Rancho San Antonio
For a description of Rancho San Antonio, including an overall map and links to other web sites about the park, click here.
This trail option is about 4.5 miles and includes two small to moderate climbs. Plan on about 2 hours and one large water bottle. On this day, Kathy, Jim, Brian and Mike saw bugs big enough to saddle and ride, hawks/woodpeckers/jays, quail, squirrels, wood rats, a lizard tail, the farm animals and 8 deer, not to mention the unforgetable sight of a very large pig giving a very, very wet sneeze.
Directions
- Begin at the northern most parking lot, the one which has the permanent toilet facilities.
- Begin on the paved road, cross the Permanente Creek, head 0.2 miles straight towards the water tanks on the low hill, do not take the left or right dirt trails.
- Take the first dirt trail available off the paved road which heads up towards the water tanks. This exact path changes every few years as they adjust the trail because of traffic and erosion.
- Hike 0.3 miles up and around the water tanks until you come to an intersection with other trails. Bear right where the signs indicate the Coyote Trail and/or Farm Bypass Trail.
- Hike about 0.75 miles until you come to the trail intersection that is just beyond the toilet facilities. Do not take any earlier intersections which head to the right.
- Continue away from the Deer Hollow Farm and the toilet facilities a short distance until you near an opening in a wooden fence. Head right up the High Meadow Trail and begin a gradual climb. There are 8 switchbacks up the 0.8 mile trail section before you reach the top and the intersection with several trails, including the Rogue Valley Trail.
- Take that rightmost intersection. After 0.9 miles of descent, you'll come to the valley floor. Continue right and go 0.4 miles back to Deer Hollow Farm.
- At Deer Hollow Farm, you should stop and talk to the docents if you have time. There is a lot to this park, such as the Indian Village, and you'll miss a lot of features, such as the rat nests if you don't know what to look for.
- Take the paved road back towards the parking lot. You may prefer to take the dirt paths that parallel the road as there is a greater chance of seeing the wildlife in the area. It's about 1.1 miles from the farm back to the parking lot.
Below is Jim, Brian and Kathy at the far point of the hike. Click on picture for a larger view.
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FOM FOK Hiking Group