LAKE ELSINORE, CA — With May Gray at the coast, now is the perfect time of year to explore and visit Southwest Riverside County. Visit Temecula Valley has launched its newest campaign, “10Lake Valley,” a campaign focusing on eight communities and 214 square miles of lakes, rivers, cities, mountain peaks, and fertile valleys of Temecula Valley Wine Country.

Visit Temecula Valley CEO Scott Wilson discussed the push to showcase the SoCal wildlands.

“To me, the 10 Lake Valley idea is that this is the ultimate outdoor playground in our area. You get out there in your own backyard,” Wilson said. “My favorite is hiking around Lake Skinner, and Diamond Valley Lake is massive. It’s beautiful and picturesque for fishing and boating. More, to create core memories with your family.”

Area residents regularly hike, bike, fish, boat, or hot-air balloon over much of our slice of Riverside County.

Jogging trails around Diamond Valley Lake, hiking trails along the Santa Rosa Plateau, and camping at Lake Hemet are only some of the area’s hidden gems.

“For the people who play on the edges and carve their own paths, who never leave a scenic route untaken, or a vista unviewed, the combined efforts of the initiative shows the varied regions that Southwest Riverside County has for residents and visitors to enjoy.

One of the top and most recognizable destinations is Temecula Valley Wine Country, spanning over 2,460 acres of vineyards with nearly 50 wineries. But there is much more to the area than that.

Where are the 10 Lakes Of Southwest Riverside County?

Within Southwest Riverside County, there are ten lakes, all distinct for their beauty, water sports, and fishing. They mirror the surrounding communities of Canyon Lake, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, San Jacinto, Temecula, and Wildomar:

“These enchanting waters nourish our spirits, flourish our lands, and cultivate a refreshing sense of serenity and connection. So whether you’re here for thrills and watersports or chilling out on the water in the sun, these 10 lakes will stir your soul,” according to the website.

1. Canyon Lake: Welcome to the paradise of this close-knit lakeside community. When you visit,enjoy the hiking, pubs, and clubs and the sprawl of lakes and beaches.
2. Diamond Valley Lake: Surrounded by mountains, come to enjoy the stunning vistas. Home of “monster-sized” fish, you can rent boats or e-bikes at the marina, or walk the 22.7 mile trails around the lake.
3. Heritage Lake: A 1.3 mile walking trail surrounds this 25-acre lake. Come to use outdoor exercise equipment, sports equipment and children’s play areas.
4. Lake Elsinore: Ideal for outdoor adventure enthusiasts, skydiving, hang-glide, wingsuit or boat, jet ski, and windsurfing.
5. Lake Hemet: Fishing and camping lovers, the mountain lake of Lake Hemet offers glamping and lakefront cabins, boat rentals and a swim zone. Seasonally stocked with rainbow and lightning trout, and fish year-round for blue gill, crappie, bass and catfish.
6. Lake Perris: Birdwatchers paradise, this lake is ideal for hiking, biking, scuba diving, water sports, nature walks, horseback riding and fishing.
7. Lake Skinner: Camping, picnicking, splash pad, hiking, horseback, riding, sailing, fishing and non-body contact boating. Day use available. The location of the annual Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival.
8. Menifee Lakes: Surrounded by two 18-hole golf courses, this lake stretches over 36 acres of waterways this lake is an idyllic backdrop of golfers, casual walkers and hikers.
9. Mystic Lake: Another birdwatcher’s paradise, Mystic lake sees 200 identified species of birds annually and sits adjacent to a 9,000 San Jacinto Wildlife area.
10. Vail Lake: Visit the KOA campground and check out the lake for bass fishing, bike park, a world-class bike park with 25-miles of trails, obstacles, flow track and races for mountain biking and BMX.

While Lake Skinner is a reservoir, with no body contact but fishing and boating allowed, lakes like Diamond Valley Lake, Lake Hemet, and Lake Elsinore attract visitors interested in water sports like fishing, kayaking, windsurfing, boating, water skiing, and jet skiing.

The project was in keeping with the statewide initiative to get tourism on track. To do that, extensive research was conducted, deciding on the locally known but not often shared outdoor activities around our many lakes. The result was the 10Lake Valley website and ad campaign, built to educate those who wish to come, stay, and play here. Financing for the project was bolstered by 2022 ARPA funds, according to Wilson.

Chuck Washington, Riverside County’s Third District Supervisor, discussed the project to expand local tourism beyond the valley.

“What many people don’t know about Southwest Riverside County is that there are many unique areas waiting to be discovered, and that’s what 10Lake Valley is all about,” Washington said. “I am immensely proud of this initiative, which showcases the incredible beauty of our region and creates new opportunities for exploration and adventure for our visitors.”

Learn more by exploring online at 10lakevalley.com.

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PERRIS, CA — A Menifee teen was facing felony charges after leading a weekend police chase through the Perris area in an off-road vehicle.

Shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday, the 16-year-old boy, whose name was not released due to his age, was spotted driving a Polaris RZR on a public street with an underage passenger.

Deputies from the Perris Sheriff’s Station tried to pull him over, but instead of stopping the teen “sped away and drove recklessly … endangering other drivers,” the sheriff’s department reported.

Deputies chased the off-road vehicle through Romoland, Nuevo and Lakeview, and finally corraled the teen and his passenger in the hills near Foothill and Orange avenues, just south of Lake Perris, the agency said.

The passenger was taken into custody but later released to his parents. The driver, however, was booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of two counts of felony evading and one count of reckless driving, according to the sheriff’s department.

“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Perris are dedicated to the safety of everyone, including community members driving on/off the streets. Additionally, we would like to remind our community members that operating an OHV on [a] public street is not only illegal but it can also be dangerous,” the law enforcement agency said.

Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/ivm/ or http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/ for legal off-road locations across the region. For additional information regarding OHV access spots, contact the Perris Sheriff’s Station at 951-210-1000.

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A mellow jams music festival on the shores of Lake Perris featuring beach parties, art workshops, group yoga and other activities will get underway this week, continuing through the weekend.

The “Same Same But Different” — SSBD — fest is slated to start Thursday and wrap up Sunday on Moreno Beach.

“We are an independent music festival, composed of incredibly passionate creatives who love crafting a magical escape annually on the shores of Lake Perris,” according to an SSBD Fest statement. “While we all love to party, and there’s no lack of fun at SSBD, our goal is to provide a rejuvenating sanctuary, where you can enjoy yourself and nourish your mind, body and soul.”

An SSBD event was also held last fall at Lake Perris.

Four stages will be in operation, though the musical acts won’t start until Friday morning, with boating, camping, meditation, live painting, swimming and other fare available ahead of the performances.

Some of the bands slated to play include Aviator Stash, Bix King, Elbee, Hippie Sabotage, Kat Hall, the Phantoms and What So Not.

Styles lean toward electronica and coffeehouse.

Attendees will have the option of camping on-site or entering the Lake Perris State Recreation Area via their own vehicles, shuttle services or on foot.

Entertainment will begin about 8 a.m. daily, concluding as late as 2 a.m.

Day passes are available, as well as passes for the duration of the event. Prices start at $250.

Additional information is available at ssbdfest.com.

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