Take the Upper Meadow Trail for a longer, more strenuous hike. From the staging area, cross the river and directly on your left you will see the trailhead for this trail. Follow it up until it rises to the upper meadow where you will find a dried up reservoir and a nice viewpoint of the river down below. Further along you will descend to a pond and you can then take the Camelia Trail to the end of the park on the left, or go around the pound and walk along the River View Trail, running next to the San Luis Rey River. At the end of this trail, you will walk along a dirt road running by the river until you return to the staging area.

Wilderness Gardens Preserve closes from August 1 to September 4 due to high temperatures. If you choose to hike on all of the trails, you will cover four miles, which will certainly be a good day of hiking exertion, especially on a hot day.

For history buffs, stop at the ranger station for accounts and pictures of the historic Stickler’s Grist Mill. You can also visit the old site of the mill here as the foundation still sits on the Wilderness Gardens Preserve land.