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The 784-acre neighborhood of Torrey Hills in San Diego, California, is bordered on the south and southeast by a natural oasis called Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. The 4,000-acre preserve stretches west to east, all the way from the Interstate 5/805 merge to Interstate 15, about seven miles, and is a popular place for San Diegans to hike, observe wildlife, or learn about some of the 175 bird and 500 plant species that live there, many of them endangered. It’s also a great place for local students to be introduced to San Diego ecosystems while on field trips with Torrey Hills tutors and teachers.

The preserve encompasses two canyons: Lopez Canyon and Peñasquitos Canyon. The surprisingly dense woodland supports a riparian wilderness due to the presence of the year-round Peñasquitos Creek. Approximately in the center of the preserve, hikers will find a volcanic rock outcropping that forms a small waterfall. This waterfall—a seeming anomaly in the middle of San Diego—is one of the most popular hiking destinations in north inland San Diego County.

The area was part of the first Mexican land grant—Santa Maria de los Peñasquitos—in San Diego County, which was given to Francisco de Maria Ruíz in 1823 in gratitude for his long military service by the first Mexican governor of California, Luis Antonio Arguello. Dissatisfied with the property, Ruíz requested a second one, saying the first was unsuitable for cattle grazing or cultivation. He received a second land grant in 1834.

A volunteer organization, the Friends of Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, assists the city and county in taking care of the preserve. Volunteers have removed invasive exotic plants and replanted native plants, performed wildlife studies, installed kiosks, coordinated Scout projects, led guided walks, and built interpretive gardens. They also lead tours of San Diego’s second-oldest standing residence, Rancho Santa Maria de los Peñasquitos, which is located on the eastern end of the preserve and is the site of Ruíz’s first adobe casa, as well as a larger ranch home that was built around it. The historic rancho has three-foot-thick adobe walls and contains settler and Indian artifacts.

On the western side of the preserve, hikers will come across the ruins of a second adobe, the El Cuervo Adobe. This adobe was built on the second land grant. Part of the home and the remains of a cattle corral still stand today. The crumbling brick pillars are covered by a modern roof to prevent further destruction from the elements.

Torrey Hills tutors and teachers can help their students get a peek into early California by sharing the history of Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.