Mission Creek Preserve

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND SIX

The Mission Creek Preserve is part of the 33,000 acre Sand to Snow Preserve System. This includes the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve and is adjacent to the Whitewater Preserve. The Preserve gives access to the Pacific Crest Trail and the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. To reach the Preserve, take Highway 62 North from I-10 and turn left on Mission Creek Road. Follow the road to the gate and park there.

After driving a few miles along the dirt road you come to this sign.

Beyond that is a locked gate topped by this sign.

There is very good signage at the beginning of the Preserve but later on, not so much.

There is a nice information board but, oddly enough, there's not a very good map for hikers. Later, I'll wish I'd had one.

Right inside the gate there are four little stone structures.

Inside each one there is a picnic table.

I didn't bring a lunch so I start hiking up the "trail". I really hate these trails that have tire tracks on them.

As I'm walking along I hear this weird sound and can't place it. I look down toward the creek and discover what's causing it: water.

A mile up the "trail" is the Painted Hills Wetlands. It is very lush with growth and an impassable thickets.

Beyond that is the parking area for the Stone House. I've got to find out how to get a key to that gate so I don't have to walk all this way next time.

The Stone House is a great structure with screen windows and doors without locks.

It's got a nice comfy chair on the porch.

The inside of the Stone House is spotless with some picnic tables.

There is also a fireplace but it's just for looks.

There are even restrooms.

With flush toilets! I was preparing to hold my breath in anticipation of the outhouse smell.

An old windmill and pump are also part of the property.

I continue on the "trail" up beyond this wilderness sign. This turns out to be a mistake because I should have taken a different route here but there wasn't a sign or map directing me in the proper direction. I found out later there is a section of private land ahead.

But when I got to this gate I wondered what was going on.

I followed this trail around the gate and down to the creek bottom. Upon returning, I found out I should have gone up a different fork of the creek to bypass the private land.

I hiked up the creek until I got to the PCT and had to turn around at that point.

It's too bad, too, because it was just starting to get interesting. Next time I'll know which way to go and I'll see if it's possible to drive just a bit further up the road. There's a lot of interesting terrain up here and I'd imagine in the springtime when there's snow on the surrounding mountains and the flowers are blooming that it is incredible. I'm looking forward to coming back.

No wallet required

January 6, 2009

Day Six

For years, the best place to take your kid fishing was the Whitewater Trout Farm.  It was a little place up the Whitewater River where some ponds were built and stocked with trout.  It was great for kids because all you had to do was toss in a line and you were guaranteed to catch a fish.  They kept those fish hungry and you paid by the pound.  They even provided tackle.  All you had to do to ensure your kid had a great day fishing was bring a fat wallet.

Well, the Trout Farm has been taken over by the Wildlands Conservancy and, except for a few specially arranged youth programs, they no longer have fishing there.  However, the offer a lot of other things to make up for it.  There are great picnic areas there.  They have nature walks, star gazing programs, campfire talks and fabulous hiking. 

Follow the rock lined trail about a half a mile until you hit the first trail junction.

At the trail junction, you will intersect with the Pacific Crest Trail.  On the PCT you can pretty much hike as far as you want.  It goes all the way to Canada.  Literally.

A constant flow of water comes down the Whitewater River, fed by the snow capped mountains in the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

Following the trail was fairly easy due these large trail markers.  However, I missed the last one and went up the creek bed a bit further than I should have.  Doh!  Too bad I forgot to bring item number one on the list of the ten essentials: a map.  Oh well.  If you always follow the trail you will miss out on a lot of great adventures.

As an example, I found this little corral up about a mile or so beyond where I should have turned right to stay on the trail.  I asked the ranger at the Wildland Conservancy office about it and he said he didn't even know it was there.  Well, now he does and he can go out and have an adventure finding it, too.

Even though you can no longer catch an overpriced trout at Whitewater, I love what they've done with the place and highly recommend it as an outing for the whole family.  I'm really looking forward to going back and next time I may even bring a map.

There is an article about the area in the Desert Sun newspaper.  You can find it here.

Find out more about the Wildlands Conservancy here.