Temecula has voted to put solar lights along the Great Oak Trail. Sunset in Temecula is 4:56 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, the day daylight saving time ends, and 4:42 p.m. by December 15. No construction start date has been published for the lights. For people in Paseo Del Sol who use the path along Pechanga Parkway after work, that means evening walks after the time change happen in the dark until the lights go in. Until then, the light comes from the parks at each end of the trail, and the city code gives those parks different closing times.
What the September 22 Vote Paid For
Valley News reported that the Temecula City Council voted 5-0 on September 22 to award a $227,000 construction contract to Vido Samarzich, Inc., a company based in Santa Ana. The council let the city manager approve up to $75,000 in change orders. It also found that the project counts as a safety improvement, which exempts it from Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan fees.
The project covers the northeast side of Pechanga Parkway, from Deer Hollow Way to Loma Linda Road. That's about 1.70 miles, or 8,976 feet. The city's Citywide Projects status page, updated October 9, says 76 lights. Valley News says 75.
The city's own project page hasn't caught up with the vote yet. Its Infrastructure Projects status report, dated "as of September 30, 2026," still says staff will recommend a $260,348 award to Earthscapes on September 22. That was the pre-meeting recommendation. The 5-0 vote Valley News reported is the actual decision.
The money was set aside well before the vote. The city's FY 2026-30 budget sheet for the project lists $852,808 in total funding: $352,808 from Measure S and $500,000 from Service Level C, Zone 28. That figure includes administration, design and construction engineering on top of construction itself.
The Sunset Doesn't Wait for the Contract
Here's how this fall's dates line up, from the bid process to the shortest days of the year:
- July 14, 2026: Council votes 5-0 to put the lighting project out to bid, per Valley News.
- July 16 to August 13, 2026: The project is advertised for construction bids.
- September 22, 2026: Council awards the contract.
- Sunday, November 1, 2026: Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunset is 4:56 p.m.
- December 15, 2026: Sunset is 4:42 p.m.
As of this week, neither the city's status pages nor its budget sheet gives a construction start date or an expected finish. The budget sheet expected construction in FY 2025-26, but that was before the bid and award process moved into fall 2026. Until the city posts a schedule, there's no date to plan around, and the trail has no lights after sunset.
That matters because the Great Oak Trail is built for after-work use. Bike Temecula Valley describes it as a 1.8-mile connector, fully paved, with 101 feet of elevation change, running along Wolf Creek with no traffic on it. It links Patricia H. Birdsall Sports Park at one end and Friendship Park at the other. A mostly flat, car-free path that close to home is the kind of route people fit in after work, and after November 1, those hours come after sunset.
Where the Light Already Is
Until the lights go in, the trail is dark after sunset, but the parks at each end aren't. They aren't lit the same way, though.
Patricia H. Birdsall Sports Park is a 44-acre site at Pechanga Parkway and Deer Hollow. The city's facility page lists four lighted ball fields, four lighted basketball courts and four lighted synthetic-turf soccer fields. It also has about 460 parking spaces, restrooms, a playground, picnic areas, barbecues and concessions. Of the two trail ends, this one has by far the most light after sunset. The page doesn't say the walkways are lit or when the field lights go off.
At the other end, the city's Friendship Park page lists one lit soccer field. It doesn't list lighted walking areas.
| Spot along the route | What's lit, per the City | Closes under city code |
|---|---|---|
| Patricia H. Birdsall Sports Park | Ball fields, basketball courts and soccer fields | 10 p.m. |
| Friendship Park | One soccer field | 9 p.m. |
| Great Oak Trail, Deer Hollow Way to Loma Linda Road | No lights yet; about 75 solar lights approved | No trail-specific hours posted |
Two Closing Times on One Route
The two ends of the trail close an hour apart, and Temecula's park ordinance is why. Under Municipal Code Section 12.04.190, most city parks are closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Parks the city designates as community parks stay open until 10 p.m. Birdsall is on that list. Friendship Park isn't, so the 9 p.m. rule applies there.
Paloma Del Sol Park is on the same community-park list, along with Harveston, Margarita and Pala community parks. So the latest parks to close near Paseo Del Sol are Birdsall and Paloma Del Sol, both at 10 p.m.
Put that next to a 4:56 p.m. sunset and you get the real evening schedule from November on. A loop that ends at Birdsall has light from the fields and an extra hour before closing. A loop that ends at Friendship Park has one lit field and a 9 p.m. close. The ordinance covers parks. The trail between them has no hours of its own posted, so follow any signs at the trailheads. This is general information about city rules, not legal advice. For permission or details on a particular park, check with the City of Temecula.
What Changes When the Lights Go Up
Once the lights are installed, the dark stretch of the trail between the two parks will be lit along about 1.70 miles of Pechanga Parkway. The city's status page describes the project as improving "pedestrian and biking experience" on the trail. Valley News reported the council's finding that it counts as a safety improvement.
Until then, watch the city's Citywide Projects page for news. The current project status reports are dated September 30, 2026, and still show the pre-vote recommendation, so a later update is where the Vido Samarzich award and any start date would appear. The work covers the northeast side of Pechanga Parkway between Deer Hollow Way and Loma Linda Road, right alongside Paseo Del Sol.
The trail along Wolf Creek is one of the everyday conveniences right next to Paseo Del Sol. If you're curious how features like this show up in what your home is worth, Temecula Valley Homes can put together the numbers for you. Request a Free Home Valuation and Jeff Engstrom will walk you through them.
