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 future.
Event: 12 PMAM - 3PM March 13, 2010 Open House
The Preserve will be hosting an Open House on March 13th. Come by an explore this 500+ acre wildlife and recreation preserve. Docents will be on hand. Meet at the middle gate. Free. RSVP by calling 619-297-7380 or email rsvp@sandiegoriver.org
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?
Send us an email and we will add your name to the email noticing list
Join us when you can and as often as you want
Carpool with other monitors or meet us at the Preserve at 10AM.
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.
Two options::
Donate to the River Wildlife Fund for Land Acquisitions
Want to get more involved? Join the River Wildlife Society
River Wildlife Society members pledge to donate $3000 or more. They are invited to join in tours of properties being considered for acquisition, receive updates from the River Park Foundation Executive Director, and have the opportunity to provide input to land acquisition decisions. This is for you if you want to be more involved with funding decisions. Your pledge can be fullfilled over three years. Contact Rob Hutsel at 619-297-7380 or rhutsel@sandiegoriver.org if you are interested in joining this exciting opportunity.
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!
Visiting the Preserve
The Preserve is located on Eagle Peak Road. To get there, take Highway 79 to Pine Hills Road, turn right onto Eagle Peak Road. After a short distance, Eagle Peak Road becomes a County maintained dirt road. It is generally in really good condition. Wet weather can make the road a bit slippery in a couple of spots so please drive carefully. The drive provides incredible views. Approximately 1/2 mile before the end of the road at the Saddleback Trailhead, you will come to the Preserve. We have 3 entries. The Preserve is raw land without improvements except for a parking area and a small shade ramada with a picnic table. The Preserve gates are open for special events only. No hunting is allowed on the property. Please contact the River Park Foundation office if you wish to visit at other times.
We are working on enhancing trails so areas of the Preserve will be open at other times.
If visiting the Preserve, please check the weather. If it is a warm day, we encourage you to visit in the morning before it warms up. The elevation is about 2800 feet, so it can get warm during the summer and fall months. We will let you know when the spring / summer wildflowers are visible. It is an incredible show! Many visitors to the Preserve also enjoy the hike to Cedar Creek Falls. It is a 4.4 mile round-trip moderate hike. Visitors also enjoy views of Mildred Falls. This is a seasonal 300 foot waterfall. We will keep you posted by our free enews about good viewing times. The vistas from the Preserve are absolutely stunning. We encourge visitors to the Preserve to drop by Julian for some apple pie! It makes a wonderful day.
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.
