By: Toni Momberger for Community Forward Redlands News
Trail Snapshot 🥾
- Oak Glen Preserve Trails, Oak Glen
- 1.9 mile loop, 357 feet of gain
- Dogs allowed: yes
- Parking fee: no
- Paired with a picnic from Olive Avenue Market
- Travel read: What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
Welcome to my first column on hiking adventures from a 50-something non-athletic Redlander.
First, a small introduction.
My husband Doug and I dedicate a day every couple of weeks to driving not more than two hours for a 2- to 5-mile walk either scanning for whale flukes high on a bluff over the ocean, or smelling pine trees in the mountains or to picnic by a waterfall, or finding ruins in majestic canyons – and then hunting up a brewery pub for lunch. I read to him on the commute from whatever book we’re working on.
I'm not a person you expect to say, "I'm going hiking."
First of all, I am a scared person. I'm afraid of rattlesnakes, bears, mountain lions, tripping, slipping, heights, freeways, bad cell reception and being the only people on a trail. Also, I'm not fit, and I never get an early start because stopping sleeping is hard.
But hike days are my favorite and I’ve discovered trails so great that I think every time we go out it’s the best day we ever had.
I eagerly accepted an invitation to do a regular column sharing my best days ever and the trails that made them.
I’m starting with the family-friendly Oak Glen Preserve Trail.
I went first to Olive Avenue Market and grabbed sandwiches, because this trail is great for picnicking. OAM had my favorite – the Normandie Court – in stock (brie, bacon, spinach and cranberry chutney), and I got The Kimberly (turkey, avocado, sprouts and provolone on a croissant) for Doug. Then I swung down Opal Avenue and grabbed a $5 bag of Redlands’ best oranges from Joseph’s Stand.
I checked AllTrails to see the weather on the trail, grabbed a sweatshirt and Doug, loaded up the dogs and set off. From my house it was a 27-minute drive.
You find the trailhead on the right end of the parking lot through the entrance to a botanical garden and children’s discovery center. There are bowls of water at the gate for dogs, and bags for dog clean-up, but no trash cans. If you’re walking with dogs and a picnic like me, be prepared to pack out all the waste, which I was not.
Close to this is the first picnic area and a bathroom, and then there is a breathtaking, winding stretch of trail through redwoods.
From there you go around a lake and then it’s just trail with all the sights and smells you’d expect from nature’s good side.
There are signs for learning about the plants and different kinds of ducks along the way. For little hikers, there are "Kids Quiz" posts. At one point there’s a little creek with a waterfall and a small bucket with an invitation to water the trees.
One sign says “Mountain lion sighted” and then has whiteboard space for a date. It was blank. The Wildland Conservancy, which maintains this preserve, also posted alerts for rattlesnakes, and their information stand has a photo of a bear in a tree.
A big section of the path features stinging nettle, so be careful not to let your wee ones and pets go into it. I learned from a sign that the spikes release a chemical that causes pain for hours, but also that this plant is good eatin’. Craziness.
We found another group of picnic tables about three-quarters of the way through under another copse of redwoods and had lunch.
From there the trail was moderately steep.
For the last bit before the parking lot you walk through an apple orchard.
Highly recommend this trail for all ages. We had the best day.
Next time: Point Dume in Malibu, a bluff hike
