Lakeview Trail Portion Opens at Diamond Valley Lake as Wildflowers Bloom in Profusion.

HEMET, Calif. -- A portion of a new trail will open to the public Saturday at Diamond Valley Lake, Hemet, giving hikers beautiful vistas of hillsides ablaze with California poppies and other spring wildflowers.

Diamond Valley Lake, a freshwater reservoir owned and operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, is the region's largest lake, 4.5 miles long and more than two miles wide. It is surrounded by thousands of acres of protected reserve land.

"With the recent rains, the wildflower show should only get better in the coming weeks, and opening this new trail will provide some stunning views of the lake and the surrounding hillsides," said Gilbert Ivey, interim Metropolitan chief executive officer. The open portion of the Lakeview Trail begins at the lake's marina area, and meanders along the north side of the lake. Until now, this path was open only to anglers as a way to reach the designated shore fishing areas of Diamond Valley Lake. Later this year Metropolitan intends to open the entire Lakeview Trail, which will circle the lake, to the public.

Approximately two miles of the Lakeview Trail (four miles roundtrip) will be open this first weekend, but an additional mile is expected to be added by March 5. The trail offers pleasant walking; the additional mile opening March 5 will be more strenuous.

Visitors will enter at the lake's east entrance, at Searl Parkway and Domenigoni Parkway, and will pay the standard $7 entrance/parking fee. Trail maps and wildflower identification booklets will be included. The trail, like the lake itself, will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Parking will be in the marina parking lot.

In addition, Diamond Valley Lake offers the 5.9-mile North Hills Trail, which runs along the northern slope of the north hills and provides sweeping views of the Hemet/San Jacinto valley, but just very briefly of the lake itself. That trail can usually be entered from either the east entrance, Domenigoni Parkway and Searl Parkway, or from the west entrance at Winchester Road (Route 79) and Construction Road. Currently the east trail head is closed due to storm-related damage.

For further information, phone [phone]-LAKE or visit www.dvlake.com.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 18 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.