Daley Ranch is an Escondido natural gem, resting on more than 3,000 acres of land with over 20 miles of trails. Chaparral vegetation and expansive blue skies are on display here.

Despite the ripe opportunity for hiking, it’s been a minute since I’ve visited. In fact, the last time was in 2023, when I did the enjoyable Boulder Loop Trail, one of my first hikes for the hiking column. Ah, memories.

This time, I hiked a 3.5-mile moderate loop, which explored a few different trails. It was exposed to the sun, with only a few shady sections along the Coyote Run Trail, so try to plan this one for cooler weather.

Hike of the week: Explore several trails on this sunny loop at Daley Ranch

I was impressed with the (in-color, glossy!) pamphlets, put together by the nonprofit Friends of Daley Ranch, that hikers could take before starting the route. Pick one up to learn more about the ranch and its trails.

The route was the first proper hike my sister and I did with her 5-month-old son. My sister is my hiking buddy — we’ve summited some high peaks (hello, San Gorgonio and Mount Baldy) together and it’s one of our favorite shared activities. Call it wishful thinking, but I have a feeling that my nephew is going to love hiking one day, too.

I hope you head to Daley Ranch soon to explore its miles of trails. In the meantime, there are a few other news stories I want to put on your radar, including one about a nationwide program for volunteers to track tree health in their communities. San Diego Zoo’s plant experts trained volunteers in Balboa Park this week, and the future insights of these community scientists could help governments and researchers with their work to protect the urban tree canopy.

I love community science — and anything that gets people outside, looking down at the smallest shrubs and up at our leafy giants.

Keep your eyes open, and enjoy the week. I’ll see you next time.

—Maura

See wildlife and mountain views on Escondido’s Boulder Loop Trail

San Diego Zoo training volunteers how to evaluate tree health as part of national program

‘A rite of passage’: San Gorgonio looms over Southern California as a challenge for serious adventurers

Dune project starts on Oceanside’s northern beaches

National park staff are asking about citizenship status. Here’s why