LAGUNA COAST WILDERNESS PARK Laguna Coast Wilderness...

LAGUNA COAST WILDERNESS PARK

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, 20101 Laguna Canyon Road.;

reservations/ information, (949) 923-2235; o7www.ocparks.comf7:

Rangers staff the park daily. Open weekends, 7 a.m. to sunset.

Parking lot hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Willow Canyon on Laguna Canyon Road, just south of the El Toro

Road intersection. Open to hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers on

specified trails without guides; parking, $3. Volunteers available

for assistance.

Dilley Preserve on Laguna Canyon Road is closed for at least six

months due to road construction.

Laguna Heights, the trailhead for West Ridge trail and other

routes into Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, loated at Top of

the World on Alta Laguna Blvd., is open daily all year, 7 a.m. to

sunset. Docent-led tours by Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. offered at 8 a.m.

on second and fourth Saturdays.

The Nature Conservancy leads a full schedule of hikes, mountain

bike tours and equestrian rides within Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

and the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve.

For information and reservations, call (714) 832-7478 or e-mail

[email protected].

ALISO AND WOOD CANYONS

Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, 28373 Alicia Parkway, Laguna

Niguel ; (949) 923-2200; o7www.ocparks.comf7: Open daily all year,

7 a.m. to sunset, for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians;

parking, $3.

Orange County rangers and a groundskeeper staff the park daily;

free, 30-minute, ranger-led Discovery Hike offered each second and

fourth Saturday at noon. Orange County Natural History Museum; (949)

831-3287. Located at the park entrance; call before visiting to

confirm museum is open.

CRYSTAL COVE STATE PARK

Crystal Cove State Park, 8471 Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach,

has 3.5 miles of beach and 2,000 acres of undeveloped woodland. $10

day-use parking fee.

The park is open 6 a.m. to sunset daily. Docent-led backcountry

hikes are scheduled for most Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m. Hikes

are three to five miles and last about two hours. All hikes meet at

the El Moro Visitor Center. For more information, call (949)

497-7647.

Historic Tour

Take a two-hour walk through the 12-acre Historic District at

Crystal Cove State Park at 10 a.m. the second Saturday of the month.

Learn about the colorful past of the Cove and some of the long-time

residents and hear about the transformation that is presently taking

place in order to make the cottages available for public enjoyment.

Meet at Los Trancos parking lot at the trailer (on Coast Highway turn

inland at stoplight for Los Trancos). $10 parking fee.

Take a walk through the 12-acre Historic District at Crystal Cove

State Park at 10 a.m. September 10. Learn about the colorful past of

the Cove and some of the long-time residents and hear about the

transformation that is presently taking place in order to make the

cottages available for public enjoyment. Meet at Los Trancos parking

lot on the inland side of Coast Highway. $10 day-use parking fee

On September 17 from 9 a.m. to noon volunteers can help remove

debris from the shoreline, along the cliffs, and parking lots during

the 21st Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Meet at both Reef

Point and Pelican Point parking lot 4; bags, gloves and tally cards

provided. Also snacks, raffle prizes, and free parking for those who

participate.

On September 22 at 6 p.m., enjoy the Autumn Equinox on a guided

beach walk. Bring a song or musical instrument to the beach to share,

or just listen to the music in the last rays of sunlight. Toss last

year’s woes into the Ocean (in the form of non-native mustard plants)

and celebrate the cycle of the seasons. Meet at Pelican Point parking

lot 2 (turn coastward at stoplight for Newport Coast from Coast Hwy.

Turn right at the kiosk and left into the first lot.)

On Saturday, September 24 at 8 a.m., join Mind, Body, & Spirit

Mornings, a guided hike through backcountry intermingled with

sessions of deep breathing and stretching. Meet at the ranger station

(inland at stoplight for School-State Park). Day-use parking fee

$10.00

Join the Crystal Cove Alliance on Saturday, September 24 at the

3rd Annual Tropical Gala and “Coastal Splendor” Plein Air

Invitational Art Show & Sale. This event features great cuisine, a

martini bar, and the sights and sounds of a tropical South Seas beach

soiree. An opportunity to purchase coastal plein air paintings

created specially for the event by exceptional artists. Tickets

available at www.crystalcovealliance.org