Lucky 5 Ride

This month’s ride will be hosted at the LUCKY 5.

Directions: 14156 Sunrise Hwy – Julian, CA 92036

From East County – I-8 east to Highway 79 Julian turn off. Drive through the state park and pass Cuyamaca lake until you reach Sunrise Hiway. Go up Sunrise Highway 4.2  miles. At 4 mile marker start slowing down,  the entrance comes up quickly. The ranch parking is 3 miles down the valley. Go through the 1st gate at the highway, and drive 2 miles to the second gate. Go through the 2nd gate and travel 1 mile to the staging area.

THE STAGING AREA IS PAST THE HOUSE –  OUT BY THE CORRALS AND WORKSHOP.

The Lucky 5 Ranch was homesteaded in the 1860s by the Harper family, who built a home and some ranch buildings in Rattlesnake Valley. Charles Luckman purchased the ranch in 1940 as a summer home. Luckman, his wife, and three sons made 5, so he changed the name of the ranch to the “Lucky 5.” The ranch supports mature oaks and sycamores and abundant wildlife, such as golden eagle, mountain lion, bobcat, gray foxes, mule deer, and numerous species of reptiles and birds. The locale is an important transition between chaparral and cismontane habitats. At elevations from 4600 to 5400 feet above sea level, the ranch includes rolling grasslands and mountainous areas. The views to the desert below from the top of the escarpment are spectacular. It is also an important cultural area where the Kwaaymii Laguna Band of Mission Indians lived for generations. The Lucky 5 for many years was owned by the Daleys and Loa Senderos’ first home.