Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve

The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve 39400 Clinton Keith Road is located at the southern end of the Santa Ana Mountains in southwest Riverside County, near the city of Murrieta, 92562.

The Reserve consists of 8,300 acres and protects unique ecosystems like Engelmann oak woodlands, riparian wetlands, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, bunchgrass prairie and vernal pools.

Visitors to the Reserve can enjoy the oldest standing structures in Riverside County that once served as bunkhouses for cowboys dating back to 1846. These two adobe structures remain shaded by a 400 year old tree and separated by a relaxing, one-of-a-kind, picnic area.

Other recreational activities include hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and attending interpretive programs. (Horseback riding and mountain biking are restricted to the Sylvan Meadows Multi-Use Area of the Plateau.)