516 Acre Wildlife Preserve

Purpose:
To protect endangered wildlife and 4000 year old cultural resources

The Preserve serves as the eastern entry to the San Diego River Trail. A trail system and interpretive facilities will be added in the fututure.

Overview
Eagle Peak Preserve is a 516 acre wildlife preserve owned by the San Diego River Park Foundation as part of its mission to preserve and better understand the River and its associated ecosystem. The property has seasonal streams and is adjacent to public lands of the Cleveland National Forest. The area has been proposed to be designated as critical habitat for the federally listed coastal California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica ssp. Californica. Deer, red tailed hawks, coast horned lizards and many other wildlife species can be found. The plant diversity is tremendous.

In 2007 fire burned approximately 85% of the Preserve. It is part of the largest "twice burned" area in San Diego County. Fire recovery efforts will continue for several years. Donations of time, talents, and resources are needed for this effort. As part of these efforts, we have an ongoing monitoring program to document the recovery from the fires and our restoration programs. We invite you to join us!

Partners:
The San Diego River Conservancy
The Resources Agency, State of California
County of San Diego
The Nature Conservancy
The Parker Foundation
Friends of Eagle Peak Preserve - hundreds of donors and volunteers who support the project

Monthly Monitoring Team
Once a month we conduct monitoring at the Preserve and add to the extensive Plant and Animal List. Experienced and non-experienced people are welcome to join the team. Members of the monitoring team serve as Preserve Docents at Open Houses and Events.

Interested in joining the Team?

1. Send us an email and we will add your name to the email noticing list
2. Join us when you can and as often as you want
3. Carpool with other monitors or meet us at the Preserve at 10AM.
4. We go out in teams of 4 to 6 people. We typically have 1 - 3 teams each trip. The monitoring takes at least two hours but we have been known to stay longer to enjoy the incredible beauty of the Preserve

WAYS TO HELP

1. Eagle Peak Preserve Fund

A fund has been established at The San Diego Foundation to support the Preserve and future programs. 100% of the fund is dedicated to the Preserve.
DONATE NOW

2. Acquisition Fund

We are working on enlarging the Preserve. $10,000 is needed for when an agreement can be made with a willing seller. These funds will be used to secure an option on the property so that fundraising can occur. The River Park Foundation has set up a River Wildlife Fund to raise money for future land acquisitions to protect the Upper San Diego River.

Donations can be made in three ways:

1. Donate to the Eagle Peak Preserve Acquisition Fund.
   
   
2. Donate to the River Wildlife Fund.
   See details
3. Want to get more involved? Join the River Wildlife Society.
   See details
   

More about the Preserve

Views from the Preserve are inspiring! Look for the 300+ ft tall Mildred Falls or hike up Son 2 Peak to see views all the way to El Capitan Reservoir. The San Diego River Gorge and the upper Cedar Creek are on both sides of the Preserve, and they have been proposed for Wild and Scenic River Status. With 516 acres there is a lot to see like 1000 year old grinding rocks, remains of the original 1890's homestead, beautiful engelmann oaks and native grasslands. Each spring join us for an amazing flower show from the coastal sage scrub and chaparral vegetation. The drive to the Preserve on Eagle Peak Road is amazing, but once you get there you may not want to leave!

View Eagle Peak Preserve - Project Boundaries in a larger map 

For more information about visiting the Preserve or for supporting efforts to care for these amazing lands, please contact the River Park Foundation Executive Director, Rob Hutsel, by email or 619-297-7380.