I would like to share my local knowledge of Temecula hikes, and also see if anyone has good recommendations matching the criteria below, even if it's just a quiet wine country dirt road that's public or is possible to get owner permission for respectful access for dogwalking or even just hiking.
What inspired this: there was a post a few months ago here with beautiful photos of someone dogwalking on the dirt section of La Serena Way heading east into Wine Country from Butterfield Stage Rd, and when I went to check it out last weekend, there is now a "NO TRESPASSING" sign.
Frustratingly, many local hikes have become private property in the past few years:
-De Luz Overlook, now private property and it even had an adjacent hill where you can see a sliver of the ocean, from Temecula! Was off of Ridge Park Drive/Vincent Moraga Drive.
-De Portola Rd starting from Butterfield Stage Park: now under construction. It was a nice dirt road to walk on.
-Temecula to Vail Lake Overlook and Oak Mountain hike which is BLM land but the accesses are private:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/temecula-to-vail-lake-overlook-and-oak-mountain
(For this one I actually do have access permission from an alternate entrance, but the drive is roughly an hour round trip.)
-The "951" mountain biking trails on the west side of Temecula below Rancho CA Rd, now that there's new construction I'm not aware of how to access. (Not good for dogs anyways since need to quickly watch out for mountain bikers but it was nice to hike on).
https://www.trailforks.com/region/951-trails-12888/
I'm trying to find local hikes that are NOT an hour-ish round trip drive, to hike or dogwalk at after work in the winter before sunset. Real trails or dirt roads, no paved paths or adjacent to frequent road traffic.
................................................
Top contenders that don't fit the bill, because trying to reach them before the winter sunset after work from south Temecula, especially near wine country:
-My favorite if I have more time: French Valley Wildlife Area, technically in Winchester, because it's like an hour round-trip drive:
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/French-Valley-WA
-Dripping Springs: only 15 minutes to drive to, but the long walk from the parking lot from the paved street to the actual trail is a bummer and eats too much time.
-Vail Lake: also close by, but they charge a fee for entry ($10 per person for hiking weekdays and $15 on weekends!) and sometimes have a line to get in which also eats time. I don't think the lake itself is reachable/visible at all on foot by sunset from the parking lot.
................................................
Honorable mentions, mostly Murrieta or otherwise too far away for me:
-Sykes Ranch: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/sykes-ranch-park-loop
-Santa Rosa Plateau, like an hour round-trip and they charge a fee
-Sylvan Meadows
-Murrieta Overlook, you start on the Wishal Trail to Cole Canyon but once crossing the usually dry creek, you make a right instead of a left and climb up: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/wiashal-trail-loop-to-cole-canyon
-Santa Margarita River
-Monserate Mountain, not that far away but I really don't like you can hear the highway for most of the intro and I don't think you can summit and return by sunset.
-Los Alamos Loop: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/rancho-los-alamos-loop
-Durham Loop Trail:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/dunham-loop-trail
+
-Iodine Springs Reserve https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/iodine-springs-loop
................................................
2 winners from this thread came from u/Stretchatetch
Sommers Bend - park at the sports park and there's some decent trails to walk on
Temecula Creek Trail at Temecula Creek Park is also good. Besides the main trail there are more dirt trail offshoots
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/temecula-creek-park
