Outdoor Calendar
CRYSTAL COVE STATE PARK
Crystal Cove State Park, 8471 N. Coast Hwy, has 3.5 miles of beach and 2,000 acres of undeveloped woodland. $15 day-use parking fee.
National Trails Day: 9 a.m. Saturday. In conjunction with REI, Crystal Cove staff will be participating in National Trails Day. Projects will include the removal of black mustard, trail maintenance and illegal trail elimination. REI is providing lunch and T-shirts. If interested in joining, register at www.rei.com/stores/88.
Tidepool Walk: 10 a.m. Saturday. Enjoy a guided tidepool walk at Pelican Point. A volunteer will help identify animals and describe some awesome adaptations. Meet at Pelican Point Parking Lot No. 2. $15 day-use parking fee.
Great Plein Air Art Experience: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and June 12. Experience what it was like to be a plein air artist in Crystal Cove during the heyday of the movement in the 1920s. Sponsored by Crystal Cove Alliance. Pre-registration is required at www.crystalcovealliance.org or (949) 376-6200. Cost is $50 ($40 for Crystal Cove Alliance members). $15 day-use parking fee.
Backcountry Hike: 9 a.m. Sunday. The wildflowers are still blooming! Join a state park volunteer for a guided three- to five-mile backcountry hike. Meet at the El Moro Visitor Center. $15 day-use parking fee.
LAGUNA COAST WILDERNESS PARK
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, 20101 Laguna Canyon Road; reservations and information, (949) 923-2235; www.ocparks.com.
Elder Trek: 9 to 11 a.m. today. Enjoy the outdoors and learn about diverse plant life on this easy, level, two-mile hike with foundation volunteer naturalists. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center. Reservations required, call (949) 923-2235. Parking: $3. Donation: $2 per person.
Fitness Hike: 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Raise your heart rate and your spirits on this difficult, strenuous and fast-paced, five-mile hike (700-foot elevation gain) over very steep, uneven terrain with foundation volunteers. Not for beginners. Hiking poles are suggested. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Big Bend Staging Area. Reservations required, call (949) 923-2235. Parking: $3. Donation: $2 per person.
Weekends at the Nix Nature Center — Dr. Sue’s Insect and Arthropod Zoo visits from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Sue Van Vorhis Key has a zoo full of amazing live insects and arthropods. Look, listen, learn and even touch an insect, if you like. Try the insect scavenger hunt, sort arthropods and make your own insect to take home! Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center. Reservations required, call (949) 923-2235. Parking: $3. Donations appreciated.
Introduction to Mountain Biking: 8 to 10 a.m. Sunday. Enjoy canyon views and learn mountain biking basics on this 10-mile ride over steep and uneven terrain (more than 1,500-foot elevation gain) with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer mountain bike trail assistants. Ridge Park Staging Area. Reservations required, call (949) 923-2235. Donation: $2 per person.
Exploring Biodiversity for Seniors: 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday. Learn about the diversity of animal and plant species as you explore our ever-changing wilderness on an easy, 1.5-mile hike over rocky and uneven terrain. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, James Dilley Preserve. Reservations required, call (949) 923-2235. Parking: $3. Donation: $2 per person.