The recent storms have brought much-needed rain to Southern California, but dumped it at a measure that has wreaked havoc with trails in the hills of our local Orange County parks. Many of the regional parks typically close during heavy rains to protect the trails from getting chewed up by bikes and boots, but even though it’s starting to dry out, many remain closed.
Currently, the following parks are closed
- Crystal Cove State Park (backcountry only)
- Santiago Oaks
- Aliso-Woods
- Laguna Coast
- Whiting Ranch
- Caspers Park
All of these closures are subject to change, so before you hit the trails, check the OC Parks Newsroom and the Crystal Cove State Park website for the latest updates. If you have updates, please post a comment below.
Great Hikes for Rainy Days
In the meantime, there are some great hikes you can do even when it’s raining outside. Here’s a few of my favorites:
- San Clemente Beach Trail – Yeah, it’s level, but it stays pretty hike-able even when wet.
- Ridgeline Trail – This is a paved trail on a ridge line near Avenida Pico in San Clemente. Great 360 degree views!
- Salt Creek Trail – A paved, multi-use trail that parallels Salt Creek, you can start at Golden Lantern and head all the way to Salt Creek Beach.
- Huntington Beach Walk – Not a hike, per se, but a great path that rain won’t spoil.
What’s your rainy day favorite?
Today, November 23rd, a manifestation of the police state we live in: two deputized lifeguards (i.e. with guns and the authority to use them) cited me and 10 other people for violating Crystal Cove State Park closure (closed for safety per sign at the front where we did not enter) – all of us entered through non-posted routes, including at least two people who entered through an adjacent OC Park that was open. The gun-toting lifeguard said the closure was to protect the trail from erosion. What!? The trails were completely dry. Even the trail that crosses through a creek bed was dry. There was no mud on this kooks tires either. None of us encountered any mud or puddles. When asked why we couldn’t just get a warning, he said his supervisor insisted on ticketing everyone because warnings never worked in the past.
Look for him and his followers wearing brown shirts in the near future.