- Details
- By Chez Oxendine
- Real Estate
The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians has added 305 acres to their reservation following a successful trust acquisition of the Temecula Creek Inn, according to the tribe.
The property, which includes a golf course and resort amenities, was initially purchased from JC Resorts in 2018 as part of the tribe’s economic diversification efforts. The land was taken into trust in January 2025, a tribal representative confirmed.
The land sat adjacent to existing reservation territory and just three miles from the Pechanga Resort and Casino. With the border now dissolved, the tribe's existing 5,500-acre reservation has expanded and continues to offer another option for guests coming to the area, Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro told Tribal Business News in an email. The Inn offers 130 guest rooms, a 27-hole golf course, a restaurant, and wedding venues.
"We are very pleased to regain this property that holds special historic and cultural meaning to our Tribe,” Macarro wrote. “For Pechanga, this acquisition also represents diversification of our tribal economy in an industry in which we have considerable expertise.”
The land's historic value stems from its proximity to a culturally significant site. Temecula Creek Inn sits at the foot of Pu'eska Mountain, a tract of land considered by the tribe to be sacred. The land's purchase was both an economic bid and a defensive maneuver after the tribe fended off attempts by a private company to set up mining between 2008 and 2012, according to a report by the Press-Enterprise, a local publication.
In a statement, the tribe said that the trust acquisition "not only strengthens our tribal sovereignty, but also furthers our mission to preserve our cultural heritage."
“The Temecula Creek Inn has been a cornerstone of our shared history, and this step ensures it will remain so for generations to come,” the statement reads.
