Daley Ranch Dixon Lake - Park in Escondido - 2256 La Honda Dr, USA

One of my favorite places to hike in the San Diego area. Mostly a local haunt, so it’s not too crowded. Porta potty at parking lot. Dog friendly. Nice variety of trails. Definitely a good workout with a lot of steep ups and downs, but beautiful views of the lake and city in the distance.

Large park with rangers post and many facilities. Free parking lot. Only if you drive to Lake Dixon and pass rangers post, you need to pay entrance. In weekends only I believe. Check their site Daley Ranch itself has trails connecting to the lake (southeast) but mostly leading north direction. The times I've been here, it was hot, sunny and dry. Last time I went was a few weeks after a very rainy Winter and the trails had been heavily impacted. Normally the trail in the center leading to the ranch house and restrooms is wide and spacious Stroller friendly. Now (March 2023) it was blocked off after being deluged by mud. Lots of creeks to cross. Normally just barely 1. There are multiple ponds, routes and view points. Altho it looks to be busy, once you venture more northeast, you'll be mostly by yourself. There are coyotes and rattlesnakes here, so be cautious. Pack plenty of water and sunscreen. Definitely challenging trails and at times more mountain bike friendly than for hikers.

This is a awesome place to hike,bike or ride a horse. You can pick and choose how long your hike will be 1/2 hour to most of the day. The views are awesome there are 3 or 4 lakes old barns, houses and the ranch house. Great place to bring the family and your dog as it is dog friendly area there are a few places with water and a bowl for them make a day of it there are picnic tables and rest rooms. There even a black top road to get to ranch house and picnic tables to walk on and push your stroller it is up hill most of the way.

Many different ways to enjoy a scenic hike but the lack of trail signs can be a challenge. Parking in the free lot is almost impossible on the weekends but paying $5 will let you into the area with many more parking areas.

Beautiful and peaceful hiking areas with some water views. 1 picnic table near the Daley Ranch House. Several Porta potties near the house too.

The trails are fair, the place is beautiful. A little confusing if it's your first time, I asked someone that goes there regularly how to get to the lake and stuff because the map was confusing for me, other than that nice drive, nice place, it does get super hot in the summer and when I went there was a bunch of dog poops along the trail so yes flies, hopefully it's not like that next time I go and people are more careful and pick up their trash. Places like this are a privilege to have let's help keep nature clean 🌱🙏❤

This place is beautiful and the hiking is great. You need to bring water and good shoes to hike in. You can go as far as you want . You could do 20 miles if you wanted. There is a bathroom in the parking lot and it’s very popular so come early. It’s cold in the winter and hot in the summer time. It’s beautiful and totally worth the drive.

a paved road can lead you up and over a few hills to help get your heart rate up. For the more adventurous there are dirt trails that can be a relatively short walk or a much longer 10+ mile hike. I love this trail system because even on the busiest days, you can find areas of the park that are full of solitude and beautiful views. I’ve seen deer, coyotes and rabbits. It’s a local gem.