Orange County Hikes – Page 5

Heading for the Hills

April 19, 2023June 2, 2023 @serafinahikes

With spring in full swing, the hills are alive, simply bursting with wildflowers at every turn. Invasive Wild Mustard is here to stay, turning everything golden. I love nature hikes, and fortunately some of the best trails, are in my backyard, in South Orange County. The Cerro Rebal Trail, also called the Rollercoaster, begins just off Camino De Los Mares in San Clemente. I took the trail up a somewhat steep incline to the ridge, and along the way was surrounded by wildflowers. This is one of the best wildflower hikes in South Orange County, sandwiched between Dana Point, and San Clemente.

Los Pinos Peak

April 1, 2023January 30, 2024 @serafinahikes

It was a beautiful day for a 6 mile hike to Los Pinos Peak. I decided to head off into the Santa Ana Mountains. Heading north on Main Divide Road from Ortega Highway, there were two water crossings we had to make, which was not expected.

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

March 21, 2023April 1, 2023 @serafinahikes

We went for a 4 walk around the 300 acre San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary between rain squalls of the atmospheric river that was hitting California. The wetlands here act as a natural water filter. The plants found here, such as bullrush, help to filter urban runoff from San Diego Creek before it reaches Upper Newport Bay.

Sendero Loop

March 14, 2023June 2, 2023 @serafinahikes

The Shasta Sendero Loop trail was steep, overgrown, and a bit muddy. I continued climbing uphill for about 500 more feet, amongst the wildflowers. The hills were golden, blooming with wild mustard, and dozens of other flowers. It is mid-March, and we have had a ton of rain. The mountains are full of snow, and we are having a superbloom.

Meadows Trail

March 10, 2023June 2, 2023 @serafinahikes

I wanted to take on the "mentally sensitive," trail for a long time. Part of the trail travels along Meadows Trail, and the rest of it is called Sheep Run. But aside from feeling a little mentally sensitive, I would be adding part of Wood Canyon, and Car Wreck, for a 9.65 mile hike. The name of the trail was changed on alltrails from Mentally Sensitive , and is now called Meadows and Aswut Trail Loop. The trail begins at Moulton Meadows Park in the Alta Vista neighborhood of Laguna Beach, California. This park has grassy fields, a dog park, and restrooms. There is street parking all along Balboa Road, adjoining the park. Nobody knows for sure how the car wreck got there. Was it driven off a cliff on purpose or for a prank? Perhaps a storm washed it down the mountainside. Nobody seems to know for sure. There were so many wildflowers in bloom all along the way. This was a perfect springtime hike in Orange County in March.