My Sycamore Canyon
Whether you hike, bike, or just stroll, the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park’s trail system is a wonderful way to enjoy a beautiful natural environment within the City of Riverside! The trail offers amazing views of the city, chances to see native plants & wildlife, great birding opportunities –all just minutes from downtown! Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park is a 1,500 acre park & one of eight protected core reserves designated by the Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency for the Federally-listed endangered Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys stephensi). The park is also home to nearly 100 other plant & animal species that have been classified as rare, sensitive, threatened, or endangered. Hike, bike, bird watch, & simply engage in the wonders of Riverside’s wildlife.
Summer Tips: Bring plenty of water, sun protection, use caution (there is wildlife in the park), & be respectful of the plants & animals that call this park their home!
The park & trails are open daily, sunrise to sunset.
Please post your trail map!
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your request!
We are currently waiting on Parks and Rec to decommission many of the current trails in the park as they were made unlawfully by visitors. Once Parks has filled these trails in they will publish a new map with the correct trails.
Until then we are still using the old, inaccurate maps in the center. We have put in a request for the image file and as soon as we receive it will will post it for you and our other park users. We hope to have it posted within a week or so. Please check back soon (we will also announce the map’s availability on our Facebook account (link in the sidebar and at the bottom of the page).
Is the park or part of it for sale? I saw a huge for sale sign at the trail entrance on Canyon Crest and Via Vista. Please say it isn’t so!
It isn’t so! The location you’re referring to is adjacent to the park, but not actually part of it. Don’t worry, our park is not for sale, we are still here for the animals to live and for visitors to enjoy!
Can you please outline the adjacent property for sale? All property in the area looks like it is part of the park.
Parks and Recreation is currently in the process of creating a new map that includes boundary lines. Once they are finished, we will post it online for visitors. Until then, you can contact them through their city website HERE if you would like to speak with someone. Thank you for your interest and love of our park!
My son goes to King High school and has a flora project he must complete. Is there a way to get some assistance identifying some plants?
Hi Kara,
The park is a preserve and it is illegal to collect anything from it (City of Riverside Municipal Code section 9.08.102). However, special permission has been granted to the school for this project on the condition that students are accompanied by nature center staff members. We are currently in the process of scheduling certain days with the school for your students to come out. Please have your student check with their teacher for the dates that are scheduled. Your student is always welcome to come into the center to ask for help outside of these scheduled times, but they will not be allowed to collect except on those special days. Thank you for checking with us- we’re looking forward to assisting the students with their assignment! If you have further questions, please feel free to call us Thurs-Sun 9-5 at 951-826-2596
is there a map of just the bike trails
Hi Bernardo,
There is not an individual map for bikes. All trails are shared, so bikes are free to take any of them!
Here is a map created by the City of Riverside Fire Department of the trails in the canyon: https://riversideca.gov/fire/pdf/cad-maps/2018/Sycamore%20Canyon%20Emergency%20Response%20Map%202018.pdf
There is a trail that’s closer to Canyon Crest and on that trail and down a steep hill happens to be 2 very old cars that have been there for idk how many years rusted and plants and things have grown inside and out of them, would anyone happen to know what the story behind those cars are?
Hi Michael,
The center does not maintain the park and has only been here for a few years. We’d like to refer you to the Department of Parks and Recreation for your question. You can reach them at 951-826-2000. Happy hiking!
Where is the waterfall located
Hi Jessr,
There is a small spring that runs through the park, though during the hot months there is not a lot of water there. If you hike along where you see trees in the riparian zones you’ll come across one. However, we don’t suggest visitors go into the riparian zones due to the large amounts of poison oak the park has. Happy hiking!
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What trails have the most shade? Looking for summer hike recs in Riverside County. Thank you!
Hello,
Thank you for your question. The park lacks shade in most places. We have a coastal sage scrub terrain and lack trees in most areas. The few areas that the canyon does have trees usually also have poison oak, so we do not suggest them as places to rest. If you do choose to hike in the canyon we suggest a hat, lots of sunscreen, and water.
Can you ride horses in the park on the trails?
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your question. Horses are fine, however the trails are not groomed and are usually not deemed good riding trails. There are also no places to park a horse trailer with convenient trails to enter the park from. We would suggest the Box Springs area as a better alternative, however you are welcome to visit the park and judge for yourself how suitable the trails would be.
Is there any wild animals?
Hi Dana,
Yes, we do have many animals that live in the park. The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park is a preserve and exists as a home and safe haven for many of the animals in the area. Some of our animals include bobcats, coyotes, snakes, lizards, the endangered Stephen’s kangaroo rat, vultures, hawks, song birds, ground squirrels, and rabbits. For more information, please feel free to stop inside the Ameal Moore Nature Center located at 400 Central Ave. Riverside 92507 to speak with an employee Thursdays 1pm-5pm or Fridays-Sundays 9am-5pm.