Avid anglers are well aware of the tremendous fishing opportunities
available at Diamond Valley Lake. Trophy bass, catfish, trout and lots
of crappie are bountiful in this gorgeous and spacious lake. But let’s
face it, not everyone is crazy about fishing. Some people have other
interests as hard as that is to believe. That’s why Diamond Valley
Lake is such a great venue. There is so much more to do there for the
people in your life who perhaps don’t have the same enthusiasm for
angling that you and I do. Let’s explore three things you can do other
than fishing at DVL.

Hiking

There is nothing like a hike at Diamond Valley Lake. Talk about a
break from reality. DVL is so close to where you live but you’ll feel
like you are hundreds of miles away from the stress of the city. On a
typical hike, you will see a myriad of different birds, all kinds of
wildlife, and in the spring, wild flowers bloom and dazzle your
imagination. Wishbone bush, arroyo lupines, and California poppies,
will reach peak bloom by mid-March and paint the hillsides in vibrant
and stunning colors. The Wildflower Trail is a 1.3-mile loop
accessible from the marina’s parking lot, with entry off of Domenigoni
and Searl parkways in Hemet. It is rated as an easy-to-moderate hike
with some rugged terrain.

Visit the Western Science Center

Did you know that over 1 million specimens and fossils we’re
discovered during the building process of diamond Valley Lake.
Incredible, right? The Western Science Center is a fascinating visit.
It is home to a large collection of Native American artifacts and Ice
Age fossils that were unearthed at Diamond Valley Lake, including
“Max”, the largest mastodon found in the western United States, and
“Xena”, a Columbian mammoth.

Visitors can view two movies on the construction of Diamond Valley
Lake, and the fauna of the Pleistocene in the Diamond and Domenigoni
Valleys, shown in a 270 degree immersive theater that shakes with the
movies. From there, visitors proceed to the paleontology gallery,
replete with fossils recovered and studied by scientists from the San
Bernardino County Museum. This museum makes it so clear that the lake
we fish and the hills we hike are truly historical treasures.

Visit nearby Estudillo Mansion

The water-wise garden in Estudillo Heritage Park has been designed
with water conservation in mind. The purpose of this garden is to
educate our community about the beauty and water-saving benefits of
planting drought tolerant and native California plants. The garden
was designed primarily with California native plants. However, there
are also plants from around the world that thrive in out Southern
California climate.

Founded in 1870 and incorporated on April 9, 1888, the City of San
Jacinto is one of Riverside County’s oldest communities with roots
that stretch back to the earliest days of California.

In 1842, after California had passed from Spanish to Mexican rule,
Jose’ Antonio Estudillo was granted the 35,500-acre Rancho San Jacinto
Viejo (Old San Jacinto), which took in most of the Valley.

Members of his family received two other nearby grants, giving the
Estudillo family control over some 110,000 acres in the area. The
Estudillos ran cattle on the land. Jose’ Estudillo died in 1852, but
his family continued to own most of the Valley until the early 1880’s.
Two of his sons built two-story brick mansions in 1885 – 1886. The
oldest, built by Franciso Estudillo (1844 – 1921) in 1885, is located
at Main and Seventh Streets in San Jacinto.

This is not only a lovely and peaceful place to visit but it’s useful
because it teaches the entire family about the value of water
conservation.

So as you can see, there is more to Diamond Valley Lake than just
fishing. Granted, fishing is still number one on my list. But I have
to admit, I am anxious to experience all that Diamond Valley Lake has
to offer.