Goodan Ranch and Sycamore Canyon Open Space

Hiked here over the President’s Weekend !! I loved the serenity about the place, I just hate crowded places! Hadn’t hiked in a year or so, but did not find the 3 mile loop to be too strenuous. As another reviewer pointed out the trail is laden with pebbles, so good comfy shoes are recommended. Ran into several bikers on the trail, who were friendly to give me directions to get back to the parking lot.
Would love to be back.

Another nice place to walk, run, or ride — with many different directions to explore. I much prefer the narrow foot/​bike/​horse trails to the wide, hard, graded fire roads. Loops are possible — so you don’t have to always return the same way. There is even a trail designated for one-​way travel only (which is probably to keep bikers from crashing into each other) — but this did not stop me from walking its length in the opposite direction. There is a (rock-​walled) restroom at the trail head. Some of the roads and trails continue beyond the boundaries of the ranch/​preserve.
If I can figure out how to add it, I will review on it’s own — but for those who can find and like this place, also consider exploring the South Poway Trail (with multiple sections accessible from many of the cross streets just south of Poway Road…

A great place for an hour to all-​day hike or mountain bike! Amazing scenery and you can take a Valley hike or an upper-​ridge hike out to Penasquitos. So many paths to explore, and Martha’s Grove with the native american «metate» indentations in the surrounding boulders — a touch of pre-​history.
A word to the wise, however — the Rangers — especially the female rangers — are very aggressive and in-​your-​face for little to no reason. Stay on the trails and don’t vary off, keep your dog in good control, etc… as they have no tact and they will ruin your whole day. They seem to be deputised and on a bit of an ego-​trip — give them a VERY wide berth, don’t answer-​back if you are approached and enjoy your day!!!

Great intermediate hiking spot for kids while the weather is not so hot. My boys have been hiking here since the younger one was five. Word of caution: keep a savvy adult in front at all times for rattlesnake watch or ensure your kids are snake savvy (mine are) and focused on the trail, not on who’s in front.

Love this place! It’s just minutes away from Poway. When you’re out here, feels like you’re miles away from civilization. Great place to just forget everything and just enjoy nature.

So many paths to try… today we did about a 6 mile hike loop and enjoyed an easy to early moderate hike. There are lots of areas with large gravel and mild slopes, but nothing overly strenuous. We went up something called Cardiac Hill, but it really wasn’t so bad– just a gradual but long upward slope. It was a good time of year to go– it’s starting to get warmer out in east county, but we kept pretty cool overall, and there were a few shady spots to stop and rest here and there. The area is beautiful yet a bit stark, typical of San Diego east county scenery– lots of chapparal, sun-​bleached boulders, and a creek here and there. A fair amount of scat all about– so you know the animals are out there, but we didn’t see too many little friends today. It was pretty quiet out on the trails– we only ran into 2 other hiking pairs over about 3 hours from 9-​noonish. I enjoyed being out here– it was a quieter kind of hike. A good place to trek along with your thoughts and musings. Bring lots of water and treat yourself to some snacks along your route. Definitely wear comfortable hiking shoes, and expect to get a bit of grit in your shoes here and there.

Don’t expect to see «lush redwoods,» Bambi-​like deer frolicking in a creek bed, or pretty pink and violet flora. Apparantly to some, only tropical rainforests or towering evergreens define a great biodome.
But if you can appreciate chapparal, you’ll have a great time here. Stunning vantage points. Canyons, ravines, rolling hills and plenty more on file.
You can make this a 2-​mile hike or a 12-​mile hike; the variations are numerous.
Some slopes are very steep with numerous pebbles so make sure your shoes have ample traction.
Serene desolate solitude — I did not see a single hiker on Saturday, 7÷3÷10 even though the mercury was very mild (in the mid-​70s); I think that was more of an exception than the norm. If you pass out on a day like that, no one will find you and your body will rot — no, it’s not funny — so make sure you take precautions.
Your car even gets to go on a hike. As you turn into the dirt road, it’s about 1.25 miles to the staging area and it is a bumpy ride. Don’t get a car wash beforehand; you will regret it. By the way, the entrance is very easy to miss so slow down.
Very enjoyable and challenging hike. It definitely has my stamp of approval.