3 min
Overview
When thinking about SoCal’s five major counties and their respective natural treasures, the one that always seems left out is Orange County. Not only is Orange SoCal’s smallest county, it is also its most thoroughly developed. For anybody who has ever spent a long afternoon on the 405 in Costa Mesa, it might seem natural to wonder whether there’s any nature in Orange County at all. The good news is that there is a lot more than you would think. Sycamores in late November Some of the best can be found in Bell Canyon at Caspers Wilderness Park. This mostly flat section of the park is full of swaying grasses, sycamores rustling in the breeze, and frequent crossings of the usually-dry Bell Creek. The gentle terrain and beautiful scenery make this a great hike for most ages and skill levels. It is the sort of low-effort, high-reward hike that can appeal to just about everybody. Yucca blossoms in April The park’s history follows a fairly typical pattern of indigenous peoples being ousted and succeeded by Spanish and Mexican rancheros and missionaries, only to be later supplanted by European settlers, who eventually spared small parcels of land from relentless suburban development. A band of the Juaneno Indians originally lived in San Juan and Bell Canyons before the land was claimed in the name of Spain. Businessmen from San Francisco then purchased the land and converted it into a cattle ranch owned by the Starr Family. The ranch was deeded to the Starr Foundation, which still manages nearby land in conjunction with the Audubon Society. The county purchased the remainder of the land under the guidance of Ronald Caspers, for whom the park is named. The park now contains campgrounds, equestrian staging, and 30 miles of hiking trails. The Oak Trail After paying the modest fee at the gate ($3 during the week and $5 of Saturdays and Sundays at the time of this writing) and leaving your car parking lot at the end of the road, make your way toward the signed Oak Loop Nature Trail and plunge quickly into a corridor of g
Trail Stats
8.8 km
121 m
220 m
100 m
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