This is a spectacularly fun hike (mountain bikers like it too) across a ridgeline that starts at the highest point on the coast of Orange County, widely known as Top of the World.
Distance: 4 miles Difficulty: Easy to moderate When to go: Year round Location: In Laguna Beach, starting at Alta Laguna Park. Elevation Gain: 511 ft. (from top of Cholla Trail up to Top of the
World) Phone: Aliso & Wood Canyons Park at (949) 831-2790 Dogs: Not allowed Directions: Off of Pacific Coast Highway, turn right on Park Ave. and
follow all the way up to Alta Laguna. Turn left and continue to the park.
Trail Information
Remarks: This memorable experience will leave you reinvigorated and
reminded of how valuable our natural habitat canyons are to communities in
Southern California.
You will likely notice the gentle breezes blowing up from the canyons to the
West Ridge carrying scents of coastal sage, grasses and some Eucalyptus
groves. Though fogged-in along the coast the day I hiked this trail, it
remained quite warm and sunny up at West Ridge's altitude.
Spectacular West Point Overlook
The trail affords exhilarating opportunities to look out across the most
significant, untouched regional parkland in all of Southern California,
known as Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Managed by Harbors, Beaches and Parks
of Orange County, it is under the watchful eye of a select committee called
the Laguna Greenbelt Authority.
Beautiful Alta Laguna Park is adjacent to the trailhead area, but the West
Ridge trail really starts at the end of Alta Laguna Blvd. At the entrance,
bear left to go slightly down and out to the westerly-most overlook,
referred to by some hikers as "West Point Overlook." The trail wraps around
a large hill currently fenced to protect a habitat mitigation area that is
restoring the knoll after years of thrashing by illegal off-road vehicles.
It circles around and rejoins the West Ridge Trail. Alternatively, you can
stay to the right at the trailhead and go down West Ridge.
Dropping Down West Ridge
This trail is heavily used by exercisers and those simply enjoying a walk
above the normal pace of life that can be seen below. People seemed friendly
and able to pass comfortably on this wide, relatively smooth trail through
the area known as Laguna Heights. Bikers particularly like the
power-building workout required on the return trip back up to Top of the
World.
Your first opportunity to drop off the ridge down to Wood Canyon is a right
on Mathis Canyon trail. It is well marked and a little steep at points. The
next trail down, considerably farther along West Ridge and again to the
right, is appropriately called Rock-It Trail. It joins Coyote Run trail at
the bottom. A right leads to Mathis Canyon; a left delivers you near an old
corral on the canyon floor off of Wood Canyon trail.
Back up on West Ridge, two more trails drop down to the canyon floor. Lynx
trail is found in front of Moulton Peak, while Cholla trail is just before
the chain link fence that separates the park from a track of new homes.
Arrange for a car to pick you up here to avoid the hike back up. Or hike
down and out Wood Canyon to the park entrance on Alicia Parkway (go left
when you reach the pavement). But no avid hiker or biker reading this would
want to do that.
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