park over many years … a moonlit Fourth of July out on the lake in a boat, fishing with a friend, with fireworks exploding in the distant sky — bliss … another friend’s big picnic there the day after her wedding … plus camping there. Check out my sunrise photo here. If you get up early you’ll also see birdlife (egrets?) visiting the water’s edge. This is an affordable, family oriented, almost hidden gem, less known to people beyond northern San Diego county. A huge plus is the adjacent Daley Ranch, a hiking destination.

Great place to visit, fish, and relax. The bluegill in this lake are enormous.

Gorgeous lake for camping, fishing, boating. All kinds of trails around. Paid entry on weekends. Super friendly rangers out and about that give great tips about spots to check out. I went to the small waterfall today on advice of ranger. You can't loop around the lake. Most trails are north of the lake with some connecting to Daley Ranch trails. Free parking at the Daley Ranch parking lot and you can walk by Dixon lake ranger station Lots of facilities, trash cans and porta-potties all over. Very clean and well maintained. Photos and videos are from today

We love it here! It’s easy to go to and we just pack a cooler, a pop-up tent, a table top grill some food and make a day out of it and do some fishing. It only cost five dollars to get in if you just wanna go relax out in nature Walk around have a picnic just hang out. If you want to fish, it’s 10 for adults and seven for children so it’s reasonable. We haven’t had much luck with the fish lately, so I’m not sure how often they stock but that’s the only thing that I would say is a bit frustrating because we haven’t caught much the last few times we’ve gone and neither have all the people around us. Other than that great spot. The restrooms could use a little bit more attention in the middle of the afternoon and the end of the afternoon and they could use some more pontoon boats.!

A beautiful and scenic area with multiple fishing docks and a boating area. Many trails to walk through. Although somewhat small for a nature area it is still a nice and partly quiet place to go in the mornings. Around 5pm is when the parking area and fishing areas start to get much more busy so if you want to be more alone on your hike then you're going to want to go as early as you can, really.

My group did not camp; though I wish we would have. We only saw the lake and had our event in the Day Use area of the park. It is definitely one of the cleanest parks around. It is beautifully maintained. The lake is stocked with trout during it's season; with about $8 for fishing license, you can relax and enjoy the scenery. Primitive campsites available for cheapest price in town. I would definitely recommend checking out this hidden gem.

Trails were unmaintained and overgrown, so I didn't get a chance to explore too much. There are a few monuments around the grounds, and the ground are apparently not on the site of the actual battle but the location where the US forces regrouped after a beating at the hands of the Californio vaqueros.

Technically this is the highland valley trailhead and I think it leads into the San pasqual battlefield area. This is a great little hike! Good with kids and lots of ups and downs. Good stuff to look at the whole way and very close to the pomerado exit on the 15 freeway. We do this hike often, and if it's rained enough the stream is going! There's also a beehive over the bridge area that's pretty cool. There's parking in a dirt lot just off highland valley road

Actually a pretty cool spot. Tons of cactus. Extremely small though. The park is only half of the Butte and enclosed by a fence. It has one trail and a semi loop that connects on and off of it. Some cool history though and honestly some enjoyable views if you have an hour to go walk around I recommend it. The museum is closed unfortunately, as is the parking lot. There's a dirt pull off just before the parking lot, park at the pull off and you'll find the trailhead behind the monument.

There is a lot of potential here, as the historic site of a significant battle in the Mexican American War. However, my experience was a tale of three unfortunates: 1) There is no easy or allowed (?) access to the trails if the park is not open. There is a smaller dirt pull off and entry to the trail from the west end of Mule Hill. It is overgrown, but usable. 2) The trail itself is poorly maintained. There was grass, weeds, and even cacti over growing the trail in places. 3) The park is only open on SAT/SUN, presumably to save money. However, the park should find a way to enable people to hike on the trail regardless of if the office/visitor center is open. I am currently a member of the 1st Cavalry Regiment, the unit whose heraldry dates to the 1st Dragoons, who fought this battle under the leadership of Gen. Kearny. I wish I lived closer, because I would gladly volunteer to help revitalize this site and maybe develop some signs to present the events that unfolded here.

I went to San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park on a day and time its website said it would be open and found nothing but locked gates. Personnel at the San Diego Archaeological Center down the street said the State Park has been closed since the start of Covid. A sign on the locked gates said the trails were open but parking wasn’t allowed. (You could probably park at the Archaeological Center.) If you plan on visiting the Park it’s probably in your best interest to call the number listed on the website to speak with a real person first. An updated website would work even better.

San Pasqual Valley is beautiful this time of year. The rain makes the hills green and the view from the trail behind the visitor center takes in the whole of the valley. The chaparral is healthy and growing, and there are usually many wild flowers along the trail.

San Pasqual Museum presevers the historical significance of this valley during the USA Mexican war. The events that occur during this great battle are well represented in the artifacts and archives preserved in this museum.

