Note: Wilderness parks are closed for two...

Note: Wilderness parks are closed for two or more days after

significant rainfall. Call before your visit to confirm

accessibility.

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

28373 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Niguel

Park Information: (949) 923-2200 or https://www.ocparks.com

The park is open 7 a.m. to sunset daily, all year, for hiking,

bicycling and equestrian use. Parking is $3. No pets.

Special hiking programs can be arranged by calling (949) 923-2299.

The ranger gives a free 30- to 45-minute Discovery Nature Talk

suitable for all ages Dec. 11 and each second and fourth Saturday.

Meet at noon at the park entrance.

The Orange County Natural History Museum, open from 11 a.m. to 5

p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, is located at the park entrance. For

information, call (949) 831-3287 or visit https://www.ocnhm.org.

At 7 p.m., Dec. 8 attend a lecture by Donna Krucki on mountain

lion behavior and ecology. Lectures are held the second Wednesday of

each month at Acorn Naturalists, 155 El Camino Real, Tustin.

Information: 800-422-8886.

Crystal Cove State Park

8471 Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach

Park Conditions: (949) 494-3539; Interpretive Programs: (949)

497-7647

https://www.crystalcove

statepark.com

The park is open 6 a.m. to sunset, daily all year, for hiking,

bicycling and horseback riding. The park includes backcountry, bluff

top and beach areas, with access at different points. Parking $10.

Dogs are allowed only on paved paths above the beach.

Docent-led backcountry hikes are scheduled for most Saturdays and

Sundays at 9 a.m. Upcoming dates include Saturday, Sunday, Dec. 11

and 12. Hikes are three to five miles and last about two hours.

Special Activities: Meet at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12 for a

tidepool walk.

The newly renovated El Moro Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 5

p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Join a

guided tour of the historic district at 10 a.m. each second Saturday

of the month. For information, call 949-640-5220.

Irvine Ranch Land Reserve

The Nature Conservancy (714) 832-7478 or irvineranch@tnc.org

Participants meet at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park Headquarters on

Laguna Canyon Road, just south of the El Toro Road intersection. All

tours are free, but require reservations.

Mountain bike rides in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park’s start at

7:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 and 8:30 a.m. Dec. 11 and 12. Join a three-mile, three-hour hike through Laurel Canyon at 8 a.m. Saturday,

Dec. 11.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

20101 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

(949) 923-2235 or https://www.ocparks.com and nonprofit support

group websites, https://www.lagunacanyon.org and

https://www.lagunagreenbelt.org

Call the rangers to ask about special group hikes for schools,

scouts and other organizations and clubs. Parking is $3. No dogs.

Wilderness Access: Willow Canyon Staging Area, at 20101 Laguna

Canyon Road (just south of El Toro Road intersection), is open 8 a.m.

to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, for hikers, equestrians and

mountain bicyclists on specified trails without guides.

Dilley Preserve, on Laguna Canyon Road. This area is closed for

at least six months due to road construction.

Laguna Heights, the trailhead for West Ridge trail and other

trails into Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, is open 7 a.m. to

sunset daily all year.

Special Activities: Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. docent volunteers lead

a Laurel Loop hike at 8 a.m. every Saturday. Hikers meet at Willow

Canyon Staging Area, $2 donation per hiker. Help with restoration

projects from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18 and every third

Saturday of the month through May. All volunteers receive free “Keep

It Wild” T-shirts provided by the Laguna Canyon Foundation.

Information and reservations: (949) 923-2235.

* Activities compiled by Ellen Girardeau Kempler, LAGUNA CANYON

FOUNDATION, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to preserving,

enhancing and protecting Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and the

adjacent coastal canyon parks. For more information visit

https://www.lagunacanyon.org or call (949) 855-PARK (7275).