French Valley, California

French Valley is a region located in southwestern Riverside County, near the cities and communities of Hemet, Winchester, Murrieta, and Temecula in the state of California, United States. It is part of the Plains of Leon, contiguous with the Perris Plain, that drains into the Temecula Basin by means of tributaries of the Santa Margarita River.

Temecula Preparatory School is a tuition-free, K-12, public charter school located in French Valley, California, just north of Temecula. The school is sponsored by the Temecula Valley Unified School District and was formerly managed and operated by Heritage Classical Charter Schools of America. It follows the principles of Classical Education, with an emphasis on the four platonic virtues from antiquity: Justice, Prudence, Fortitude, and Temperance. TPS athletic teams have won several league championships. TPS curriculum has an emphasis on the arts and provides instruction in theater, art and music.

French Valley Airport (IATA: RBK, FAA LID: F70) is a county-owned public-use airport in southwestern Riverside County, California, located on Highway 79 near the cities of Murrieta and Temecula.

The Plains of Leon are named for the former gold mining town, Leon once located near the middle of the plain. It is a plain in the Perris Block, contiguous on the south with the Perris Plain including within it the Domenigoni Valley and western Diamond Valley, French Valley, Auld Valley, the upper part of the valley of Warm Springs Creek and connecting tablelands.The Plains of Leon are bounded on the west by the Paloma Valley, the southeastern Temescal Mountains and the valley of Warm Springs Creek after it drops below the level of the tablelands of the plains. On the north by Menifee Valley and the Domenigoni Mountains, on the south it extends to include French Valley, Auld Valley and the tablelands between them. It is bounded on the south by Tucalota Creek (originally Alamos Creek), and the level land west of it to Warm Springs Creek and northeast of Murrieta Hot Springs. To the east it was originally bounded by the eastern Diamond Valley, Rawson Mountains, Bachelor Mountain, Black Mountain, and Tucalota Hills. However, now Diamond Valley is bounded on the east by the West Dam of the Diamond Valley Lake. Auld Valley is now bounded to the east by Skinner Reservoir south of Bachelor Mountain on Tucalota Creek. Unlike the Perris Plain, which lies within the watershed of the San Jacinto River, the Plains of Leon are drained by Warm Springs Creek, French Valley Creek and Tucalota Creek, tributaries of Murrieta Creek and its parent the Santa Margarita River.

Leon is a ghost town in northern San Diego County, California. A former gold mining town from the 1880s, it was named for the Leon Mine that lay on a hill to the northwest of the town. Leon became part of southwestern Riverside County in 1893. Leon had its own post office from May 4, 1888, until July 31, 1911, when its post office was moved to Perris, California.The site of the former mining town is located south of Winchester in the Domenigoni Valley, on Scott Road just east of Leon Road.

The Murrieta Hogbacks are Miocene basalt capped granitic hogbacks located in northeastern Murrieta on the southern end of the Temescal Mountains of Riverside County, California.

Skinner Reservoir, also known as Lake Skinner, is a reservoir in western Riverside County, California, located at the foot of Bachelor Mountain in the Auld Valley, approximately 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Temecula. It was created in 1973 by the construction of the Skinner Clearwell Dam (expanded 1991) on Tucalota Creek, and currently has a capacity of 44,200 acre-feet (54,500,000 m3). Located north of Rancho California Road near the Temecula Valley Wine Country, The address of the reservoir is: 37701 Warren Road, Temecula, CA 92592. Lake Skinner is operated by the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District (RivCo Parks), under lease by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It is supplied by the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project, and feeds the Robert A. Skinner filtration plant, which provides treated water to 2.5 million people in Riverside and San Diego Counties. It is named after Robert A. Skinner, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District from 1962 to 1967, who was instrumental in negotiating Metropolitan's contract with the California Department of Water Resources for delivery of water from Northern California.Lake Skinner is a popular recreation area, featuring sailing, fishing, swimming (in an off-reservoir swimming area), horseback riding and hiking. The Lake Skinner recreational area includes 1,400 acres (5.7 km²) of surface water and 300 acres (1.2 km²) of lakeside parkland, features 158 RV sites and 300 developed campsites, and is the site of the annual Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival and the Solar Cup competition. The reservoir was formed by construction of a dam on Tucalota Creek, along with two minor creeks named Middle Creek and Schoolhouse Creek. Tucalota Creek below the reservoir flows to Santa Gertrudis Creek, then Murrieta Creek, then to the Santa Margarita River and ultimately to the Pacific Ocean.

Vista Murrieta High School (VMHS) is a comprehensive, four-year high school located in Murrieta, California, United States. It is operated by the Murrieta Valley Unified School District. It opened in August 2003, relieving the overcrowding at Murrieta Valley High School, which had been the district's only comprehensive high school until that time. During the 2022–2023 school year, the school served over 3,800 students. The campus sits on 68 acres (280,000 m2) overlooking most of the City of Murrieta to the south. VMHS is a four-year comprehensive high school accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (as of 2006). The current principal is Celeste Scallion, who took over after the 2020–2021 school year, after former principal Mick Wager. This school was named "the most spirited school in the nation" from MaxPreps.com on March 31, 2009, as well as 2010. It was awarded the same title from Varsitybrands.com for the 2015–2016 school year, and recently won the title again for the 2022–2023 school year. It is a California Distinguished School. In the 2022–2023 school year, Vista Murrieta celebrated its 20th anniversary, after opening in 2003. Celebrations included a 20th anniversary themed Homecoming, 20th anniversary flags on light posts around the school, and merchandise including sweatshirts and baseball caps. Although this was their 20th year open, the school's 20th graduating class will walk in 2026.

Murrieta Hot Springs is a neighborhood in the eastern region of Murrieta, California, which was annexed on July 1, 2002. Prior to annexation, Murrieta Hot Springs was a Census-designated place of Riverside County, California. The population was 2,948 at the 2000 census.French Valley Airport (FAA designator: F70), near Murrieta Hot Springs, has a 6,000-foot (1,800 m) runway.

Calvary Chapel Bible College is an evangelical Christian biblical studies college at 39407 Murrieta Hot Springs Road in Murrieta, California. It is a ministry of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. It operates on a 15-week spring and fall semester schedule. Classes offered include individual books of the Bible, topical courses (in Worship, Missions, Apologetics, Christian Leadership, and Biblical Greek and Hebrew), Old and New Testament Surveys, Practical Christian Ministry, Community Worship, and Chapel.

Tucalota Creek is a stream or arroyo in Riverside County, Southern California. It is a tributary of Santa Gertrudis Creek.

Chaparral High School, colloquially known as Chap, is a public, 4-year comprehensive high school in Temecula, California, United States. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 and is one of five high schools in the Temecula Valley Unified School District.