Orange County’s wilderness parks offer a fascinating mix of natural beauty and historical significance. Orchard Hills, a redolent oasis of coastal sage and chaparral that both preserves wildlife and provides recreational opportunities for the nearby community, is one of the finest examples of this evocative blend of past and present.
My guided hike on an early summer morning took me past working avocado orchards, where plump fruit hung from high branches and shade provided cool relief for a bonanza of bunnies and scads of ground squirrels. Irvine’s agricultural past is well represented here – but within moments I emerged into shrubland and caught a glimpse of a mule deer, ears pricked, a sight no doubt common when Native Americans first settled here centuries ago.
Take the single-track Changala Pass, and you’ll emerge atop the hilly preserve on your way to Hangman’s Tree Monument, where a plaque commemorates the vigilante capture of long-ago banditos. This 6-mile upper loop/lower loop trail is not for the casual hiker; it’s tough. I stopped a few times on the way up – ostensibly to admire the views, as I told my fitter hiking companion – but actually to rest my burning calves. Take it slow, drink plenty of water, and you’ll be fine.
Rewards included a roadrunner sighting, the sound of warblers and wrens and a glimpse of pale purple bush mallow. Along the way, multicolored cactus flowers punctuated thorn-adorned pads of prickly pears.
The summit offers fantastic views of the Pacific coastline – you can see Catalina and San Clemente islands on a clear day – as well as the San Gabriel peaks and Santa Ana Mountains. Weather permitting, with binoculars, you might even glimpse the Hollywood sign.
The lower loop of about 1.5 miles offers the less ambitious hiker a pleasant stroll with minimal elevation gain and all the benefits of what the Japanese call forest-bathing – sage-bathing, here.
In the interest of preservation, Orchard Hills is only accessible through guided hikes. There are several options listed on Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s letsgooutside.com site, including a hike with yoga. One of the most popular is a twilight hike, led by Annette Heiertz, along trails once tramped by cowboys and cattle.
The summit offers fantastic views of the Pacific coastline – you can see Catalina and San Clemente islands on a clear day.
“The hike beside the avocado orchards is gorgeous,” Heiertz says. “There’s always the possibility of seeing everything from bobcats, herds of deer, skunks and coyotes. One of the benefits of doing the twilight hike is arriving at the summit and seeing sunset’s gorgeous colors, with views across Irvine to the ocean. You’re getting a great workout while being distracted by the wonderful vistas.”
The area is currently undergoing a restoration of the natural habitat and trails that will connect the Orchard Hills Trail with Loma Ridge, Limestone Canyon and Agua Chinon Canyon. What a wonderful realization of Irvine Company’s vision of interconnected wilderness areas, preserved for all time, that will be. Orange County is fortunate indeed.
A guided hike at Orchard Hills takes place July 17. Register for free at letsgooutside.com.
ANIMAL SPOTTING
Keep an eye out for these specific creatures, which have been seen at Orchard Hills Trail
