This place, sigh . . . it's so beautiful and peaceful. I mistakenly thought I'd been there before, but I recently realized that I was actually just visiting another park located near one of the Elfin Forest communities. Upon taking my work kids to the real Elfin Forest Reserve to hike, I fell in love with the place and have since been back several times, even recreationally on my days off.The hikes are challenging without being discouraging, and the views are fantastic; the overlooks provide views of the Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands, Coronado Islands, the Laguna and San Bernardino mountain ranges, and the Olivenhain Dam and Reservoir.
The rangers and volunteers do a great job disposing of any traces of litter, and benches and picnic tables are strategically placed throughout the reserve. The entrance of the main hiking trail even has a station to pick up and leave behind community walking-sticks and bells for mountain bikers to use. Huge stepping stones and boulders jutting out from the Escondido River make for great exploring and cozy places to just chill out with a good book or a guitar.
And even better? Its only about a 10 minute drive from my apartment! Gotta love that!
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