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.
Backcountry Hike: 9 a.m. Saturday, and Aug. 8, 21 and 28. Join a state park volunteer for a guided 3- to 5-mile backcountry hike. Meet at El Moro Visitor Center.
Great Plein Air Art Experience: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday. Pre-registration required at https://www.crystalcovealliance.org or call (949) 376-6200. Spend a day capturing the beauty of Crystal Cove on canvas and experience what it was like to be a plein air artist in Crystal Cove during the heyday of the movement in the 1920s. $15 day-use parking fee.
Junior Rangers: 9 to 10 a.m. Park Rangers discuss the ecology of Crystal Cove State Park. On Tuesday, children can hear about “Slithering Snakes.” On Thursday, they can learn about “Beautiful Birds.” “Super Cool Sharks” is the topic Aug. 10. “Oh Yuck” follows on Aug. 12. On Aug. 17, it’s “Earth in Danger” with “Nocturnal Animals” on Aug. 19. “Backcountry Predators” take center stage Aug. 24 and “Bones” is on Aug. 26. Meet at Pelican Point Lot. No. 4.
Nature Hike: 10 a.m. Wednesday and Aug. 25. Join a park naturalist on an easy 3-mile walk along the coastline at Crystal Cove State Park to learn about the plants, birds and intertidal organisms. Meet at the Los Trancos parking lot at the trailer.
LAGUNA COAST WILDERNESS PARK
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, 20101 Laguna Canyon Road; reservations and information, (949) 923-2235; https://www.ocparks.com.
Rangers staff the park daily. Open 7 a.m. to sunset daily, including holidays. Parking lot hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more about volunteering or helping Laguna Canyon Foundation to preserve, protect and enhance the South Coast Wilderness, visit https://www.lagunacanyon.org or call (949) 497-8324.
Willow Canyon on Laguna Canyon Road, just south of the El Toro Road intersection. Open to hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers on specified trails; open 7 a.m. to sunset, but parking lot is only open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., $3.
Dilley Preserve on Laguna Canyon Road, just north of the 73 Toll Road: Open daily 7 a.m. to sunset. Parking $3; lot open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Little Sycamore Canyon on Laguna Canyon Road, just south of the 405 Freeway interchange: The James and Rosemary Nix Nature Center hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; parking $3; lot open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Laguna Heights, the trail head for West Ridge trail and routes into Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, at Top of the World on Alta Laguna Boulevard, is open daily, 7 a.m. to sunset.
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 (a more-than-1,500-foot elevation gain) with foundation volunteer mountain bike trail assistants. Ridge Park Staging Area. Reservations are required, so call (949) 923-2235. Donation is $2 per person.