San Diego Reader

• Park | Outdoor Space | Ramona

Luelf Pond Preserve

• 3000 Duck Pond Lane, Ramona, CA 92065 | Directions
• 619-838-7215

Not far away from Barnett Ranch is a pint-sized (90-acre) preserve with an unpronounceable name: Luelf Pond. It’s also tough to find without explicit directions. From Dye Road, turn south on Southern Oak Road. Go one mile to Willow Oak Drive and turn right. Proceed 0.1 mile to what appears to be a cul-de-sac. Continue straight across that apparent dead-end to the narrow lane signed “Duck Pond.” Proceed another 0.15 mile to Luelf Pond (the duck pond) on the right and the signed Luelf Pond Open Space Preserve on the left. Park by the curbside and enjoy a fine stroll of about 2/3 mile (round trip) under a magnificent canopy of singed-but-surviving live oaks and post-Cedar-Fire pioneering vegetation. Note: those “pioneers” include plenty of poison oak in both bush and vine form.