Sky Ranch, Santee, CA

Trailheads into the Mission Trails backcountry sit at one end of Sky Ranch, and a hillside subdivision with views across the valley sits at the other. In between, this long southern stretch of Santee takes in older streets off Mission Gorge Road, a run of business parks along Prospect Avenue and the slopes near the El Cajon line. The Sky Ranch development itself is the newest part, with houses from around 2013, and it pairs 209 single-family homes and 148 NorthStar townhomes with over 377 acres of protected natural land. Many of those houses sit on cul-de-sacs with mountain, valley and city views, and the HOA park on Cala Lily Street has grills, a lawn and a playground. Farther west the housing is older and more varied, and several mobile home parks line Mission Gorge Road and Prospect Avenue. Big Rock Park, on Mesa Road, sits at the foot of the trails, and a small dirt lot just past it marks a steep path up the back side of Cowles Mountain. Another trail starts at the dead end of Big Rock Road behind the houses and climbs into canyons that reach toward Pyles Peak. Shadow Hill Park on Shadow Hill Road is the everyday option, with tennis and basketball courts, barbecues and a looping path, and leashed dogs are welcome. Coffee 'N' Talk roasts its beans each week in a warehouse on Pathway Street and runs a cafe next door where you can watch the roaster work, with pastries from its own bakery. Out on Woodside Avenue near the Lakeside line, Ranch House Restaurant has served breakfast and plain diner plates since 1990 and opens at 7 every morning. Golden Eagle Market on North Magnolia Avenue covers quick stops, and the bigger grocery runs go to Sprouts or Vons on Mission Gorge Road. State Route 52 and State Route 125 are both close, and the Copper Line trolley leaves from Santee station near the Town Center. The neighborhood does not hang together as one place. Warehouses and light industry fill the middle along Prospect Avenue, so walking from one residential pocket to the next means crossing business parks and busy arterials. Hikers who live near Big Rock Park in Sky Ranch can start the climb up Cowles Mountain without getting in the car first.