Enjoy your local wilderness
Note: Wilderness parks are closed for two or more days after
significant rainfall. Call before your visit to confirm
accessibility.
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
20101 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach
(949) 923-2235 or www.ocparks.com and nonprofit support group
websites, www.lagunacanyon.org and 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 bikers on specified trails without guides.
Dilley Preserve, on Laguna Canyon Road, just north of the 73
Tollroad: 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
hikes at 8 a.m. each second and fourth Saturday of the month,
including Feb. 26. Meet at Willow Canyon Staging Area, $2 donation
per hiker. Plan now to attend a WAV (Wilderness Access Volunteer)
training class from 9 to 11 a.m. on March 20. WAVs meet and greet
park visitors. Information and reservations for both programs: (949)
923-2235.
Crystal Cove
State Park
8471 Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach
Park Conditions: (949) 494-3539
Interpretive Programs: (949) 497-7647
www.crystalcovestatepark .com
The park is open daily all year from 6 a.m. to sunset; parking $8.
Dogs are allowed only on paved paths above the beach.
Important Note: Due to trail damage from recent rains, the
backcountry is open for hiking only (closed to equestrians and
mountain bikers) until further notice.
Docent-led backcountry hikes are scheduled for most Saturdays and
Sundays at 9 a.m., including Feb. 27. Hikes are three to five miles
and last about two hours.
Special Activities: Meet for a winter plant identification hike at
9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. 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. Meet for a guided tour of the historic district every
second Saturday of the month. For information, call (949) 640-5220.
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness
28373 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Niguel
Park Information: (949) 923-2200 or www.ocparks.com
The park is open daily all year from 7 a.m. to sunset for hiking,
bicycling and equest- rian use. Parking is $3. No dogs.
The ranger gives a free 30- to 45-minute Discovery Nature Talk
suitable for all ages the second and fourth Saturday. Meet at noon at
the park entrance.
Located at the park entrance, the Orange County Natural History
Museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For
information call (949) 831-3287 or visit www.ocnhm.org. Natural
history lectures are held at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the each
month at Acorn Naturalists, 1255 El Camino Real, Tustin. On March 9,
Rick Behl discusses the geology of Orange County. Information: (800)
422-8886.
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.
Take a mountain bike ride at 9 a.m. Feb. 26 or 8:30 a.m. March 6.
Equestrians meet at 9 a.m. March 6 for a 3-4 hour horseback ride. Get
in shape with an 8-mile, 4-5 hour fast-paced hike through Emerald
Canyon leaving at 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 27.
* 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 www.laguna
canyon.org or call (949) 855-PARK (7275).
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