My May 2025 Photo of the Month is EC257, in a beautiful grove of oak trees at the aptly named Oakoasis County Preserve.
In San Diego County (and many other coastal areas), May is our “May Gray” month, win our prevailing onshore flow bringing morning clouds. This also becomes quite ideal hiking weather.
One of my pursuits has been to visit many of the Preserves in the County. They are owned by a variety of jurisdictions, including cities, counties, and the State. One overlooked area had been a relatively small area called the Oakoasis County Preserve.
The loop trail is quite nice, and can be done quickly, or if you’re hiking with me, a leisurely pace. There were so many opportunities to make images, it took longer than a stroll.
This scene is just off the trail, among the larger oaks and the forest floor it supports. Branches always go in a multitude of patterns, and hillsides like these, still beautifully green, are wonderful to enjoy before the heat shows up in the Summer.
I actually visited this particular preserve a few times over May, just to try to capture something different.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the image.
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T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.
Beautiful image – a love I’d love to visit.
I meant a *place* I’d love to visit.
That turned out really well. Nice framing and depth!