Hiking, for me, is a family affair. Since I was a kid, it’s been a favorite pastime to enjoy with my sister and parents.
But now when I hike with my family, who range in age from 5 months to their late 60s, there are certain elements I have to consider. How long is the route? Can a person do the hike while carrying a small child? Is there a spot to rest and have lunch?
Each person should find something enjoyable about the hike — otherwise it’s not a good option.
The Barnett Ranch County Preserve, an open space in Ramona, checked all my boxes. We hiked a 4-mile loop, passing under shady oak trees and through open grasslands, even walking past a pasture with grazing cows. The trail was flat and wide, so we could walk side by side. And it was fun to point out the peaks of Iron Mountain and Mount Woodson in the distance.
I’m surprised I hadn’t already visited the preserve, but it just goes to show you that San Diego County is teeming with great hiking spots. I hope you check out Barnett Ranch, and you can read about more family-friendly hikes in San Diego that I wrote about a few years ago.
In other news, I’m excited about the possibility of major wildflower blooms in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park this year. “Things are looking pretty darned green,” Kirsten Dutcher, director of the desert research center that UC Irvine runs at the park, told my colleague Gary Robbins in a recent story.
Last year, the desert received a paltry showing of rain, which can pose an alarming situation for wildflowers along with the desert’s other vegetation and wildlife. So I’m crossing my fingers.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week.
—Maura
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