Oak Glen Preserve is a nature preserve owned and managed by The Wildlands Conservancy, a nonprofit land conservancy. Covering 909 acres (3.68 km2) in San Bernardino County, California, it is located in the western foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. Key features include the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden and Children's Outdoor Discovery Center, and Los Rios Rancho, California's largest historic apple orchard. The preserve receives 600,000 visitors per year. More preserves can be found in the list of preserves.
| Oak Glen Preserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
  Location of Oak Glen Preserve | |
| Location | San Bernardino County, California |
| Nearest city | Oak Glen, California |
| Coordinates | 34°2′25″N 116°56′29″W / 34.04028°N 116.94139°W |
| Area | 909 acres (3.68 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,024 feet (1,531 m) |
| Created | 1996 |
| Visitors | 600,000 (in 2023)[1] |
| Operator | The Wildlands Conservancy |
| Website | Oak Glen Preserve |
Recreation
editActivities include picnicking, hiking, and educational programs. The northern part of the preserve includes Galena Peak (9,324 feet), Wilshire Peak (8,700 feet), Birch Mountain (7,826 feet), and additional nearby peaks such as Cedar Mountain and Oak Glen Peak, which offer scenic views.[2]
Los Rios Rancho is Southern California's largest apple orchard and has been in operation since 1906. From September to November, visitors can pick apples and buy various apple-based products, like cider and pie. The orchard is managed through a long-term lease by Riley Family Enterprises, which operates the orchards, packing shed, and bakery, and organizes events during apple season.[2]
Botanic Garden
editThe Southern California Montane Botanic Garden and Children's Outdoor Discovery Center are within the preserve. The garden contains a set of themed venues that are continually expanded. Within the 220 acres are oak woodlands, conifer forests, chaparral grasslands, redwood and sequoia trees, two streams, ponds, and wetlands, representing diverse montane habitats, including willow woodlands. The garden’s unique landscapes make it a popular location for photography.[2]
The Botanic Garden has served as an educational resource for tens of thousands of students since 2014, providing field trips that showcase Southern California’s biodiversity. The conservancy plans to expand these programs to foster ecological awareness.[2]
Children’s Outdoor Discovery Center
editThe Conservancy offers a hands-on Children’s Outdoor Discovery Center, where a naturalist guides students in exploring local ecosystems. The Outdoor Discovery Program serves around 22,000 students each year and has introduced nearly half a million students to natural settings beyond their neighborhoods. Interactive garden trails include quizzes designed to engage visitors of all ages.[2]
Botanic Garden Venues
edit| Venue | Created | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Pasture | ||
| Stream Trail | ||
| Sacred Springs | ||
| Chaparral Vistas | ||
| Wetlands Boardwalk | ||
| Conifers of California | ||
| Deciduous Forest | ||
| Aquatic Ecosystems | ||
| Hummingbird Hill | 2015 | 30 varieties of native plants with blooms that attract hummingbirds[3] |
| Falling Waters | ||
| Artist's Palette | 2016 | Native wildflowers mirror Monet's palette[4] |
Geography
editThe preserve is located in a glen at 5,024 feet, beneath Wilshire Peak (8,700 feet).
Flora and fauna
editA Canyon live oak is the largest of its species. The National Register of Champion Trees states it is 473 inches in circumference, 124 feet in height with a 98-foot crown spread.[5] There are plans to build a trail to the tree.[6]
History
editIn 1995, Los Rios Ranch was acquired by The Wildlands Conservancy.
In 2004, most of the orchard was leased for apple growing and entertainment.
In 2014, the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden and Children's Outdoor Discovery Center were opened.[7]
In 2018, pests killed many of the oak trees. The diseased trees had to be removed.[8][9]
In December 2019, a catastrophic snowstorm devastated trees. Several feet of wet snow caused limbs to fall and hundreds of trees to topple. The damage was compounded because the trees hadn't shed their leaves. Thirty percent of black oaks and many sycamores were lost.[10][11] A second snow storm hit in January 2020 causing additional damage. The damage was less severe than the prior storm because the deciduous trees had lost their leaves.[12]
In 2020, three fires impacted the preserve. The Apple Fire burned to Wilshire Peak. Fire crews protected the champion oak tree.[13][14] The El Dorado Fire burned the north side of Oak Glen Preserve. A third fire destroyed the Los Rios Rancho buildings (bakery, store, packing house) and the preserve's ranger shop.[15][16][17] A couple of years later, a mudslide devastated a local business just down the road from the preserve.[18]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Oak Glen Preserve webpage". Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Gustuson, Rachael M. (September 6, 2024). "The Oak Glen Preserve is magical". Record Gazette. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ Steinberg, Jim (May 12, 2015). "Oak Glen Preserve to open Hummingbird Hill attraction". San Bernardino Sun.
- ^ unknown (May 23, 2016). "Oak Glen Preserve: New Artist's Palette garden blooming with native wildflowers". Redlands Daily Facts.
- ^ "Champion Tree National Register". American Forests. 2015.
- ^ Hurt, Suzanne (June 24, 2014). "OAK GLEN: Trail planned to country's largest known oak tree". The Press-Enterprise.
- ^ Steinberg, Jim (May 28, 2014). "Southern California Montane Botanic Garden opens in Oak Glen". San Bernardino Sun.
- ^ McMillan, Rob (December 26, 2018). "Pest killing many of the oaks in Inland Empire's Oak Glen". KABC.
- ^ Iyer, Jennnifer (December 23, 2018). "Small beetle now killing 'epic' oaks in San Bernardino mountains". Redlands Daily Facts.
- ^ Iyer, Jennifer (December 12, 2019). "Oak Glen snowstorm's tree 'catastrophe' causes millions of dollars in damage". Redlands Daily Facts.
- ^ Dinkel, Jesse (December 13, 2019). "Wildlands Conservancy in Oak Glen loses hundreds of trees in aftermath". NewsMirror.
- ^ Dinkel, Jesse (January 2, 2020). "Another snow storm hits Oak Glen". NewsMirror.
- ^ Gustuson, Rachael (August 6, 2020). "Fire crews work to protect centuries-old oak tree in Oak Glen from potential fire". NewsMirror.
- ^ unknown (August 12, 2020). "Inmates save largest oak tree in North America, believed to be 1,000-years-old". KMIR via NBC News.
- ^ Henry, Laine (October 2, 2020). "Fire destroys Los Rios Rancho buildings in Oak Glen; preserve closed until further notice". Palm Springs Desert Sun.
- ^ Rokos, Brian (October 2, 2020). "Fire tears through Los Rios Rancho apple farm in Oak Glen". The Orange County Register.
- ^ Rokos, Brian (October 3, 2020). "Los Rios Rancho apple farm in Oak Glen partially reopens after fire". The Press-Enterprise.
- ^ Ellis, Joseph (September 29, 2022). "Disasters bring community closer". Redlands Community News.
Further reading
edit- Sanders, J.R. (2006). Oak Glen and Los Rios Rancho. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-4653-4.