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Sylvan Meadows Trail Head
4.7 ★★★★★ 219 Google reviews · Running trail in Murrieta, California · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Loop distance
- 1 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Sylvan Meadows Trail Head's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Sylvan Meadows Trail Head
“Great views of the mountains in the distance and very quiet & serene.”
“Great views of the mountains in the distance and very quiet & serene.”
I love hiking the Santa Rosa Plateau Reserve. Especially at sunrise. This was a former cattle ranch that is now an ecological reserve. There's plenty of open space and wildlife here. There are trails just for hiking and trails for dogs, mountain bikes and horses.
Pretty. Only did a few laps around shorter trail but perfect for little ones.
If you are aware of how long the trail is then it's awesome. Gorgeous views, quiet trail, lots of nature and animals. We ran into a curious group of young coyotes which was an adventure. They checked us out and then ran off. Very cool. The only problem was - we should have checked on All Trails how long this trail was!
We hike these trails quite a bit due to the proximity to our house. There's primarily two loops you can do and recently I've been doing a figure 8 as posted in the pic. The top loop in the pic at my pace is about 45 min and the bottom one is about 50 min(inside track).
Trail conditions & character
“Great views of the mountains in the distance and very quiet & serene.”
“The volunteer presence in the parking lot, with their mandatory, repetitive lectures, has become a significant deterrent.”
“Great views of the mountains in the distance and very quiet & serene.”
“The top loop in the pic at my pace is about 45 min and the bottom one is about 50 min(inside track).”
“It's good for strollers, no elevations, and if kids can walk that far then it's a perfect trail for them.”
“There are trails just for hiking and trails for dogs, mountain bikes and horses.”
“It's good for strollers, no elevations, and if kids can walk that far then it's a perfect trail for them.”
Plan your run at Sylvan Meadows Trail Head
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- Loop distance1 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websiterivcoparks.org
Hours
| Monday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Tuesday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Wednesday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Thursday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Friday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Saturday | 7 AM–6 PM |
| Sunday | 7 AM–6 PM |
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