Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: Orange County - Jerry Schad - Страница 19

trip 2.2 Newport Back Bay Loop

Distance 10 miles (loop)

Hiking Time 4 hours

Elevation Gain 300’

Difficulty Easy

Trail Use Cyclists, dogs

Best Times All year

Agency OC Parks: UNBNP

DIRECTIONS To reach Upper Newport Bay’s Muth Interpretive Center, exit the Costa Mesa Freeway (Highway 55) at Del Mar Avenue in Costa Mesa, and go east toward the bay. In 0.5 mile, Del Mar becomes University Drive. Continue 0.4 mile to reach the interpretive center parking lot just past Irvine Avenue.

A great way to get to know Upper Newport Bay is to take the Back Bay Loop that circles the wetlands. This paved route, heavily used by cyclists and joggers, features panoramic bluff-top views, intimate marshside experiences, and diverse bird-watching opportunities. There are many places to start, but this description assumes you’re following a counterclockwise loop beginning at the interpretive center.

Like Trip 2.1, this trip begins at the parking area for the Muth Interpretive Center. It’s worth a short detour down to the center, where you can find spotting telescopes, interpretive exhibits, activities for children, and knowledgeable volunteers. When you’re ready to begin, your first goal is to reach the corner of Irvine Avenue and Santiago Drive, 1.1 miles from the start. Hikers will favor the narrow footpaths that hug the edge of the marsh (see Trip 2.1), but cyclists must take the wide paved path paralleling Irvine Avenue.

The trail ends at the intersection with Santiago Drive. Hikers can avoid busy Irvine Avenue by veering onto Santiago Drive and following it through a residential neighborhood. Where Santiago abruptly veers left and becomes Polaris Drive, continue onto a paved walking and biking path, and immediately reach a T-junction where you turn left (1.6 miles). Cyclists may prefer to follow Irvine Avenue, then turn left onto Dover Drive at Mariners Park. Near Westcliff Drive, turn left onto the paved path to rejoin the route described above.

The next 0.8-mile stretch to the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) begins with a spectacular bluff-top pathway leading to Castaways Park. Pay your respects at the Marine Corps memorial, then navigate the maze of trails through the park to find the one leading southwest steeply down to Dover Drive. The Back Bay Loop leads south on the paved sidewalk to meet the PCH.

Turn left and follow the sidewalk path over the bay bridge, then make your first left onto North Bayside Drive. Just before the west entry gate at Newport Dunes Resort Marina, veer right onto another paved walking and riding path that leads behind the RV resort. When it emerges at the east entry gate, continue to Back Bay Drive, and turn left onto the road, 1.2 miles from Dover Drive.

You now follow Back Bay Drive along the east side of the bay. After passing the Back Bay Science Center in 0.3 mile, the road narrows to become one-way northbound for cars, with a wide lane on the side for self-powered travelers. This is also the terminus of the Mountains to Sea Trail (Trip 18.2). In 1 mile, reach the Big Canyon parking area with a small boardwalk. If you have time for a detour, a 0.5-mile loop on a gravel road visits a small freshwater marsh on the east side. In the early morning, bird calls almost drown out the sound of traffic, and cottontail rabbits frequent the trail.

In another 1.9 miles, make a steep ascent to a vista point on Eastbluff Drive. Turn left and follow the Back Bay Loop along Eastbluff Drive. Make your first left onto Jamboree Road, where a paved trail resumes on the west side of the road. As you approach a bridge, the San Diego Creek and Mountains to Sea Trail veer left and then crosses under the bridge, but you stay on the Bayview Trail atop the bridge. Sometimes you will see remarkable numbers of mullets jumping high out of the water at this confluence of freshwater and saltwater. Mullets do not eat flying insects, so scientists are unsure why they like to jump.

Wetlands are a rich home for aquatic life and birdlife.

Soon turn left onto Bayview Way, and find the trail again. A short spur on the right leads to streetside parking. The trail briefly splits with a paved bike path on the left and a dirt equestrian route on the right, which then rejoin before a long bridge and boardwalk. Cross the Santa Ana Delhi Channel, and reach the parking area where you began.