Local Day Hikes
Bowie & Willow Springs Trails Hike
Contributor: Sharon Brossier
Again we are hiking in the gated city of Rolling Hills. All roads and trails are the private property of the residents and permission of use is revocable at any time. Please use the utmost courtesy when dealing with others in this area. Hike along, not on road pavement. Do not bring bikes on the horse trails. When encountering horses, move one side of the trail, stop walking, and continue to talk in low voices so that the horses understand that you are human.
This is a sunny, 1.5 hour hike that has approx. 800 ft of elevation gain. It is best hiked in morning or evening when the sun is lower. Water and an outhouse are available at Hesse's Gap horse ring. There is poison oak along the trail. Times are approximate. We were using a 2 to 2.5 mph pace. To the best of our knowledge, these directions are accurate at the time of printing, but conditions do change. Any person using this guide is responsible for his or her own safety and assumes all risks and full responsibility for any and all damages or injury which may result from the use of this route.
We start from a small parking area on PV Dr. E 50 yds south of PV Dr. N. Follow the trail west along the canyon. There are many informative signs along this trail. In about nine minutes turn right onto a small trail that ascends the hill towards a row of eucalyptus and make a left at the trees. After five minutes the trail exits onto Roadrunner Road.
Follow the road straight ahead and up the hill. At the stop sign, look for a trail across the street that ascends between a white corral fence and a small concrete ditch. In four minutes a faint trail joins from the right. Continue straight up to a paved road. Make a short jog to the left and crossing the road, pick up the dirt trail next to the mailbox marked 86. Five minutes hiking brings you to Caballeros horse ring at Hesse's Gap. We will continue left on the main trail, then ascend up to a paved road (Poppy Trail).
Follow the road to the left and as it makes a sharp left turn, continue straight up the dirt trail on the left (do not pass through the gate.) Hike straight past the turnoff for Purple Canyon until you come to a paved road (11 minutes from gate). Make a jog to the right about 100 yds and continue on uphill on a faint trail that borders the concrete wall. The trail makes a right turn and climbs to a dirt road. Go left. In 100 yds exit onto a paved road (Caballeros). Turn left. At the next road intersection stay right, on Caballeros. At 5 Caballeros take the trail on the left to Willow Spring Trail. After 100 yds turn left and descend the canyon.
At the paved road, jog left 50 yds and continue down the trail. In another 20 minutes a trail comes in from the right, go straight. In a couple minutes take the right fork of the Y. In another 100 yds stay right again (from the horse ring we are going back the way we came). At the ring, ascend the dirt road and turn right on the trail just below the paved road. Stay right and continue around above the horse ring. In a couple minutes continue straight past the trail from the right and come to the paved road (by 86). Jog 25 yds to left and continue down the trail on the right. Take the right fork at the Y and at the trail's end continue straight on Roadrunner Road to the cul de sac. The dirt trail picks up just to the left of the sign for 11 Roadrunner. In five minutes take the trail to the right down hill and a minute later join the main trail of the nature center again. Your car is to the left, but you may want to wander the rest of the interpretive trail to the right before leaving the area.
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