Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
28373 Alicia Parkway Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 (949) 923-2200 http://ocparks.com/parks/aliso/
Park Hours: 7 a.m. to sunset. Note: Parking lot closes at sunset.
Trails may be closed for up to three days following rain.
Parking Fee: $3 daily. Machine accepts $1 bills and quarters or Visa/Master Card.
Approximately 4,500 acres of wilderness and natural open space land. Originally, part of the Juaneno or Acajchemem tribal land, it later was owned by Don Juan Avila, Louis Moulton, The Mission Viejo Company and now is under the jurisdiction of OC Parks. Within the park lands are mature oaks, sycamores, and elderberry trees, two year round streams and over 30 miles of official trails. Many rare and endangered plants and animals make this park their home. This park is designated as a wildlife sanctuary.
28373 Alicia Parkway Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 (949) 923-2200 http://ocparks.com/parks/aliso/
Park Hours: 7 a.m. to sunset. Note: Parking lot closes at sunset.
Trails may be closed for up to three days following rain.
Parking Fee: $3 daily. Machine accepts $1 bills and quarters or Visa/Master Card.
Approximately 4,500 acres of wilderness and natural open space land. Originally, part of the Juaneno or Acajchemem tribal land, it later was owned by Don Juan Avila, Louis Moulton, The Mission Viejo Company and now is under the jurisdiction of OC Parks. Within the park lands are mature oaks, sycamores, and elderberry trees, two year round streams and over 30 miles of official trails. Many rare and endangered plants and animals make this park their home. This park is designated as a wildlife sanctuary.
Dana Point Headlands & Nature Interpretive Center
34558 Scenic Drive Dana Point, California 92629 http://thecaliforniaguide.com/orange-county-attractions/dana-point-attractions/164-dana-point-headlands-preserve.html
The Center is open to the public 10 am – 4 pm every day except closed on Mondays
Northwest of the Dana Point Harbor sitting atop the steep cliffs overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean is the Dana Point Headlands Preserve. Visitors, tourists and residents alike can marvel at this 30-acre oceanfront preserve, with an interpretive center, trail system and over 200 different plant and animal species.
The Headlands Preserve occupies some of Southern California's prime real estate, one of the last open space parcels along the coastline with stunning views up and down the coast toward Laguna Beach and San Clemente. The interpretive center, trails, abundance of plant and animal species and of course views have been popular with visitors
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
18751 Laguna Canyon Road Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (949)923-2235 http://ocparks.com/parks/lagunac/
Park Hours: 7 a.m. to sunset
Parking Lot Hours - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trails open 7 a.m. to sunset.
Trails may be closed for up to three days following rain.
Parking Fee: $3 daily. Machine accepts $1 bills and quarters or Visa/Master Card
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park lies within some of the last remaining coastal canyons in Southern California. Forty miles of trails lead the visitor through oak and sycamore woodlands and up onto ridges with expansive scenic vistas. Rocky bluffs tower above the canyon trails. The Coastal Sage Scrub community covers hilltops and slopes, along with patches of Native Valley Grassland and Maritime Chaparral.
Visitors to Laguna Coast Wilderness Park can hike, mountain bike, run trails, or ride horseback through miles of beautiful Orange County natural lands. (Bring your own shoes, bicycle or horse.) The Nix Nature Center offers a location to explore the meaning of parkland through exhibits and wildlife viewing area portals. Here you can enjoy scavenger hunts with the family, and learn from free, fun quarterly wildlife programs featuring live animals, American Indian customs, craft projects, and more.
Crystal Cove State Park
8471 Pacific Coast Highway Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (949) 494-3539 http://www.crystalcovestatepark.com/
Crystal Cove State Park’s rolling surf, wide sandy beaches, tidepools, gently sloping hills, and deeply wooded canyons and ridges provide a delightful contrast to its urban surroundings. Located off busy Pacific Coast Highway between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove is one of Orange County’s largest remaining examples of open space and natural seashore.
Crystal Cove State Park has 3.2 miles of beach and 2,400 acres of backcountry wilderness, which is popular for outdoor enthusiasts. The offshore waters are designated as an underwater park. Crystal Cove is used by mountain bikers inland and scuba and skin divers underwater. The beach is popular with swimmers and surfers. Visitors can explore tidepools and sandy coves. Crystal Cove offers sand and surf, rocky reefs, ridges and canyons - plus recreational opportunities - that appeal to everybody. State Park staff and docents conduct interpretive programs year-round including guided hikes, tidepool walks, and geology talks.
The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks
Park Information: (714) 832-7478 http://letsgooutside.org/
The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks is part of the 50,000 acres of land preserved on the historic Irvine Ranch that stretches in a giant green crescent from Weir Canyon near the 91 Freeway at the north end of the Irvine Ranch, connecting with the Cleveland National Forest along the ranch’s northeastern border, continuing south where they include the massive regional open space network in the northern and southern hillsides of Irvine and extend all the way to Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Crystal Cove State Park near Laguna Beach.
Prized for its beauty, unusual geology and extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna, the Landmarks feature many special places unlike anywhere else. Among them: 5,500-acre Limestone Canyon, home to a striking geological formation called the “Sinks” that is frequently compared to a miniature Grand Canyon; the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, one of Southern California’s largest coastal freshwater marshes; Irvine’s beautiful and tranquil Bommer and Shady Canyons; the distinctive Quail Hill preserve, the life-covered tide pools of Crystal Cove beach, and more than 7,000 acres of coastal hills and bluewater views.