Laguna Niguel park brings Catalina close, the quiet closer

Some hikers say a promontory in Seaview Park offers Orange County’s best coastal view. Certainly the vistas from this obscure Laguna Niguel park are breathtaking, whether you’re gazing toward the hills behind Laguna Beach or down the coast to San Clemente.

The overlook also offers an intriguing angle on Santa Catalina Island, which appears so deceptively close on the horizon that you can imagine hopping into a kayak and paddling into Avalon Harbor.

Seaview Park, on the edge of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, also boasts refreshing sea breezes, a nature trail and that Orange County rarity, secluded picnic tables. You would expect the park to be popular, but no: It seems off the radar of beachgoers half a mile away as the gull flies.

To reach the park, exit Interstate 5 at Crown Valley Parkway and drive southwest five miles. Turn right (west) on Pacific Island Drive and drive up the hill. Turn left on Talavera Street and follow it to a cul-de-sac and the park entrance.

An alternative route to the park is to exit I-5 at Alicia Parkway, drive southwest, turn right onto Pacific Island and then turn right onto Talavera.

The park also is accessible from California Highway 1. Take Crown Valley Parkway north and turn left onto Pacific Island Drive, then left on Talavera.

The hike is on a wide, gentle path of decomposed granite that leads past interpretive panels and plants native in these parts, such as coastal sage scrub and chaparral. Most visitors are content to stop at the overlook, watch hawks soar over Aliso and Wood canyons and admire the ocean view.

But you can continue on a narrower, rougher path known as Aliso Peak Trail. Railroad ties stabilize this trail, which leads to another wonderful overlook.

Along the way, you’ll pass two left-branching side trails. The first, sometimes called Valido Trail, drops down to West Street in South Laguna. The second descends to Ceanothus Drive.

While you’re in Laguna Niguel, drop by Niguel Botanical Preserve in Crown Valley Community Park, 29751 Crown Valley Parkway. It’s about midway between Highway 1 and Interstate 5. The 18-acre botanical garden displays Mediterranean-style flora that thrive in temperate climates. A network of walking trails leads to plant collections from California, Mexico, South America, southern Europe, Africa and Australia.

See more of John McKinney’s tips at www.thetrailmaster.com.