A Park Amongst the Heavens--Sky Ranch Park (Santee Parks Part 9)

If you are looking for a spectacular view and a new park in Santee to visit, Sky Ranch Park is the place for you. This 1.3 acre mini-park is located in the newer Sky Ranch development at 5850 Cala Lily Street.

The small Santee City park blends in with the rest of the Sky Ranch neighborhood, careful you may drive right by it.


The park has scenic views overlooking the surrounding Santee and El Cajon regions, including Gillespie Field Airport and nearby mountains.



While it is a small park, there is a covered giant playground area along with picnic shelters, picnic tables and barbecue grills. You can stroll along a walkway surrounging the open grassy area or rest on one of the benches and enjoy the solitude.


Dogs on leashes are allowed. Open dawn to dusk, it fits in perfectly with the executive home neighborhood.





by Virginia Hall
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Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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A Tucked Away Wonder--Shadow Hill Park (Santee Parks Part 8)

This eastern Santee park is tucked away in the Shadow Hills neighborhood off Woodside Road on the east side of Highway 67. It is located, off of Woodside Road, at 9161 Shadow Hill Road, between the newer Black Horse Estates and the Sky Ranch subdivisions.

The Shadow Hill Park, like many in Santee, features benches where you can just sit and enjoy the sunshine on a warm day or rest under the shade of a tree. Young children race about the large playground equipment. For the adults and teens, there is basket ball and tennis courts. People can barbecue on grills, plan parties under the covered gazebo. or just share a sack lunch on a picnic bench. Air jumps are also permitted with plenty of green space for children to run and play.

You will find a small bridge leading to a set of benches and a few trails to explore. Time to get away and enjoy another one of the Free Santee Parks.

For more information go to the Santee City website or for more information about other Santee Parks see my blog series on Talkin Real Estate.


Virginia Hall
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Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Stroll Down Mast Park West Trail (Santee Parks Part 7)

One of the newest trails in Santee opened in May 2011. It is an extension of Mast Park. The Trail head is a half-mile-long located just south of Carlton Oaks Boulevard just off of Carlton Hills Boulevard.





You can access the trail on the west side of Carlton Hills Boulevard or you can enter park the Mast Park west end parking and walk under the bridge where the Boy Scout Troup 51 has painted several nature murals leading you to the trail entrance.

The finely fenced walking trail weaves through a thickly wooded area that leads to a shaded bench area where you can rest, or just to enjoy a veiw of a river pond where ducks wade and feed off the natural wildlife.



The trail ends at Carlton Oaks Golf Course, where one day there is hope to extend the trail. In the future, Santee,San Diego and the San Diego River Conservancy hope to create a system of trails for bicycle and pedestrian corridors, along both sides of the river from the East County to the rest of San Diego.


Virginia Hall
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Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
VirginiaHall.com
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Big Rock Park--West Santee Neighborhood Park (Santee Parks Part 6)

If you live in the west end of Santee, you will want to visit this five-acre neighborhood park with entrances located off Mesa & Prospect and also on Arlette St. adjacent to Chet F. Harritt Elementary School. Not only does this Santee Park offers lots of fun activity areas including basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, it has gazebo picnic benches, grills, two playgrounds and an open green space.

The park like many of the Santee Parks, it is dog friendly with special time for off leash playtime: Monday through Friday, dawn to 9:00 a.m.

The park is also the home of the City’s summer day camp. A modular building (CSD-1) in the northwest corner of the park has served as the recreation program classroom.

One of the other exciting activities, that many of the Santee Parks permit, are Air Jumps.

Before or at the end of you visit to this park, you will want to hike on one of the Trailheads to the Mission Trails Regional Park located next to the park .

Virginia Hall
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Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Woodglen Vista Park, a Neighborhood Park Geared to All Ages (Santee Parks Part 5)

When I look back over the years of living in Santee, my family has spent many hours at the Woodglen Vista Park, located at 10250 Woodglen Vista Drive, Santee, CA 92071, just behind Cajon Park Elementary. As toddlers and young children, my sons romped around on the playground equipment and enjoyed exploring the large lush green areas and trees.

As my sons grew older, we played games of tennis on the two courts; they played friendly games of basketball on the full size basketball court; and in the spring, they practiced or played on the baseball/softball field.

In their adolescence and teen years, when they took to biking and skateboarding, they spent many hours doing their flips and tricks in the Skate and BMX Park.

We celebrated many family birthdays under the large picnic pavilion. On the weekends and during the summer, people enjoy grilling on the barbecues preparing meals to enjoy on the picnic tables.

Recently, the park fenced off an area where owners can relax in chairs and watch their dogs run free off their leashes.

While there is a lot of activity at this park, it is spread out over 10 acres allowing for even people looking for solitude to find it. This is a great neighborhood park to visit and enjoy some time with one another or by yourself.

For more information about the park, visit Woodglen Vista Park.

Virginia Hall
ABR, CRS, e-Pro, GRI, SFR
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
VirginiaHall.com
Direct (619)258-8585

Santee Lakes an Outdoor Heaven & Fun Run September 24th (Santee Parks Part 4)

If you are looking for a tranquil place to fish or a place to enjoy some quality family time, you need look no further for an outdoor heaven.

Fifty years ago Padre Dam Municipal Water District created the popular 190 acre Santee Lakes by recycling waste water into seven lakes. The focus of the Lakes is Recreation, Restoration, and Re-investment.

Besides fishing, where you only need a low cost fishing permit for the day, Santee Lakes has a menu of outdoor opportunities such as boat rentals including row boats, kayaks, canoes, peddle boats; Camping with 300 full hookup RV campsites and the recent addition of 10 cabins on or near the lake; picnic areas for large and small groups; playgrounds; and even a Sensory Gardens for the sight impaired. Please see the Santee Lake website for more information.

You won't want to miss the second annual Lap the Lakes 5K Run/Walk and 1/2 mile Jr Fun Run on Saturday September 24,2011, hosted by the Santee Lakes Foundation. For more details go to the Santee Lakes Website for details.

If you haven't visited this haven for outdoor activities, you will need to do it today. Even if you just take a stroll or feed the ducks.

Virginia Hall
ABR, CRS, e-Pro, GRI, SFR
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
VirginiaHall.com
Direct (619)258-8585

Mast Park a Hidden Neighborhood Jewel (Santee Parks Part 3)

This park is located at 9125 Carlton Hills Blvd, Santee, CA . The park entrance is just behind the Carlton Oaks Plaza business center and Santee Llibrary at the corner of Carlton Hills Boulevard and Carlton Oaks Boulevard. The park is open dawn to dusk and features a large playground, a basketball court, an extensive trail system, a sand volleyball court and an equestrian trail.

At first you might be concerned about what looks like a small parking lot, but keep driving and you will find more parking below the main lot.
On my recent visit, I discovered that the park now has a fenced off-leash dog area where dogs can romp freely.
Besides walking along the natural habitat areas and extensive trail system surrounding the park; in the past, I have used the park for birthday picnics. We celebrated on picnic tables under sheltered gazebos with restrooms nearby. The park offers plenty of trees and green areas as well Barbecue Grills for hot dogs. If the play equipment and a basketball court aren’t enough, Air Jumps are also permitted.

A delightful park to visit. For more information on this park and others visit Santee Parks.

Virginia Hall
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
619)258-8585
Virginia@VirginiaHall.com
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