Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park 28373...

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

28373 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Niguel

Park Information: (949) 923-2200 or www.ocparks.com

The park is open daily all year, 7 a.m. to sunset, for hiking,

bicycling and equestrian use. Parking is $3. No pets.

Special hiking programs can be arranged by calling Ranger Carroll

at (949) 923-2299. July 10 and each second and fourth Saturday of the

month the ranger gives a free 30- to 45-minute Discovery Nature Talk

suitable for all ages. Meet at noon at the park entrance.

The Orange County Natural History Museum, open Wednesday through

Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is at the park entrance. For

information, call (949) 831-3287. Monthly lecture: On Wednesday, July

7, at 7 p.m., Stephanie Remington will speak on the behavior and

ecology of bats. Lectures are held the second Wednesday of each month

at Acorn Naturalists, 155 El Camino Real, Tustin. Information:

800-422-8886.

Crystal Cove State Park

8471 Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach

Park Conditions: (949) 494-3539; Interpretive Programs: (949)

497-7647

www.crystalcovestatepark.com

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

bicycling and horseback riding. The park includes backcountry,

bluff-top and beach areas, with access at different points. Parking

$5. Dogs are allowed only on paved paths above the beach.

Docent-led backcountry hikes are scheduled for most Saturdays and

Sundays at 9 a.m. Upcoming dates include Saturday and Sunday, July 10

and 11. Hikes are 3 to 5 miles and last about two hours. Be sure to

bring water and wear hiking boots. Meet at El Moro Visitor Center

(PCH, School-State Park stoplight). Join a docent for a tide pool

walk at 9 a.m., Tuesday. Meet at Pelican Point No. 2 (Newport Coast

entrance).

El Moro Visitor Center is open Tuesday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1

p.m. and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Crystal Cove Historic District Visitor Center is open Friday,

Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join a guided tour of the

historic district at 10 a.m. on July 10 and every second Saturday of

the month. For information, call (949) 640-5220.

The state park has a variety of volunteer opportunities. For

details, call (949) 497-7647.

Irvine Ranch Land Reserve

The Nature Conservancy (714) 832-7478 or [email protected]

Participants meet at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park Headquarters on

Laguna Canyon Road, just south of the El Toro Road intersection. All

tours are free, but require reservations.

Special Activities: Mountain bikers can enjoy a ride through the

park on Saturday, July 3 at 8:30 a.m., Sunday, July 11 and Thursday, July 15 at 8 a.m. and Saturday, July 10 at 8:15 a.m. Take a four-hour

horseback ride in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park at 8:30 a.m.,

Saturday. Join two 3-mile, three-hour hikes through Laurel Canyon at

8 a.m., Thursday, July 11.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

20101 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

(949) 923-2235 or www.ocparks.com and nonprofit support group

websites, www.lagunacanyon.org and www.lagunagreenbelt.org

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

scouts and other organizations and clubs. Parking is $3. No dogs.

Wilderness access: Willow Canyon Staging Area, at 20101 Laguna

Canyon Road (just south of El Toro Road intersection), is open every

Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for hikers, equestrians and

mountain bicyclists on specified trails without guides.

Jim Dilley Staging Area, on Laguna Canyon Road, is open every

Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., for hikers only on specified

trails without guides. Among area trails is one that skirts Barbara’s

Lake, one of Orange County’s only natural lakes.

Laguna Heights, the trailhead for West Ridge trail and other

trails into Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, is open daily all

year, 7 a.m. to sunset.

Special activities: Laguna Greenbelt Inc. docent volunteers lead a

Laurel Loop hike, every Saturday at 8 a.m. Hikers meet at Willow

Canyon Staging Area. $2 donation per hiker. Information and

reservations: (949) 923-2235. Wilderness Access Volunteers Training:

Saturday, July 18, 9 to 11 a.m. Learn how to become a meet-and-greet

volunteer. Call (949) 923-2235.

* Activities compiled by Ellen Girardeau Kempler, 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 visit

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