I love Daylight Savings Time. The longer days mean more hours of daylight and opportunities to play outdoors after work! My favorite weeknight hiking trail is right on the border between San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano — a trail that I unofficially call The Roller Coaster Ridge. It’s a moderately strenuous 4.6 mile loop with views of the mountains, the Pacific Ocean, Dana Point Marina, Catalina Island, and on a clear day, even San Clemente Island nearly 50 miles away. And with over 1,000 feet of total vertical gain, it’s a great workout, too!
I’ve been hiking the Roller Coaster Ridge trail every Wednesday night I can for nearly four years. I started leading a group of local hikers through a local Meetup called Far South OC Social Events, and later began cross-posting to the Hiking OC group.
If you’re located in South Orange County and looking for a wonderful “hump day” evening hike, join me! There is no cost, and though it’s not for beginners, we have a full range of hikers from slow-and-steady to speedy and speedier. Mostly though, we just have a great time outdoors, enjoying the views, the new friends and the exercise.
Want to hike with us?
Check the Wednesday schedule on Hiking OC and look for Roller Coaster Ridge Hike-n-Tacos events. Oh yeah, did I mention the tacos? After the hike, many of us enjoy a cold beverage and a taco. Come along!
Photos from our Wednesday Night Hike
That sure looks like a fun hike and workout. Even though I live in Torrance, I work in Irvine so I’ll definitely come out and join your group one evening. .. the views look awesome!
Hey, Alan! Good to hear from you. Yeah, it’s a great outdoor workout. Perfect for mid-week. Good length/time. Incredible views. All the schedule an location details can be found through either of the Meetup links, or feel free to hit me up directly.
We draw hikers from all over OC and even San Diego County sometimes.
No time like the present though it looks like a storms-a-brewing on Wed. I don’t mind hiking in the rain though I’d much rather enjoy a beautiful sunset… 🙂 I’m definitely keep next Wed open. Thanks Jeff!
Jeff, daylight savings does not apply to the John Muir Trail. It´s 24 hrs a day no matter how you slice it. You get up when it´s light, and bed down before it´s dark, ?
Peter Fowler
It’s incredibly refreshing to read posts like this: people hiking for the sake of enjoyment, and encouraging others to join them. A lot of people are only able to hike on the weekends, and it’s great to see folks making it a part of their weekday life as well.
That’s a beautiful sunset.
Humpday hiking sounds great! Especially for people who have never been on the trail, having someone experienced to go with is always helpful. Suggestions for hikers, wear layers. This way you are prepared for the ocean breeze and the mountains.