Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park...

Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

28373 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Niguel Park

Information: (949) 831-2790 or www.ocparks.com The park is open 7

a.m. to sunset daily, year round, for hiking, bicycling and

equestrian use. Early morning and the hour before sunset are great

times to enjoy the trails in the summer. Parking $2. The Orange

County Natural History Museum is at the Park entrance and open 11

a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Learn more about Orange County spiders at a lecture by “Spider

Man” Jim Ortiz, at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Irvine Ranch Water

District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave. Information: (949) 831-3287 or

www.ocnha.mus.ca.us.

Crystal Cove State Park

8471 Pacific Coast Highway,

Laguna Beach Park Conditions (949) 494-3539; Interpretive Program

(949) 497-7647 www.crystalcove statepark.com or www.parks.ca.gov The

park is open 6 a.m. to sunset daily, year round, for hiking,

bicycling and equestrian use. Parking $3.

Special Activities: Join docent-led Backcountry Hikes on Aug. 17,

18, 24 and 25. Meet at the El Moro Visitor Center promptly at 9 a.m.

Hikes are 3 to 5 miles and last about 2 hours. Be sure to bring water

and wear hiking boots. At 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 28 join a docent-led

sunset and moonlight beach two-mile walk along the boardwalk, beach

and paved path. Meet at Pelican Point parking lot #2 (from Coast

Highway turn toward the beach at the Newport Coast intersection, turn

right at the entrance kiosk and left into first parking lot).

El Moro Visitor Center open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Sundays

and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Crystal Cove Historic District Visitor

Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Crystal Cove Interpretive Association welcomes new volunteers,

call (949) 497-7648.

The Irvine Ranch Land Reserve

The Nature Conservancy (714) 832-7478.

All participants meet at the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

headquarters on Laguna Canyon Road just south of the El Toro Road

intersection. All tours are free, but require reservations!

Activities: Drop In mountain bike ride at Laguna Coast Wilderness

Park, 8 a.m. Aug. 18 and 25. Equestrians take note that on August 18

at 8 a.m. there is a guided equestrian ride in Laguna Coast

Wilderness Park. For the mountain bikers there is a guided ride

through Shady Canyon, Serrano Ridge and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

on Saturday, 5 p.m. Aug. 24.

The 2-3-hour ride covers 10-12 miles.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

20101 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

(949) 494-9352 or www.ocparks.com

Call the rangers and ask about special group hikes for schools,

scouts and other organizations and clubs. Parking Fee $2. Wilderness

Access: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday at Willow Canyon

Road staging area on Laguna Canyon Road just south of El Toro Road

intersection. Open for hiker, equestrian and mountain bicyclist

access on specified trails without guides.

Jim Dilley Greenbelt Preserve: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and

Sunday. Hikers only on specified trails without guides. Trails

include Barbara’s Lake, the largest of the Laguna Lakes and the only

natural lakes in Orange County. Guided hikes in Laurel Canyon: 8 a.m.

every Saturday, 3.5-mile guided hike by Laguna Greenbelt, Inc.

volunteers. Call for reservations and there is $2 donation per hiker.

Laguna Heights: Open 7 a.m. to sunset daily year round. Trailhead

for West Ridge trail and other trails into Aliso and Wood Canyons

Wilderness Park. Train to be a Volunteer Naturalist, register now for

an eight-week course starting Oct. 22. Call Saddleback College for

more information, (949) 582-4555.

* Activities compiled by Mary Fegraus from the 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 check out

www.lagunacanyon.org or (949) 855-7275 (PARK).