Laguna Coast Wilderness Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laguna Coast Wilderness Park |
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Boomer Ridge Trail, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
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 Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
Location in California
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| Location | San Joaquin Hills, Orange County, California |
| Nearest city | Laguna Beach, California |
| Area | 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) |
| Governing body | Orange County Parks |
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is a huge natural area covering about 7,000-acre (2,800 ha). It's located in the San Joaquin Hills near Laguna Beach, California. This park is special because it has beautiful coastal canyons and amazing views from its high ridges. It's also home to the only natural lakes in all of Orange County, California.
You can explore the park on many trails. These trails are great for hiking and mountain biking. They range from easy paths for beginners to challenging routes for experts. Most trails go uphill, reaching heights of up to 1,000 feet (300 m). Some even lead right into downtown Laguna Beach!
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park protects some of the last wild coastal canyons in Southern California. The park is mostly covered in coastal sage scrub, different types of cactus, and native grasses. It's a safe home for over 40 rare and sensitive animal and plant species. These include the California gnatcatcher bird, the cactus wren, and a special plant called Dudleya stolonifera. You might also spot mule deer, long-tailed weasels, and many bobcats. Birds of prey like red-tailed hawks and northern harriers also live here.
Discover the South Coast Wilderness Area
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is part of a much larger natural area called the South Coast Wilderness Area. This huge wild space covers about 20,000-acre (8,100 ha) in southern Orange County, California. It stretches from Newport Beach to Laguna Niguel and from Irvine all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
The idea for this amazing wilderness area started way back in 1960. A bookstore owner named James Dilley dreamed of creating a greenbelt around Laguna Beach. It took many people, a lot of effort, and several decades to make his dream come true.
In 1990, local groups and cities worked together. Voters approved a plan to buy Laguna Canyon. This helped protect the land from being built on. It made sure the area would stay an open, natural space forever.
Today, the South Coast Wilderness area offers many fun activities. You can visit Orange County’s only natural lakes. You can also see lots of wildlife and learn about nature at special centers. There are guided programs and activities like hiking, bird watching, and mountain biking.
The South Coast Wilderness area includes several important open spaces:
- Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.
- Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park: This park covers 4,200-acre (1,700 ha) of coastal canyon wilderness in Laguna Niguel, California.
- Crystal Cove State Park: A 2,791-acre (1,129 ha) park with wild backcountry, coastal cliffs, beaches, and tide pools.
- City of Irvine, California Open Space Preserve: A 2,339-acre (947 ha) preserve with coastal sage scrub, oak trees, grasslands, and riverside areas.
- City of Newport Beach Open Space: A 254-acre (103 ha) area where you can go hiking and biking with a guide.
- City of Laguna Woods: This area has 10 acres (4.0 ha) of open space.
Laguna Greenbelt: Protecting Nature
Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. is a group that started in 1968. Their goal is to protect the environment in and around Laguna Beach and Orange County. This non-profit group works to inform people, speak up for nature, and teach citizens about environmental issues.
With James Dilley as its founder, Laguna Greenbelt helps save open spaces for everyone to enjoy. They believe that wild areas and places for wildlife are very important for the health of people in Southern California. They helped protect Laguna Canyon, Aliso and Woods Canyons, and the San Joaquin Hills. Today, they continue to work on connecting wild areas, like the Irvine Regional Wildlife Corridor, to help animals move safely between habitats.
Laguna Canyon Foundation: Caring for the Canyon
After some big events in 1989, like the creation of a large photo mural called The Tell, people marched to save Laguna Canyon. This led to voters in Laguna Beach approving a plan in 1990 to buy and protect the land. Soon after, the Laguna Canyon Foundation was created.
The Foundation's job was to manage and preserve Laguna Canyon. They helped buy even more open land that was planned for buildings. In 1993, they helped create Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Hallie Jones, who grew up in Laguna, became the executive director of the Foundation in 2014.
Today, over 200 volunteers from the Laguna Canyon Foundation help Orange County Parks take care of these special coastal canyons. The James and Rosemary Nix Nature Center, located in the Wilderness Park, helps with this effort. It has exhibits, educational programs, guided hikes, and other fun activities. In 2015, the Nature Center and other groups were featured in a documentary called Laguna Beach Eco Heroes. This film showed how different groups are working to protect the environment.
