Trabuco Canyon, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Trabuco Canyon, California
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The "Wash" at Trabuco Canyon
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Orange |
| Elevation | 430 - 1,640 ft (−69.9 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
92678-92679
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| Area code(s) | 949 |
Trabuco Canyon is a small community in the hills of Orange County, California. It is located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. Part of the community is inside the Cleveland National Forest.
The name Trabuco comes from a Spanish word for "Blunderbuss". A blunderbuss is a type of old shotgun. Trabuco Canyon is north of Rancho Santa Margarita. You can get there by taking Plano Trabuco Road.
History of Trabuco Canyon
The name "Trabuco" means "blunderbuss" in Spanish. A story says that a Franciscan friar lost a blunderbuss in the canyon. This happened during the Portolá Expedition in 1769. That's how the area supposedly got its name.
A mission was planned for the canyon. However, it was built instead in San Juan Capistrano.
The Trabuco Adobe was built in 1810. It was next to an Acjachemen village called Alume. This village was also noted during the 1769 Portolá expedition. A traveler named Juan Crespí wrote about the friendly people there.
John (Don Juan) Forster received a land grant from Mexico in 1846. He then started Rancho Trabuco. This ranch was bordered by other ranches.
People tried to mine tin in Trabuco Canyon in the early 1900s. You can still see signs of this mining. There are tunnels in the canyon sides, but they are closed for safety. There are also old stone foundations from a machine that processed ore. Several dams on the creek are also from this time.
The Trabuco Canyon National Forest was created in 1907. It quickly became part of the Cleveland National Forest in 1908.
One of the very last California grizzly bears was killed here in 1908. It was a female bear.
In October 2007, a large wildfire started nearby. It spread to Trabuco Canyon. The Fire Department helped people leave the canyon safely.
Fun Features of Trabuco Canyon
Every Fourth of July, Trabuco Canyon has a special parade. Locals ride horses and pull homemade floats. It's a very old-fashioned celebration.
A famous place to eat is the Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse. It was a favorite restaurant of former President Richard Nixon.
The Vedanta Society of Southern California has a Monastery in the canyon. It covers about 40 acres. It was started in 1942 by the writer Gerald Heard. The Trabuco Canyon Community Church is also located here.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 1,020 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 |
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In 2020, the United States Census Bureau counted 1,020 people living in Trabuco Canyon.
