Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → Los Angeles Area → Santa Rosa Plateau

Location: Temecula Area, Southeast of Los Angeles

Time Required: 2-4 hours

Red Tape/Notes: Open daily, sunrise to sunset. Admission is $4 per adult. Visit in the spring to see the carpets of wildflowers and winter to spring to catch the vernal pools.

What’s Nearby?: Walker Canyon

This 9,000 acre preserve is something of a hidden gem. The area covers woodlands, wetlands, prairie land, and vernal pools – these vernal pools are home to a species of fairy shrimp that lives nowhere else! The preserve also contains two old adobe buildings, built in 1846, which served as bunkhouses for cowboys. This area is especially nice in the spring, when there are wildflowers and the vernal pools are full.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → Los Angeles Area → Santa Rosa Plateau