Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: Orange County - Jerry Schad - Страница 22

chapter 3

Crystal Cove State Park

South of Newport Bay, the shoreline topography, so flat and uninspiring back along the north county coast, becomes bold and dramatic. Cliffs provide a backdrop for restless surf breaking upon smooth, sandy beaches and rocky reefs or surging into secluded coves. In the hills behind the wave-cut cliffs, you can see, imprinted on the slopes, a muted stairstep pattern of earlier cliffs that used to border the ocean long before this area was uplifted to its present height.

From Corona del Mar through the posh communities of Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel to Dana Point, rustic cottages, opulent ocean-view homes, gated housing complexes, and swank hotels blanket most of the coastline. Interspersed within these thickly populated areas lie conspicuously blank areas on the street maps—sensuously curved hills and lush valleys that represent what nearly all of southern Orange County was like a century ago. Fortunately, some large pieces of the undeveloped land will never succumb to the ever-rising tide of suburbia. Over the past three decades, several large parcels of undeveloped land near Laguna Beach have passed into public ownership.

Searching for pirate treasure in Crystal Cove

Crystal Cove State Park was the first large parcel to be set aside. Besides a 3-mile stretch of bluffs and ocean front, the park reaches back into the San Joaquin Hills to encompass the entire watershed of El Moro Canyon—2,200 acres of natural ravines, ridges, and terrace formations. In the backcountry (El Moro Canyon) section of the park alone, visitors can explore 18 miles of dirt roads and paths open to hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers. Several more miles of paved bike path and trail lace the coastal bluff tops and descend to the beach.

Surrounding Crystal Cove State Park, several large parcels of undeveloped land in the San Joaquin Hills, owned for many decades by the Irvine Company, have passed into public ownership. These parcels, now incorporated into units called Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, and Irvine Open Space Preserve, are covered in Chapters 4, 5, and 11. This 20,000-acre area, collectively known as the South Coast Wilderness, is one of the treasures of Orange County.

Crystal Cove State Park is open for day use from dawn to dusk. You can park along the beach and enjoy some tidepooling or beach-walking. Or you can drive up to the parking area adjoining the visitor center just east of the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), and start your exploration of the backcountry sector of the park from there. Mountain biking is both permitted and popular in Crystal Cove’s backcountry section, not only on fire roads and former fire roads, but also on the narrow, singletrack trails. This situation is unusual for state parks, which often reserve the narrow trails for hiking use only.

Visitors can camp at Moro Campground or rent a cottage at the seaside Historic District in the park. Hike-in camping in the park is available at the Lower El Moro, Upper El Moro, and Deer Canyon primitive-camping sites.

The park’s interpretive program includes occasional lectures and weekly outdoor activities, such as bird-watching sessions, tidepool walks, and canyon hikes. As at any California state park, expect to pay a substantial parking fee for attending events or just exploring on your own. These fees go toward maintaining the park’s facilities and infrastructure, which are designed to accommodate heavy use.

An alternative access point for those who just want to hike, run, or bike the trails is to start from Coastal Peak Park atop the San Joaquin Hills. From Highway 1 northwest of Crystal Cove State Park, head north on Newport Coast Drive for 2.4 miles, then turn right onto Ridge Park Road and continue 1.6 miles to the end, where you can find free street parking. From here, the Bommer Ridge fire road through Laguna Coast Wilderness Park offers access to the top of the Crystal Cove trail network. Remember that any loop from here will be uphill on the return.