Here are some highlights from the OC Parks January Calendar of events, if you are looking for hiking ideas or other outdoor events in the month of January, make sure to check our some of these great events!
OC Parks JANUARY 2014
calendar of events
January 1 – Bimonthly Bird Walks
8 – 11 a.m.
Join
Naturalist Mike Clayton on a bird walk at Riley Wilderness Park. All levels of
birders welcome. As a wildlife sanctuary, Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park is a
home to an abundant number of native plants and old groves of Western Sycamores
and Coast Live Oaks which border the park’s two seasonally flowing creeks. The
remaining land features rolling hills and canyons of Coastal Sage Scrub and
grasslands. Come prepared for a morning of exploring this delightful park and
its abundant bird life.
Location: Thomas
F. Riley Wilderness Park. 30952 Oso Parkway, Coto de Caza, CA 92679
Cost: Free Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923–2265
Special
Instructions: Bring your binoculars and wear shoes with good traction, some of
the trails are steep.
January
2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Tideland Tykes
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Join our preserve staff for a fun-filled parent
and child experience that may include arts and crafts, story telling, hands-on
activities or outdoor nature walks. Come prepared for an exciting outdoor
experience!
Location: Upper
Newport Bay. 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Cost: $5 per student Parking:
Free
Contact: (949) 923-2290
Special
Instructions: Ages 2 to 8 years recommended. Space is limited and registration
is required. Please call (949) 923-2275, or email unbic@ocparks.com to register.
January
3 – Explore the Plants on the Trail to Barbara’s Lake
9 – 11:30 a.m.
Join us
on a wonderful morning walk to Orange County’s only natural lake while learning
about our native California plant life. This 2-mile leisurely hike will be led
by Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer naturalists.
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Online reservations required, sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities.
Ages 8 and up. Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature
Center (west side of Laguna Canyon Road/SR-133, approximately 3.5-miles south
of I-5/405). For questions, call (949) 497-8324.
January
3, 10, 17, 24, 31 – Wild Tales
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Visit
with Preserve staff for story-telling fun! After a story, learn more about the
natural history of the Bay through crafts, hands-on activities and nature
walks. Come prepared for an exciting outdoor experience!
Location: Upper
Newport Bay. 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Cost: $5 per student Parking:
Free
Contact: (949) 923-2290
Special
Instructions: Ages 2 to 8 years. Space is limited and
pre-registration is required. Please call (949) 923-2275, or email unbic@ocparks.com to register.
January
4, 11, 18, 25 – Nature Walk
9 – 10:30 a.m.
Join our naturalists on a nature walk and learn
about Trabuco Canyon animals and nature. Light to moderate walk on mostly paved
roads. Meet at the Nature Center just inside the main entrance of the park.
Location: O’Neill
Regional Park. 30982 Trabuco Canyon Road, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
Website: www.ocparks.com/oneillpark/
Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2260
Special
Instructions: All ages welcome. Meet at the Nature Center just
inside the main entrance. Event is conditional on weather.
January 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
– Redwood Grove Hike
9:30 – 11 a.m.
Join
OC Parks' trained staff on an easy 1.1-mile hike to the park's Coastal
Redwood grove. You will use your 5 senses to engage with nature as
you stroll to the Redwoods. You will also have an opportunity to learn
about our native plants along the way. The hike begins each Saturday
and Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. from the park's Nature Center. Don't forget to
visit our Nature Center when you are there, too!
Location: Carbon Canyon Regional Park. 4442
Carbon Canyon Road, Brea, CA 92823
Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle
Contact: (714) 973-3160
Special
Instructions: All
ages. Participants should remember water, sunscreen, hat, hiking shoes. Meet at
Nature Center located at east end of the park. Reservations preferred, please
call (714) 973-3160 or email carboncanyon@ocparks.com.
January 4 – Caspers Park Foundation Meeting
9:30 – 11 a.m.
Interested
in volunteering at Caspers Wilderness Park? Join our monthly meeting held in
the Caspers Wilderness Park Nature Center. This is a great opportunity to learn
just what volunteer’s do, as well as meet others who love nature, the outdoors,
and preserving the park for all. Meeting starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by an
informative lecture presented by guest speakers at 10 a.m. January speaker:
Ilse Byres - History of the Hot Springs.
Location: Caspers
Wilderness Park. 33401 Ortega Highway,
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Cost: Free Parking: Free
Contact: (949) 923-2210
Special
Instructions: For more information, call the park office
at (949) 923-2210.
January
4 – Family Hike
3 – 5 p.m.
Join
us on this very enjoyable, easy 2-mile hike over moderate but uneven terrain
(100-ft. elevation gain). Families welcome. You will hike in one of
the most diverse areas in the park, through a canopy of oaks past Barbara’s Lake
and back. Led by Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers.
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Reservations required, sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities.
Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park, James Dilley Preserve (east side of Laguna Canyon
Rd/Sr-133, just north of 73 Toll Road). For
questions, call (949) 497-8324.
January 4 – Caspers Park Astronomy Night
5 – 8 p.m.
