Just off state Route 76, between Pala and Pauma Valley along the San Luis Rey River, is a small but beautiful county park that most people have never heard of.
Each year, only about 2,000 people visit the 720-acre Wilderness Gardens, which is a shame.
And also part of its charm.
“I think the best thing Wilderness Gardens has to offer is peace and quiet,” said Jake Enriquez, county parks district park manager.
Quiet and quite a bit of history.
The park was acquired by the county in 1973 and was the first open-space preserve in its park system. The land contains historical evidence from three important periods – the Luiseño period, the Sickler Brothers Pala Mill period and the Manchester Boddy Wilderness Garden period.
In September, an old gristmill on the property was designated a historic landmark by the County of San Diego Historic Site Board.
But let's back up a bit.
Luiseño Indians settled in the area more than 10,000 years ago, gathering acorns from oaks growing along the river. Grinding rocks can still be found near the water.
In 1881, M.M. Sickler and his younger brother W.A. Sickler bought the land and built the first mill in northern San Diego County. Its massive grinding stones were made in France and shipped to Missouri and then to Oceanside, where they were hauled to Pala by wagon.
To turn the stones and grind the flour, water from the river was diverted upstream into a flume and then dropped 20 feet onto a waterwheel next to the mill house.
The mill's rock foundation and waterwheel still exist and are part of a distinctive form of architecture unique to gristmills.
The park has six miles of mostly flat trails,one of which takes you to an overlook. Along that trail, remnants of the flume can still be seen.
Enriquez said much research needs to be done to understand exactly how the mill was powered. “We're not really sure how the water was dropped down,” he said.
Before a dam created Lake Henshaw in 1923, the river flowed much more freely, and there are indications the gristmill operated year-round, Enriquez said.
Farmers from all over North County would come with their families in wagons filled with corn, wheat or barley, which would be ground.
According to a document prepared last year by the county's Department of Parks and Recreation nominating the mill for historic landmark designation, farmers would make a vacation out of it:
“Having corn and wheat ground into flour at the mill was not a quick operation. Since it was the only mill in the area and the only means of getting corn and wheat to the mill was by wagon, it often took people several days to get to and from the mill. Once at the mill people had to wait from days to several weeks to get their crop processed. Families made this a fun family outing. Customers and their families would camp at the mill for two weeks or more, sharing stories and recipes, and trading goods.”
A small school was established for children to attend while the grain was being processed.
The mill operated for about 10 years, it appears, and the property then changed hands several times.
In 1954, Manchester Boddy, editor, publisher and owner of the Los Angeles Daily News, bought the property and built a lush garden. An avid horticulturist, Boddy planted thousands of camellia, azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs and many other shrubs and flowers. Many non-native flora can still be seen among the oaks, sycamores and other native plants.
“This place lets us show a snapshot in time of San Diego County,” Enriquez said. “We are encouraging more people to come.”
To that end, park officials have been making improvements to the entrance of the preserve. Thanks to a $16,000 donation from the Friends of Wilderness Gardens Preserve, a group that has been active in caring for the park for more than three decades, a solar-powered iron entrance gate was recently installed.
Additionally, a new double-sided sign alerts motorists along the highway to the park's existence. A $1,500 donation from the county Parks Society paid for the planting of native species to give the entrance some color year-round. The park improvements were dedicated during a small ceremony last week.
“We're trying to do a little beautification up front to get people to know there is a beautiful county park down here,” Enriquez said.
The park is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is closed in August because it is so hot.
Dogs and horses are not allowed on the grounds, and there is a $2 parking fee. Guided tours are available by reservation. For more information, call the park at (760) 742-1631.
J. Harry Jones: (760) 737-7579; jharry.jones@uniontrib.com
