Things to do in Wildomar: A Railroad Town with Wild Land Close By
Wildomar is a small Riverside County city split by Interstate 15. A plain guide to its parks and bigger outdoor places nearby.
8 Oct 2026
Wildomar is a city in southwestern Riverside County. It became a city on July 1, 2008, and had about 36,900 people at the 2020 census. Interstate 15 cuts through the middle of it. The hills around town are covered in coastal sage scrub and chaparral, and California sycamores grow along the stream beds.
The name is a mash-up of the founders' names: "Wil" for William Collier, "do" for Donald Graham, and "mar" for Margaret Collier Graham, Donald's wife and William's sister. They bought land here in 1883, and the settlement grew as a railroad town with a school, a post office and a depot by 1886. Passenger rail service ended in 1935.
Wildomar is small and mostly residential, so it has few big sights. This guide is honest about that and leans on the wild land around it.
Marna O'Brien Park
This is the largest of the city's parks, at 9 acres, and it is the place where the city holds many of its community events. It has three baseball fields, two basketball courts, two lit soccer fields, a play area for small children, three picnic shelters and a walking path. It is a good stop for kids who need to run.
More city parks
The city lists a few smaller neighborhood parks as well. Regency Heritage Park has a play area for small children, two half-size basketball courts, picnic shelters, benches and a dog park. It was laid out with direct access to a neighboring school, so the two share the space.
Windsong Park has a play area, a basketball court, a walking path around the edge and picnic tables. It also has three picnic shelters that groups can reserve. Both are quiet places for a short stop with children.
Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve
The most famous nature area near Wildomar is the Santa Rosa Plateau, an upland between Murrieta and Temecula at the southeast end of the Santa Ana Mountains. It protects purple needlegrass prairie, Engelmann oak woodland, chaparral, coastal sage scrub and vernal pools. It is the only place in the state with a protected, reproducing stand of Engelmann oaks.
At least 185 bird species and 27 mammal species, including bobcats, mule deer and mountain lions, have been recorded. There is a trail system of about 40 miles and a visitor center. Some old buildings from Rancho Santa Rosa still stand, and acorn grinding holes in boulders show where Native American people lived for thousands of years.
Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore is the largest natural freshwater lake in Southern California. It covers about 3,000 acres and has more than 14 miles of shoreline. Its water level rises and falls with rain, and the average depth is around 27 feet.
People fish, boat, kayak, paddleboard and swim there. There are public beaches with picnic areas and shade, and a four-mile levee for walking, hiking and nature watching. The lake sits next to the Elsinore Mountains, part of the Santa Ana range. The town of Wildomar began because a railroad was built past this lake in the 1880s.
Cleveland National Forest
The Cleveland National Forest covers part of the Santa Ana Mountains, and Lake Elsinore lies near it. The forest is the southernmost national forest in California, with chaparral canyons, meadows and oak and conifer forests. People hike, bike, ride horses and camp there. The scenic Ortega Highway runs 33 miles from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinore.
For families
Play a game of soccer or baseball at Marna O'Brien Park.
Walk the lakeshore at Lake Elsinore and watch the water.
Take kids to the Santa Rosa Plateau visitor center to see what lives there.
A short drive away
Everything on this list except Marna O'Brien Park is in neighboring areas, so plan on driving.
Good to know
Interstate 15 is the main road through town.
Nature reserves have rules. Stay on marked trails.
Check each park's and reserve's own website for current access.
Find local businesses
Planning a visit, or live nearby and need a hand with something? Browse the local businesses listed in the Temecula Valley guide to find who serves Wildomar and the towns around it.
Useful links
Businesses in Wildomar in the Temecula Valley guide
About Wildomar: the town at a glance
Own a business in Wildomar? Claim or add your listing, free
By Thomas Hassett and Eric Andrews, Local Business America
Photo: Steve Riggins, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Wikipedia, "Wildomar, California" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildomar,_California); City of Wildomar, "Marna O'Brien Park" (https://wildomar.gov/275/Marna-OBrien-Park); Wikipedia, "Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa_Plateau_Ecological_Reserve); Wikipedia, "Lake Elsinore, California" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Elsinore,_California); Wikipedia, "Cleveland National Forest" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_National_Forest); City of Wildomar, "Regency Heritage Park" (https://www.wildomar.gov/facilities/facility/details/Regency-Heritage-Park-3); City of Wildomar, "Windsong Park" (https://www.wildomar.gov/facilities/facility/details/Windsong-Park-4); City of Lake Elsinore, "Lake Recreation" (https://www.lake-elsinore.org/187/Lake-Recreation). Wikipedia text is available under CC BY-SA.