Santa Margarita River Trail – Beauty in Fallbrook

My Passion for Hiking

I have had a love for hiking for as long as I can remember. As a young girl growing up in Sacramento, I would often set out exploring along the banks of the American River. I don’t know if it was my father’s passion for the outdoors that influenced me at a young age or just my own desire to escape the confinement of four walls. Whatever it is, there is something about being out hiking that fills me with energy and excitement.

A Nice Day Hike

Sometimes we don’t have time to go on extended hikes so being able to have so many local hikes around us is wonderful. It gives us the reboot we need without having to make a full day out of it. Fallbrook is a beautiful little community filled with great eateries and the quaint charm of something from the past.

Santa Margarita River Trail

Located in Fallbrook, the 5 mile trail winds along the edge of the Santa Margarita River. It is a fairly easy hike with an elevation gain of less than 500′. The river (more like a large stream) adds to the tranquil scenery making it a nice relaxing trip for families and pets. We took the dogs along and they had so much fun jumping in the river and cooling off. Leashes are a must for dogs; for kids… optional!

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/santa-margarita-river-trail

If you are looking for a hike that you can go on and get some respite from the sun when needed, this is a great trail. Trees line the trail in most areas and provide some great nature shots for those avid photographers. I think that this trail is prettier than the Daly Ranch trails as Daly tends to be much more open and exposed to the elements.

Favorite Apps

As the communities have grown, the opportunities to hike are still around us, you just have to know where to look. There are several great apps but one of my favorites is All Trails. You can see hiking trails and reviews and choose paths that fit your skill set. https://www.alltrails.com/ .

There are several options for people who don’t want to hike alone as well. A great website to locate groups for wherever your passion lies is Meetup. https://www.meetup.com/ You can select the area and what groups you would like to learn about or get notifications from. They often have weekly outings or meetings and offer various skill levels. I learned about this site when I went through a career transition. They actually provided classes on writing resumes and looking for a new career.