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Using This Book

Whether you wish to use this book as a reference tool or as a guide to read cover to cover, take a few minutes to read this section. It explains the exact meaning of the capsulized information that appears before each trip description, and it also describes the way in which trips are grouped geographically.

One way to expedite the process of finding a suitable trip, especially if you’re unfamiliar with hiking opportunities in Orange County, is to turn to Appendix 1, which calls out the most highly recommended hikes. The main map of Orange County and vicinity shows the area that each chapter covers.

Each chapter’s introduction includes any general information about the area’s history, geology, plants, and wildlife not included in the trip descriptions. Important information about possible restrictions or special requirements (wilderness permits, for example) appears here too, and you should review this material before starting on a hike in a particular chapter.

At the time of this writing, most trailheads in the national forests of Southern California are signed to indicate that you must post a National Forest Adventure Pass or Interagency Annual Pass on your vehicle. You can purchase an Adventure Pass at ranger stations and some retailers but not at the trailhead, which is a significant inconvenience for casual visitors. However, according to the Federal Lands and Recreation Enhancement Act that authorized the Adventure Pass system, the US Forest Service is prohibited from charging a fee solely for parking. In May 2014, a US District Court ruled that the Adventure Pass is required only for visitors who use developed trailhead facilities, such as picnic tables or restrooms. If you want to simply park and hike, the Adventure Pass is not required, despite signage to the contrary. You may wish to follow the latest developments in the media.

Each chapter contains a sketch map of the locations and routes of all the hikes it describes. The boxed numbers on those maps correspond to the trip numbers and refer to the start and end points of out-and-back and loop trips. Point-to-point trips have two boxed numbers, indicating the separate start and end points. The map also shows GPS coordinates for key waypoints. A map legend is provided on the previous page.

Capsulized Information

Each trip begins with capsulized information, including distance, hiking time, elevation gain, difficulty, trail use, best times, and agency. If you are simply browsing, these summaries alone can be used as a tool to eliminate hikes that are either too difficult or too trivial for your abilities or desires.

DISTANCE

An estimate of total distance is given. Out-and-back trips show the sum of the distances of the out-and-back segments. After the trail distance, I’ve noted whether the trip (as described) is a loop, an out-and-back route, or a point-to-point trip, requiring a car shuttle. There is some flexibility, of course, in the way in which a hiker follows a trip. Distances beyond 5 miles are rounded off to avoid suggesting a false level of accuracy.

HIKING TIME

This figure is for the average hiker and includes only the time spent in motion. It does not include time for rest stops, lunch, etc. Fast walkers can complete the routes in perhaps 30% less time, and slower hikers may take 50% longer. The hiker is assumed to be traveling with a light daypack. (Important note: Hikers carrying heavy packs could easily take twice as long, especially if they are traveling under adverse weather conditions. Remember, too, that a group’s progress is limited by the pace of its slowest member or members.)

ELEVATION GAIN

The elevation gain is an estimate of the sum of all the vertical gain segments along the total length of the route (includes both ways for out-and-back trips). It is often considerably more than the net difference in elevation between the high and low points of the hike. For one-way hikes, the gain and loss are reported separately, assuming that you follow the described direction of travel.

DIFFICULTY

This overall rating takes into account the length of the trip and the nature of the terrain. The following are general definitions of the four categories:

 Easy: Suitable for every member of the family.

 Moderate: Suitable for all physically fit people.

 Moderately strenuous: Long length, substantial elevation gain, and/or difficult terrain. Suitable for experienced hikers only.

 Strenuous: Full day’s hike (or overnight backpack) over a long and often difficult route. Suitable only for experienced hikers in excellent physical condition.

Each higher level represents more or less a doubling of the difficulty. On average, moderate trips are twice as hard as easy trips, moderately strenuous trips are twice as hard as moderate trips, and so on.

TRAIL USE

All trails are suitable for dayhikes. This category lists other uses for a particular trail, chosen from the following five options.

 Backpacking: Most trips in this book are not suitable for backpacking. Although there are several roadside campgrounds in the Orange County vicinity, trail camping is not widely permitted.

 Cyclists: The route, as described, is open to mountain biking. Orange County is an extremely popular mountain biking destination, and many trails see more bikers than hikers. Some of the trails are suitable only for advanced riders, so cyclists may wish to consult other sources before relying on this book to choose trails.

 Equestrians: The route is open to horse riders.

 Dogs: Allowed on the trail but must generally be on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

 Children: These trips are especially recommended for inquisitive children. They were chosen on the basis of their safety and ease of travel, as well as their potential for entertaining the whole family.

BEST TIMES

Nearly all the short trips in this book are passable year-round, but some of the longer trips, especially those inland, are much more rewarding when temperatures are mild and/or water is present along the trail.

AGENCY

These code letters refer to the agency or office that has jurisdiction or management over the area being hiked (for example, CNF: TD means “Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco District”). You can contact the agency for more information. Full names, phone numbers, and some addresses (of larger agencies) are listed in Appendix 4.

PERMIT

Any required permits or use fees are listed in this category. Some of these listings use the same acronyms as the agency listings (again, refer to Appendix 4 for the full names).

Optional or Recommended Maps

Earlier editions of this book recommended US Geological Survey 7.5-minute topographic maps for each hike. Unfortunately, most of the trails outside the Cleveland National Forest are not portrayed on the USGS maps. The Cleveland National Forest Visitor Map is your best option for most hikes in the Santa Ana Mountains. This large folding color relief map shows all of the trails and roads in the national forest and also covers some of the surrounding areas. You can buy it at ranger stations, through the US Forest Service website, or from local outdoor stores, or you can search for a free but obscure PDF download on the Forest Service site.

The Forest Service also produces the San Mateo Wilderness topographic map, your best choice for hikes in that wilderness. This map is most easily obtained at the El Cariso Visitor Center on Highway 74. The Forest Service also offers the Cleveland National Forest Topographic Atlas if you need topographic maps of the forest.

For other trips, your best bet is to rely on this book’s sketch maps. Most Orange County Parks and Chino Hills State Park graciously offer good free park maps at the ranger stations and on their websites, but the information is similar to what you’ll find in this book.

Electronic Supplements

Please visit eTrails (etrails.net) for GPS coordinates and tracks for the hikes in this book and to review hike updates and other information. iPhone and iPad users may wish to download eTrails from the App Store. The mobile app includes an Orange County guide with electronic maps for all the trips in this book, showing your position and the trails on USGS topographic base maps. It also helps with automated driving directions from your present location to the trailheads.