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Exploring Crystal Cove
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by David Womack
David Womack is an award winning screenwriter and the author of Mountain Bike! Orange County, published in November 2007. His blog, MountainBikeOC, offers detailed information on local trails and mountain-biking events.
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Exploring Crystal Cove State Park
South of Corona Del Mar the coastline turns dramatic. Rock-strewn ridge lines rise nearly 1000 feet above the beckoning Pacific. Not surprisingly, this landscape harbors some of Orange County’s most gilded real estate. However, Crystal Cove State Park lies here as well – a pristine swath of coastline and canyons wedged between the Tuscanesque mansions of Newport Coast and the opulent bungalows of Irvine Cove.
With 2,000 acres of accessible back country and 3.5 miles of sandy shoreline, Crystal Cove is a boon for the recreation minded. The park is a popular destination for hikers, mountain bikers, beachcombers, surfers, divers and kayakers.
The parking lot behind El Morro School offers access to the park’s back country. Follow the aptly named School/State Park road inland from Coast Highway -- the lot lies about 200 yards behind the school. In the adjacent Visitor Center, rangers collect the $10 parking fee and dispense trail maps. A nice diorama of park wildlife is also worth looking at here.
El Morro Canyon Road begins at the lower end of the lot (just behind the school). This is the preferred starting point for most hikers and bikers. The road carves through the length of the scenic canyon, ending at the inland boundary of the park. At the base of the canyon, the road winds through broad, chaparral–laden hillsides. Look for blooming Monkey Flower and Jimson Weed along the roadside. In spring, blooming mustard paints the contoured canyon slopes with a brilliant yellow hue -truly an experience not to be missed. Farther back, the canyon narrows and ascends abruptly. A shady woodland of Sycamore and Oak offers a nice respite before the long final climb to the ridge. At road’s end, a fence line marks the boundary between the state park and the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park (also open to biking and hiking).
A simple return route follows the Fenceline Trail to the highest point in the park. Enjoy the unmitigated view of Saddleback and then loop back on Morro Ridge Road. Directions are easy: just head toward the ocean. Before the final steep descent, enjoy the bird’s eye perspective of Newport Coast. On clear days, Santa Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes peninsula will seem impossibly close.
Hikers looking for a shorter route might start up No Dogs. The dirt road begins near the visitor center and climbs gradually to No Name Ridge. Oddly, this rolling section of road doubled for Guantanamo Bay in the 1992 film, A Few Good Men. It’s doubtful you’ll be reminded of Cuba, but the views are spectacular. Enjoy the sweeping panorama before making the long, straight descent down Mach One and looping back on El Morro Canyon Road.
Published: Jul 23,2008 14:13
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Andy Cowan
Andy Cowan, an award-winning writer, whose credits include Cheers and Seinfeld, regularly contributes humor pieces to the Los Angeles Times and the CBS Jack FM Radio Network.
Paul M. J. Suchecki
Paul M. J. Suchecki has more than 30 years of experience as an award winning writer, producer, and cameraman. He's written numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Currently he writes, produces and shoots for LA CityView Channel 35 and his more than 250 articles for Ehow.com are approaching half a million readers.
Coby Kindles
Coby Kindles is a freelance journalist, screenplay writer and essayist. She has been a staff writer at Knight Ridder and a regular contributor to The Associated Press.
Debbie Milam
Debbie Milam is a syndicated columnist for United Press International, an occupational therapist, family success consultant, and motivational speaker with more than 20 years experience. Her work on stress management, spirituality, parenting, and special-needs children has been featured in over 300 media outlets including First for Women, The Miami Herald, Elle, Ladies Home Journal, The Hallmark Channel, PBS and WebMD.
Dan Rafter
Dan Rafter has covered the residential real estate industry for more than 15 years. He has contributed real estate stories to the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Business 2.0 Magazine, Home Magazine, Smart HomeOwner Magazine and many others.
Jack Nargundkar
Jack Nargundkar has been repeatedly published in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. He is also an author of "The Bush Diaries" published in July 2005.
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