Laurel Canyon Trail in Orange County, California’s Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is a fantastic opportunity to see a native landscape most visitors seldom see. This trail, which is mostly single-track following a relatively steep, oak-shaded canyon, stands in marked contrast to much of the open chaparral hikes following fire roads throughout the 6,500-acre park.
Getting to the Laurel Canyon Trail Trailhead
The Laurel Canyon Trail is accessed most easily from the trailhead at the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park’s Willow Canyon Staging Area. The Willow Canyon Staging Area is at 20101 Laguna Canyon Road (Rt. 133) on the west side of Laguna Canyon Road just south of El Toro Road. The trailhead is about four miles inland from Laguna Beach. The Laurel Canyon Trail can also be accessed on foot from the village of Laguna Beach via the Laguna Bowl Trailhead by way of the Bommer Ridge Trail.
The Laurel Canyon Trail is best accessed by way of Willow Canyon Road, a fire road closed to vehicular traffic. After parking at the Willow Canyon Staging Area, the hiker should proceed on foot up Willow Canyon Road. This is the obvious trail heading west (away from Laguna Canyon Road) and toward the park office.
Ascending Willow Ridge
The hike begins by ascending into an obvious drainage beyond the park office. Soon the Willow Canyon Road steepens and climbs to the crest of the northwest trending ridge above. Once atop the ridge, the fire road follows the crest for a time before contouring around the northeast and north sides of the ridge’s high point.
After contouring, the hiker comes to a northwest trending jeep road (on the right) that leads to the start of the Laurel Canyon Trail proper. This jeep road is only about one-tenth of a mile before the Willow Canyon Road’s intersection with the Bommer Ridge Trail, and the hiker is encouraged to take this short out-and-back detour to Bommer Ridge. The views of the ocean and surrounding canyons are spectacular. This is the hike’s high point (nearly 700 feet above the trailhead).
Returning to the jeep road intersection after enjoying the view, the hiker follows the jeep road for about half of a mile to the well signposted turn off for Laurel Canyon Trail (on the right). From the beginning of the Laurel Canyon Trail, it is about 1.5 miles back to the trailhead where the hike began.
Oak Forest and Waterfall
Most hikers are first impressed by the forest of oaks (Quercus spp.) and sycamores (Platanus spp.) which make Laurel Canyon Trail feel so uncharacteristic of a Southern California coastal hike. In reality, this ecosystem abounded throughout the coastal canyons before rampant development in the twentieth century.
After descending a bit, the hiker will come to an intermittent (seasonal) creek at a point where it drops nearly 30 meters (almost 100 feet) over a rock ledge. This is an ideal spot to enjoy a picnic overlooking the canopy of trees below.
A Rare Look at a Resilient Ecosystem
The Laurel Canyon Trail reminds the hiker of the resilience of this unique and special ecosystem. This entire area was burned in the 1993 Laguna Beach fires, as evidenced by the burnt trunks and the chaparral bushmallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus), which does exceptionally well after wildfires. Further down the trail, the hiker can observe open meadows that, at one time, were used extensively for cattle grazing but are now recovering nicely.
The Lauren Canyon Trail eventually returns to Laguna Canyon Road and follows it briefly until the trail ends at the trailhead parking lot where the hike began.
Ret Talbot - Ret Talbot joined Suite 101 in December 2007, and he is now the feature writer for saltwater fish—a topic in which he is both ...