Got to the reserve about an hour after gates opened and was able to find a parking spot in the main lot, did not check the overflow lot. Bathrooms were clean and maintained but are still portable units. Drinking fountain was available as well. The visitor's center was informative, with lots of educational information about the flora and fauna. Hiked along the botanical trail to start and warm up. Not listed on the maps is that there's a natural crossing across the creek along this trail. Had to assist the kids across. Took the Way Up Trail to the top, the view is worth it. Went through the Me-xal loop and overlook before heading back down.

This is a nice trailhead that is nearby the always flowing Escondido Creek. The trails that lead from here are well maintained and pretty nice, like the Way Up Trail with its nice views/

Came here to be out in nature and let our 14 month old walk around a bit with us. Beautiful! Lots of cool info about local traditions and culture! Peaceful creek, lovely plants and super friendly people.

Nice trail, great views. Few other people on trail during a week day. Two main trails: short Botanic trail 0.6 mile and long second trail Way Up 1.4 mile. Trails are hard and pretty steep. We enjoyed it with kids, did not reach the peak, hard with kids. Still like it a lot.

20250511 1at time visitor. Did Trail 1 & Botanical. Did pretty decent hikes to both sides of babbling brook. Definitely watch out for the poison oak & lots of mosquitos later in the AM. Grateful for the newly serviced portapotty stalls. (Serviced every 3 days apparently). Nice center. Don, the docent, was very nice and informative. Has a couple long trailer/RV parking spots. And even a working telephone booth! Definite recommend.

Beautiful, lush, and a bit challenging (“Way Up” trail). Well marked, clean portable bathrooms, and nice picnic areas at the lookouts. I really enjoyed my hike there!

You can't tell too well but this gravid(prego) was massive! About 3 or 4 in from tip to tip and body the size of a big silver dollar! These were taken just with my cell phone!

Beautiful hike, great workout. We started at the parking lot and took Creek Crossing to Sage Trail to Stanley Peak, then returned via the lake and Ranch House. A little over 7 miles total.

I’ve hiked here many times over decades, including some moonlit summer hikes with groups years ago. I even used to rent horses to ride through the ranch in a group a long time ago. The history and views, including wildlife, are wonderful. I’m grateful this land was set aside for us all to enjoy. Escondido gets really hot in summer, so morning is a good time to go then. Consider putting booties on your dog’s feet because some parts of at least one area near the historical ranch house are paved. Take water. There are historical, botanical, and bird life information plaques, plus public restrooms. Parking is free in the area across the road from Dixon Lake. This place is popular. Mountain bikers use the trail. There are some plants up there that can cause rashes if you make contact, plus some big ants on the trail sometimes, so read the information plaques to be aware of your surroundings. If you make contact with poison oak, wash the oil off your skin as soon as you can, to avoid blisters. Enjoy the oaks, and the flowering manzanita and ceanothus, depending on the season. Happy trails!

There are signs on daily ranch of mountain lions around the area . Im assuming they are being posted because they are more sightings of them. Usually , mountain lions are solitary. I have seen a pack of big brown coyotes before, but they halted at my presence and then walked away. I went on a run and took north quail road and at 8:45am I decided to deviate to the left to take the Stanley Peak trail . I only took a few steps, because im not quite familiar with that trail, when I suddenly saw 2 big brown “dogs” walking my way. They were not on the trail but on the dry short bushes walking toward the dirt trail. One was smelling the dry bushes, and the other one was walking. I Know they were not coyotes because they didn’t have long erect ears. They were too far away for me to see them clearly, but I wasn’t planning to waste precious time taking a picture of them. I walked slowly the way I came and ran back quail road. I only ran about 50 feet away when I ran into another runner, and we ended up team tagging our jog together.

Large open park with connecting trails. Quite steep from the start but once you get over that first hump the central trail stays easiest the walk. The trails heading northwest and northeast can have some challenging areas. Unfortunately the severe rain earlier this year has damaged the trails. Use hiking poles if you have them. You can stay out here for 4-6 hours, depending on your route and pace. Free parking, even on busy days like today I could easily find a spot. You can use the restrooms at the lake, which is a few minutes walk from parking and free entry when you walk. Main restroom building is located near the Ranch House. There are trash cans located all over the park and it definitely helps keeping the trails clean. Altho it can look busy, once you're more on the the outer sides of the park you have lots of quiet. Some more narrow trails are more suitable for mountain bikers that hikers. Check out their site for the map

Made this trip for a scouts camping trip this weekend. Easy camping, beautiful park, lake, and excellent hiking. Safely drive to great locations with magnificent views. 5/5 destination rating, difficulty level is 3/10, but beware of animals snooping around for food around the clock. Keep your camp clean and all food secured and you will have a great time!

Beautiful in springtime. So green. There has been so much rain, so everything is growing. You can see where there were fires that burned trees and shrubs there are now fields of new vegetation and flowers thriving. Life goes on!

Daley ranch is a strong 4.5 stars. It has many trails with varying hiking/biking conditions with streams, waterfalls, and ponds. In the spring, there are an assortment of beautiful blooming plants. Throughout the week, there can range between nearly no one there, to a completely filled up parking lot. The trails are kept up enough, but I lot of the nice details, such as signs of plant names and information have graffiti on them or have been destroyed. On busy days, the trails stink of dog poop because of lazy owners. There are literally trash bins available throughout nearly all off the trails. Please be courteous to others and the environment and pick up your trash, or other trash that is laying around. Overall this place is beautiful and very enjoyable. For exercise, or trying to find a calm soothing atmosphere , come on by. Cheers!

