Activities

Historic Julian, CA - KQ Ranch Resort
KQ Ranch activities - Julian, CA

Historic Julian, CA

Historic Julian California is located 4 miles north from KQ Ranch Resort in the beautiful Cuyamaca mountains. Take a step back in time to the days of Julian’s beginning rooted in the 1870s gold rush. Get away from the hectic rush of city life and discover the charms of Julian.

See where gold was discovered. Shop in stores housed in historic buildings, some dating back to the 1870s. Sample Julian’s famous apple pies. Hike and picnic amid oaks and pines. Ride down Main Street in a horse-drawn carriage. Enjoy! A variety of activities lets you create your own memorable Julian experience.

California Wolf Center - KQ Ranch Resort
California Wolf Center - KQ Ranch Resort
California Wolf Center

California Wolf Center

Located minutes from KQ Ranch Resort is the California Wolf Center where you can take your family on a public or private tour to see these endangered majestic animals. It’s a one-of-a-kind, conservation, education, and research center dedicated to wolf recovery in the wild. A state-wide organization with staff and volunteers also working in Northern California striving to pave the way for the return of wolves in our state.

Founded in 1977 to educate the public about wildlife and ecology, the Center is currently home to several packs of gray wolves, some of which play an important role in our educational programs. These wolves serve as ambassadors representing wolves in the wild. We also host highly endangered Mexican gray wolves, now being reintroduced into the southwestern United States. A visit to the Center provides a unique experience involving one of the most charismatic and controversial species in North American history.

Pacific Crest Trail & State - KQ Ranch Resort Park
Hiking Pacific Crest Trail & State - KQ Ranch Resort Park
Pacific Crest Trail & State - KQ Ranch Resort Park

Pacific Crest Trail and State Park

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is one of America’s most beautiful and scenic hiking trails, spanning 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through three western states. From the deserts of the Southwest to the glaciers in the Cascade Range, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail provides breathtaking views, worthy geological sections, and glimpses of wildlife not seen anywhere else.

Because of the trails’ qualities, thousands of hikers and equestrians enjoy it every year, whether it be a few miles or its entirety stretching up through Canada.

In the late 1930’s, the trail was first explored by teams from the YMCA. Pioneers Clinton Clarke and Warren Rogers then asked the federal government to secure a border-to-border trail corridor but settled only for several disconnected trails along the crest of each state. By 1968, the PCT was finally became one of the first scenic trails in the National Trails System and in 1993 it was dedicated.

The five sections of the PCT each have unique climate, geology, flora, and fauna. These sections are: Southern California, Central California, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.

The trail portion most accessible to those on vacation in Julian, CA with is the Southern California section which passes through Lake Morena County Park and beneath Interstate 8, to the rim of the Laguna Mountains. The trail dips into the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park at Scissors Crossing, then around the San Felipe Hills and mountains of the Cleveland National Forest before crossing Highway 74 at 4,900′ and climbing the backbone of the San Jacinto Mountains. It reaches its highest point in this section at 9,030′ shortly before it plunges to its lowest, crossing beneath Interstate 10 at (elev. 1,190′) in broad San Gorgonio Pass.

We know you will enjoy hiking this amazing portion of the Pacific Crest Trail as much as you enjoy camping around the various California State Parks in and around KQ Ranch Resort. Between our great amenities, and rates plus our nature filled grounds and the trail itself, you will have a great memorable stay during your Julian CA vacation filled with the chance of seeing humming birds, lizards, snakes, and coyotes. The plants are generally desert scrub, chaparral and some oak as you get into the higher elevations. Be sure to bring plenty of water, especially during the summer months when temperatures around Julian CA can get into the 80’s to the low 100’s.

Wine Tasting near KQ Ranch Resort
Wine Tasting near KQ Ranch Resort
Menhini Winery

Wine Tasting

What do you get when you cross an old apple packing shed and Mike and Toni Menghini? You get the Menghini Winery, located in Julian, California, that’s what!!!

Here they produce many fine wines including a ’98 Chardonnay, a dry light wine, no oak, with a crisp, clean finish; a ’98 Sauvignon Blanc, a soft, dry, easy to drink wine good with numerous dishes; a ’98 Trinity, a Meritage; a field blend of Carignane, Grenache & Mourvedre, an excellent light style red made in the Rhone tradition; and a ’97 Cabernet Sauvignon, a heavy-bodied wine with a great berry-like character. Other wines are also available as so is a variety of cheeses, salamis, olives, preserves, crackers, and other wine-related items.

The Menghini Winery is also home to the annual grape stomp in September where music, food, wine and of course the stomping barrel make this an unforgettable event! KQ Ranch Resort is located in Julian, CA, right near the winery, so be sure to book your KQ Ranch Resort reservation today for great days of fun, adventure and of course, wine tasting….

The MENGHINI WINERY is located at
1150 Julian Orchards Drive
P.O. Box 1359, Julian CA 92036
(760) 765-2072

www.restaurantji.com/ca/julian/menghini-winery-/

The next stop on your wine tasting tour is the Witch Creek Winery located at 2000 Main Street in Julian. The actual winery is in Carlsbad, but they also have a wine tasting room near the KQ Ranch. Here you can experience some fine wines including a 1999 Silver Medal Merlot, a 1999 Reserve Pinot Noir and many, many others. They also carry a fun line of decorative corks, glasses, and Witch Creek T-shirts.

Bernardo Winery is the oldest operating vineyard in Southern California. The winery was established in 1889 and then was purchased by the Rizzo family in 1928. It survived the prohibition era by selling “sacramental wine” and fresh grape juice guaranteed to start fermenting before you got home. They have red, white, dinner and dessert wines and a full tasting room where you can find rare sauces, and dressings, pickles and olives and cold pressed olive oil of which the winery produces. The tasting room is open daily from 9AM-5PM and the winery is located at 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte in San Diego. You can call (858) 487-1866 for directions or ask one of the KQ Ranch hands to direct you to a great Southern California Winery!

Reserve your Adventure with us today!