Daley Ranch Dixon Lake

One of my favorite places to hike in the San Diego area. Mostly a local haunt, so it’s not too crowded. Porta potty at parking lot. Dog friendly. Nice variety of trails. Definitely a good workout with a lot of steep ups and downs, but beautiful views of the lake and city in the distance.

Large park with rangers post and many facilities. Free parking lot. Only if you drive to Lake Dixon and pass rangers post, you need to pay entrance. In weekends only I believe. Check their site
Daley Ranch itself has trails connecting to the lake (southeast) but mostly leading north direction.

The times I've been here, it was hot, sunny and dry. Last time I went was a few weeks after a very rainy Winter and the trails had been heavily impacted.

Normally the trail in the center leading to the ranch house and restrooms is wide and spacious Stroller friendly. Now (March 2023) it was blocked off after being deluged by mud. Lots of creeks to cross. Normally just barely 1.
There are multiple ponds, routes and view points.

Altho it looks to be busy, once you venture more northeast, you'll be mostly by yourself. There are coyotes and rattlesnakes here, so be cautious.
Pack plenty of water and sunscreen.

Definitely challenging trails and at times more mountain bike friendly than for hikers.

This is a awesome place to hike,bike or ride a horse. You can pick and choose how long your hike will be 1/2 hour to most of the day. The views are awesome there are 3 or 4 lakes old barns, houses and the ranch house. Great place to bring the family and your dog as it is dog friendly area there are a few places with water and a bowl for them make a day of it there are picnic tables and rest rooms. There even a black top road to get to ranch house and picnic tables to walk on and push your stroller it is up hill most of the way.

Had a lot of fun on the paddle boats my daughter loved it!

Beautiful and peaceful hiking areas with some water views. 1 picnic table near the Daley Ranch House. Several Porta potties near the house too.

a paved road can lead you up and over a few hills to help get your heart rate up. For the more adventurous there are dirt trails that can be a relatively short walk or a much longer 10+ mile hike. I love this trail system because even on the busiest days, you can find areas of the park that are full of solitude and beautiful views. I’ve seen deer, coyotes and rabbits. It’s a local gem.

Great hike. Long but not too difficult. Many places to explore and discover. Saw a rattlesnake but the trail was wide enough to have enough reaction time - be careful out there! Sage trail turns shady hear the Ranch House just when you need the shade. Benches line the trail at nice places with little lakes and great views. As always, bring water and be well prepared for hiking if you go.

This place is beautiful and the hiking is great. You need to bring water and good shoes to hike in. You can go as far as you want . You could do 20 miles if you wanted. There is a bathroom in the parking lot and it’s very popular so come early. It’s cold in the winter and hot in the summer time. It’s beautiful and totally worth the drive.

Loads of trails and wildlife to enjoy. We came on a Fri and it wasn't busy at all. The homestead area is pretty neat with old farm equipment and building and There is a restroom and picnic tables in that area.

Have come to this lake a few time but they have now upgraded on bathroom and a new play area for kids. Great family friendly!

Great 7 miles hike today. Lots of different trails. Even when the parking lot is full you can find areas to hike with few people.

One of the best places to hike, hands down. This place is so versatile. Pick and choose from over a dozen intersecting trails, each with different difficulty levels. Great for short hikes, long hikes, trail running etc.

Wonderful trails around th Daley ranch with variety in difficulty and scenery. Clean tidy and with benches for letting the view wash over you.

Restrooms and water are still being worked on near the farmhouse, but trail crews have been doing a great job maintaining trails.

This is a really nice set of trails! I get a good workout and my dog is pooped by the time we're done!

Nice trails, easy parking, fun fishing. The campgrounds aren't bad either. It can get got there. You can rent boats and paddle boats. Lots of fun!

Been there five times great for hiking walking and more!

Flew in from San Diego and wanted to sneak in a quick hike. This was the perfect spot for it! I would definitely come back and hike here more often if I lived closer.

We had a trail race there
Great trails , bathrooms
Awesome lake

Night fishing is about yo begin in summer. Motor boat rental is $35 all day long, there are campsite that you can book for camping n BBQ.