Come
for a grand tour of the universe! Join Allan and other amateur astronomers to
have a look in the telescopes to see Venus and Jupiter including four of its
largest moons. Take a guided tour of the constellations and learn the myths and
facts about the cosmos. Observe the wonders of the night sky including nebulas,
galaxies, star clusters and double stars.
Location: Caspers
Wilderness Park. 33401 Ortega Highway,
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2210
Special
Instructions: Rain or cloudy skies cancels the event. For
more information call the park at (949) 923-2210.
January
5 – Edible & Useful Plant Hike
8 – 11 a.m.
Native Americans and early pioneers found their uses for local and
introduced plants, and now science is finding out about potentially valuable
medicines in our wild backyard. Learn about these edible and useful plants
during a moderate, but steep, uneven 3.5 mile hike (600-ft. elevation gain)
with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer naturalist, Karin Klein (author of 50
Hikes in Orange County).
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Reservations required, sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities. Willow
Canyon Staging Area (20101 Laguna Canyon Road, just south of El Toro Road
intersection). For questions call (949) 497-8324.
January
5 – 1st Sunday Restoration Program at Talbert Nature Preserve
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Come
join us for some R&R at Talbert Regional Park in Costa Mesa as we kick off
the first community based Talbert Restoration & Revitalization
Project. Learn about the native plants and wildlife of our Coastal zone. We
will meet the 1st Sunday of each month 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the corner of
19th St. and Balboa Blvd. in Costa Mesa.
Location: Talbert
Nature Preserve. 1298 Victoria Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92627.
Website: www.ocparks.com/talbert/
Cost: Free Parking: Free
Contact:
(714) 376-7414
Special
Instructions: This program will be cancelled if rainy/muddy
conditions are present 24 hours prior or enrollment minimums are not met.
January 5, 12, 19, 26 – Nature Hike
9 – 10 a.m.
Join our Park Rangers Sunday mornings for an easy 1-mile
hike on the Nature Trail. The trail takes visitors through grassland, oak
woodland, riparian and sandy cactus scrub communities. Meet at Old Corral Day
Use area. Rain will cancel hike.
Location: Caspers
Wilderness Park. 33401 Ortega Highway,
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2210
Special
Instructions: Wear comfortable clothing, hiking shoes.
Sunscreen, water and insect repellent are recommended. For additional
information, please call the park at (949) 923-2210.
January
5 – Nature Center Open
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The Nature
Center is open the 1st Sunday of each month. Join a Park Ranger for a tour of
the nature center and learn about local history, flora and fauna.
Location: Santiago
Oaks Regional Park. 2145 N. Windes Drive, Orange, CA 92869
Website: http://ocparks.com/santiagooaks/
Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle
Contact: (714) 973-6620
January 7, 11, 21, 25 – Modjeska
House Tour
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Docent-led tour of the historic house and grounds.
Mailing
Address Online: 25151 Serrano Road, Lake Forest, CA 92630-2534
Contact: (949) 923–2230
Cost: $5 per person
Special Instructions: Advance
reservations required, call (949) 923-2230. Directions provided with
reservations.
January
8, 22 – Ride with a Ranger
8 – 11 a.m.
Join
us for a scenic bike ride on the San Diego Creek Bike Path and Back Bay Loop
Trail every other Wednesday from 8 to 11 a.m. This 14.3 mile intermediate,
casual bike ride begins at William R. Mason Regional Park and travels through
the Back Bay Loop Trail back to Mason.
Location: Mason
Regional Park. 18712 University Drive, Irvine, CA 92612
Website: www.ocparks.com/masonpark
Cost: Free Parking:
Free
Contact: (949) 923-2220
Special Instructions: For more information, please contact
Park Ranger Candi Hubert at (949) 923-2222. Recommended for ages 16 and up.
Rides are every other Wednesday. Please bring water, sunscreen and helmet.
Rides will be cancelled without notice if inclement weather conditions are
present.
January
9 – Fitness Hike at Dilley
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Raise your heart rate and your spirits on this strenuous,
fast-paced, 5.5-mile hike over steep and uneven terrain (900-ft. elevation
gain) with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers.
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Online reservations
required, sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities.
Ages 15 and up. Not for beginners. James Dilley
Preserve (east side of Laguna Canyon Rd/SR-133, just north of 73 Toll Road).
For questions, call (949) 497-8324.
January
10 – A Long Winter’s Night Hike
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The Long Winter’s Night Hike will feature many fun activities:
A live animal presentation, hot cocoa and cookies, anda hike
through the wilderness area.
Location: Peters Canyon Regional Park. 8548 E. Canyon View Ave., Orange, CA
92869
Website: http://ocparks.com/peterscanyon/
Cost: Free Parking: Free for volunteers
Contact: (714) 973-6611
Special
Instructions: Space
is limited, please call to register: (714) 973-6611. Meet in the parking lot
near the park office.
January 11 – 2nd Saturday Trail Work Day
8:30 – 11 a.m.
