Diamond Valley Lake Marina — Attraction in Hemet

The Diamond Valley Lake is a beautiful area. We went out there for the wildflower bloom, it was gorgeous. The Marina parking is very close to where the trail starts, the road that leads to the parking could be very busy if you come on the weekend or come too late in a day. We went there on Sunday 03.26.2023 about 11:50 am , but took us over an hour to get to the parking. Have to come earlier to avoid long lines. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The parking is 11$ and also 4 $ for each hiker and there is only one booth where you pay for your parking, so it backs up quickly. Unfortunately the dogs are not allowed on the trails, so if you think you can sneak in guess again, I saw people hike all the way from the bottom with their pets and had to go back, maybe it is allowed only if you stay in the parking and take turns to hike. Better off leaving your furry friends at home. There is park enforcement to keep things in order. Since this is a private Marina there are people that come with their boats. There is a boat ramp. the parking is paved, but there is other portion of parking that is not paved. The wildflower trail and organization was pretty great , with porta potties and benches along the way. The views from the trails were great, mountains with snowy peaks were visible. The wildflower hike was about 2 miles long, only in one area the elevation gain was ( 282 FT) top elevation was 1998 FT( the parking was about 1718 FT elevation). Overall the experience was 5 stars , although the wait to the parking was very long it was well worth it. I would definitely visit again. And Please respect the wildlife and flowers, don't stomp or sit on the flowers. There is many ways to have beautiful photos without destroying the nature. Thank you for the...

Pros: Beautiful wildflower display this year. Came in 2019 and was awestruck: 2023 is even better. So many varieties and vivid colors like I've never seen living my entire life in so CA.

CONS: Crowds are present but fairly well behaved, with the crowd control whistling loudly and yelling if they see people going off path. With this in mind come midweek we'd -fri early to avoid the debacle/ if you want peace in nature. On weekends, expect an hour long wait to park if you want to park at the wildflower trailhead. Parking is $11 a car plus access is $3 per person 3 & over. If you don't want to pay for parking you can hike up from the bottom of the road but it's about a mile steep hike up the road. Bathrooms OOO so all there is are porta potties. Well maintained upon arrival, once we left dirty and out of paper.

All this is said to set expectations, but in my opinion still a great option to see the...

A hidden gem in California! Loved seeing the wildflowers this season. (Not so) Pro tip: get there very early to avoid the crowds. As a nature enthusiast/traveler, I've learned this is the best way to enjoy if you want to soak the nature without the presence of too many people. Sure you'll have to sacrifice some sleep but it's worth it.

Got here at opening to hike the wildflower trail and just waited until the sun hit the hills before hiking. I am quite impressed by this well maintained trail. This is by far one of the cleanest ones I've been to in California.

The only "negative" I can say is the steep pricing since you have to pay per person in the car ($4 each) on top of the $11 entrance. HOWEVER, I think this is justified by how clean the lake area is. If I spent the whole day, or even half a day here, it'd be worth it. I want to buy a boat now... I also need to bring a bike...