Rancho penesquitos Ranch House Photography Sessions

The Rancho Penesquitos Ranch House is one of my favorite San Diego outdoor, rustic locations for engagement and family sessions. It's located at the Los Penesquitos Canyon Preserve, next to the Canyonside Community Park. Los Penesquitos Ranch House is a good option if you're looking for different settings of raw nature in your photography session.

I usually meet the clients at the beginning of the trail and walk with them until we get to the Ranch House. There are many good spots for photos along the way. Aside from tall trees and California vegetation, Rancho Penesquitos Ranch House offers a variety of aspects that can be used in your session, such as a river with rocks, fallen logs, a barn, and historic houses.

Some walking is required to photograph at this location. The trail is easy and flat. Beginner hikers will be fine, but it might not be the best option for people with difficulty walking and older folks. If you have someone in that situation in your group and still want to use this location, I recommend you park close to the Ranch House. We can still get great shots very close to that parking lot, and they can comfortably wait while we use the locations further away. The trail part of this location is not wheelchair-accessible or stroller-friendly. 

The Rancho Penesquitos Ranch house usually gets flooded during heavy rains, and part of the trail is closed to the public. While we can still use this location after raining, some places I usually go are inaccessible. And it will be very wet.

Rancho Penesquitos Ranch House offers a lot of options for a nature shoot. With several unique settings along the trail and the Ranch House rustic architecture, this location is complete and could be the perfect setting for family pictures. 

Meeting Point: Here's the address to Rancho Penesquitos Ranch House: Canyonside Park Driveway, San Diego, CA 92129. I usually meet at the last parking lot before entering the Ranch House driveway.

Access: Rancho Penesquitos Ranch House has easy access. It has a large parking lot that almost always has plenty of parking. Some weekends have youth baseball games, and those parking lots can become full. When that happens, I recommend parking at the Ranch House. I've never seen that parking lot with too many cars.

Best Time: This location works well in the morning and around sunset. For morning sessions it's best to start as early as your family's dynamic allows. The lighting is nice and soft early in the morning, but we don't want the sun to get too high as it progressively gets worse throughout the day. 

Since the sun sets behind a mountain at Rancho Penesquitos Ranch House, I usually end the session about 20 minutes before sunset. So, ideally, we start the session around one hour and a half before sunset. 

Pets: If you're planning on bringing your dog, Rancho Penesquitos Ranch House is a great place. It's 24 hours a day dog-friendly. Please notice that dogs must be on a leash at all times at the Rancho Penesquitos Ranch House. 

Please click here if you would like to see my family photography portfolio. Also, click here for my mini-session page.