HIKES

LAGUNA SUMMIT WILDERNESS HIKE

This scenic loop begins at the downtown Festival of Arts – home to Pageant of the Masters – where we’ll tour the grounds before ascending behind it to the Water Tank Trail. We’ll hike straight up the ridge line, with commanding Pacific views south to Laguna, North to Newport Beach, and west to Catalina Island. You’ll experience the native coastal sage scrub habitat of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, part of a 25,000 acre network of protected coastal wilderness.   We’ll ascend to the 1,000′ crest of Bommer Ridge, where you will also enjoy a commanding view of the Cleveland National Forest to the east, home to Saddleback Mountain, Orange County’s highest peak at 5,000′. The 360′ mountain and ocean views from this wilderness park are stunning. Then it’s back down via the Laguna Bowl trail, which deposits us back at the Festival grounds.

ALISO SADDLE HIKE

This hike is designed specifically for guests of the Montage and the Ranch hotels. Easy to access from the resorts, they begin on the beach and then rise through a south Laguna neighborhood and into the Laguna Coast wilderness. After a relatively steep climb, hikers will be afforded a dramatic view of the ocean, from Dana Point to Palos Verdes. Then they will continue climbing until they reach the top of Laguna niguel, with a view into the Aliso and Wood Canyons Park wilderness.

TOP OF THE WORLD HIKE

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is a major regional park in the San Joaquin Hills of Orange County. The hike begins perched atop a ridge on the park’s west boundary, which is the highest point in Laguna Beach (1000ft). The 360 degree mountain and ocean views from this wilderness park are stunning. You’ll experience the native coastal sage scrub habitat throughout the park, which is part of a 25,000 acre network of protected coastal wilderness. Hikers will enjoy a commanding view of the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Cleveland National Forest to the east, home to Saddleback Mountain, Orange County’s highest peak at 5,000ft.  This hike is modestly strenuous and involves a few climbs and descents, but is wide / non technical and suitable to all participants who are fit.

CRYSTAL COVE HIKE

Great for those staying at area hotels, this leisurely (up to 6 mile) hike travels the length of the park, with half on the sand and half on the headland bluffs. One of the last natural preserves on the Southern California coast, Crystal Cove has abundant native sage scrub amidst a glorious ocean backdrop. After walking the bluffs we’ll continue down a ramp and onto the beach, where there are towering cliffs and dramatic tidepools. If the tide allows, we will explore the distinctive eco system in this intertidal zone. Then we’ll stop at the famous restored cottages and the historic beach colony that dates back to the 1920’s, and has been home to many movie shoots. If your group wants a more challenging hike, we can also include parts of El Moro, a steep canyon set back from Crystal Cove.

DANA STRANDS BEACH TO DANA POINT HEADLANDS

We begin this easy hike by walking down to the Strands Revetment Trail (cement beach path) and follow it south along stunning beach front luxury homes and adjacent surfers. As we approach the Dana Headlands we head back up to join the protected marine nature preserve of the Dana Point Headlands Conservation Area featuring sweeping ocean views among native sage scrub. This one mile trail is home to two federal endangered species (Coastal California gnat catcher and the Pacific pocket mouse), and Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area for native rare plants. It’s also a protected cove where pirate ships used to land their booty in the 1800’s. If we’re lucky we’ll see Grey Whales as they migrate near shore between Mexico and Russia. Arriving at the south end of this trail we enjoy a massive view of the Dana Point Harbor, which was built in the 1960’s and is now home to a 1825’s replica of Richard Henry Dana’s sailboat Pilgram and 1770 replica of a privateer schooner used during the American Revolution. On a clear day we’ll also see the entire coastline south to San Diego. Option to start hike from Ritz Carlton, St. Regis Monarch Beach, and Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resorts.

LAUREL CANYON WILDERNESS HIKE

This is an easier, intermediate hike in the heart of Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. It is a loop with a slighter elevation gain than Dartmoor, more shade canopies of Oak and Sycamore groves, and fantastic views of the area coastal ranges, including Saddleback Mountain to the east, and Catalina Island to the west.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park lies within some of the last remaining coastal canyons in Southern California. Forty miles of trails lead the visitor through oak and sycamore woodlands and up onto ridges with expansive scenic vistas. Rocky bluffs tower above the canyon trails.Visitors to Laguna Coast Wilderness Park can see California as it has existed for thousands of years. The Coastal Sage Scrub community covers hilltops and slopes, along with patches of Native Valley Grassland and Maritime Chaparral. In the canyons visitors can find riparian habitats lined by Willow, Oak, and Sycamore trees. After a plentiful winter rain, the ephemeral streams spring to life. In the summer, you can easily pass through the seasonally dry creek beds.