Come
join park staff and our trail leaders by volunteering to assist with habitat
restoration, non-native plant removal and trail work throughout Irvine Regional
Park. Please wear jeans and durable shoes or boots. Park provides tools and
gloves. Bring sunscreen, hat, snacks, and water.
Location: Irvine
Regional Park. 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869 Website: www.ocparks.com/irvinepark/
Cost: Free Parking: Free for
volunteers
Contact: (714) 973–6835
Special Instructions: Ideal for ages 12 and up. Minors must be
accompanied by an adult. Large school groups/companies welcome, call (714)
973-6836 for group registration.
January
11 – California Native Plant & Wildflower Hike
9 a.m.
– 12 p.m.
Learn to identify native plants with Laguna Canyon
Foundation volunteer naturalists on this moderate but fast-paced, steep and
rocky, 4.8-mile hike (700-ft. elevation gain).
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Reservations required, sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities. Ages 12 and up. Laguna Coast
Wilderness Park, Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center (west
side of Laguna Canyon Rd/SR-133, approximately 3.5 miles south of I-5/405). For questions, call (949) 497-8324.
January 11, 18, 25 – Campfire Program
7 – 8 p.m.
Every
Saturday night, join us for a campfire program that may include a slide
presentation, wilderness safety, games and activities for children, animal
adaptations, skins and skulls, a live animal demonstration and a chance to
visit the Nature Center. Topics may vary weekly.
Location: Caspers
Wilderness Park. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2210
Special
Instructions: All
ages welcome!
January
12 – Second Sunday Restoration Program
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Join
Preserve staff and other volunteers in enhancing the Bay’s habitat for local
wildlife. Activities may include non-native plant removal, planting natives,
watering, trash cleanup and Butterfly Garden maintenance. No experience is
necessary; water, snacks and tools are provided.
Location: Upper
Newport Bay. 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Cost: Free Parking: Free
Contact: (949) 923-2290
Special
Instructions: Minors aged 16 and younger
must have legal guardian present at all times. Space is limited and
pre-registration is required. Please call (949) 923-2275, or email unbic@ocparks.com to register. Program will
be cancelled if inclement weather is present.
January
14 – Dilley Loop Nature Hike
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Get
close to nature on this leisurely 2-mile hike (370-ft. elevation gain) over
steep and uneven terrain as you spot plants and animals or maybe their tracks
and signs along the way.
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Reservations required, sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities.
Ages 12 and up. James Dilley Preserve (405 South
to 133 south to stoplight at 73 turn-off; make a U-turn, go 1 block. Dilley is
on the right). For questions, call (949) 497-8324.
January
16 – Fitness Hike at Little Sycamore
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Raise
your heart rate and your spirits on this difficult, strenuous and fast-paced,
4.8-mile hike (400-ft. elevation gain) over very steep, uneven terrain with
Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers.
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Online reservations
required, sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities.
Ages 15 and up. Not for beginners. Hiking poles
suggested. Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center (west side of
Laguna Canyon Road/SR-133, approximately 3.5-miles south of I-5/405). For
questions, call (949) 497-8324.
January
17 – A Morning Stroll to Barbara’s Lake
9 – 11:30 a.m.
Enjoy an
outdoor stroll to Barbara’s Lake (Orange County’s only natural lake) on this
leisurely paced, level, 2-mile hike with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer
naturalists.
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Reservations required,
sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities.
All ages welcome! Little Sycamore Canyon Staging
Area/Nix Nature Center (west side of Laguna Canyon Rd/SR-133, approximately 3.5
miles south of I-5/405). For questions, call (949) 497-8324.
January
19 – Birding Basics with Ranger Portia
8:30 – 11 a.m.
Explore the diverse bird populations of Upper Newport Bay
Nature Preserve with Ranger Portia on the third Sunday of the month. From
seasonal migratory species to year-round residents, birders of all ages will
enjoy a morning outdoors on these informative, yet fun-filled walks. The
program will meet at the "Constellation Street" park entrance at 8:30
a.m. Come prepared for your birding adventure with binoculars, hat, sunscreen
and appropriate footwear.
Location: Upper
Newport Bay. 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Cost: Free Parking: Free
Contact: (949) 923-2290
Special
Instructions: All
ages. This program will be cancelled if rainy/muddy conditions are present 24
hours prior or enrollment minimums are not met. This program is FREE, but
pre-registration is required. Please phone (949) 923-2275, or e-mail unbic@ocparks.com to save your spot and
receive directions to the Constellation Street entrance.
January
19 – Afternoon Geology Hike
1 – 3:30 p.m.
Enjoy
unspoiled canyon views and learn about the geology of this area. The rocks and
fossils reveal fascinating stories about the park’s ancient environments. This
will be a 3.5-mile hike over steep and uneven terrain (650-ft. elevation gain).
Location: Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park. 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Website: www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast/
Cost: $2 donation per person Parking:
$3 per vehicle
Contact: (949) 923-2235
Special
Instructions: Reservations required,
sign-up online: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities.
Willow Canyon Staging Area (20101 Laguna Canyon
Rd, just south of El Toro Rd intersection). For questions, call (949) 497-8324.
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