Wanted to see the historic buildings. Not everything was open. The train station was awesome but was closing and wasn't able to see the train. Parking was a bit tricky to find. Would like to visit when other things are ooen.

Nice park on a beautiful spring day, and my first time here to visit the first annual indigenous culture and art festival, they had food booths, and vendors celebrating native culture as well as music and traditional dance performers. No issues with safety, or homeless as they had plenty of friendly security throughout event. Support and support the indigenous as the genocide continues against them, they need allies. ✊🏼💯☮️☯️

Great park right across the street from the children's museum. Awesome park with unique features! It doesn't have a kitty playground but it's still a great environment to have all the kids. There's also a train museum or an old train cart for the kids to explore pretty cool and also a giant water Fountain. The graffiti wall is really cool nice and peaceful place to have a picnic or something.

This park was on a few different lists of kid-friendly playgrounds in San Diego so I brought my 3 kids here thinking it would be “kid friendly.” TLDR: It is not kid friendly. The playground is right next to the street, no barriers around the playground either. Many homeless and intoxicated people around, some pushing shopping carts and others riding bikes around on the sidewalks over and over likely looking to sell something. By the train station area there was a man frantically talking to himself. Cherry on top was that the grape play equipment is no where to be seen, perhaps it’s been taken down recently? I did like the barn, farm equipment, and historical houses but definitely would not recommend visiting given every other concern at this park.

Cleaned every day. Rangers walk regularly to keep the park safe for kids and families. The grounds are regularly groomed and watered and landscaped. The playground is well maintained. The squirrels are hilarious 😂. There is a beautiful hawk that regularly visits the buildings. There are doggy poop bags for those walking their fur babies. My only beef is the women's bathroom hasn't been fixed yet...

We had a blast at Grape Day park in Escondido. Before coming here, I thought it was just your average park with a slide built into a bunch of grapes. But there was a whole second playground with more swings and slides, a huge lawn to run around on, historical exhibits, and more. None of the indoor museum areas were open while we were there but the outdoor train and tractor exhibits were a hit with my son! He also loved the giant water fountain by the city building. One word of caution, we did see a few homeless people sleeping on the park grounds. Next time we find our way back to this park, we will bring our bikes to ride the path nearby. 🚙Free 3-hour parallel parking on N Broadway. Also free parking in the large parking lot off Woodward Ave and N Escondido Blvd 💰This park is free 🎠The play structures are on a mulch ground surface and have standard swings, bucket swings, all abilities swings 🚽Restrooms 🧺Multiple picnic tables scattered around the park 🪑Park benches at playground 🖼Huge lawn 🌳Shady trees 🛣Close to a busy road 🛴Paved sidewalks perfect for small bikes, scooters, roller blades, and strollers. 🚲Designated bike path on the pavement (there’s a barricade between the path and where the cars drive on the street to keep you safe) and runs along N Broadway ➡️W Valley Parkway➡️Center City Parkway➡️Escondido Creek 🏛City center 🏯Historical buildings 🚂Train exhibit 🚜Tractor exhibit 🐎Horseshoe courts

Small park good for reading,studies, play games, and just relax! Grass is well maintained, and there are many homeless people.The actual grape area is closed.The historic landmarks has a working barn, Santa Fe Railroad depot with the train still in tact, tractor, blacksmith shop, historic buildings, museums, large historic tree trunk and the city hall water fountain .

This is a seriously cool spot, even during a pandemic. Friendly folk working the counter. Great variety of beers from both sides of the house (American & European). Their Czech Pilsner was stellar. Even though it’s in a warehouse, it has that brewery vibe that you expect from a place of such high esteem. I didn’t try the food truck out front but it looked delicious and it’s nice that food is available to pair with delicious beer.

Makers of the best Belgian beer in the world, Duck Duck Gooze. Also makers of about 100 other amazing beers that cover absolutely every single style well. If you're anywhere north of San Diego and south of LA, go ahead and make the drive down.

A MUST VISIT for any craft beer enthusiast. Great and strong flavored beer list on tap and hard to find bottles for purchase. It's a ways out there if you're staying in San Diego's Gaslamp. Prepare for about 45 minutes to an hour to get there. But well worth the visit!

Good atmosphere, good staff, decent beer offering. Not a great taco caterer there, but it was passable. Will probably come here again. Cool building and good location.

Always a great selection of beer from Port and Lost Abbey. My personal favorites are Santas Little Helper when I want a Stout and Farmhouse for a beer on the lighter side. Definitely worth a stop if you are in North SD county.

I picked up my bottles from the Saints and Sinners club as well as a few other things I love the post-industrial feel and of course the beer offerings are divine.

Came here for the first time during the DDG weekend. Great selection of the darker (Stout) beers as well as Belgians/Sours.