Here's how a dream path should be
designed to provide a community with access to the beach. No matter how far
away you live, this is the way to get to Salt Creek Beach.
Distance: 5 miles up and back; 3+ hours. Difficulty: Light to moderate; a good work out going up. When to go: Year round. Location: Salt Creek Regional Park in Laguna Niguel, downstream to
Salt Creek Beach Park. Elevation Gain: 400 ft. Phone: (949) 362-4360 Directions: Park at the Laguna Niguel "Doggie Park" off of Golden
Lantern near the fire station. Exit Interstate 5 at Crown Valley Parkway
south and turn left on Golden Lantern. Ratings (On a scale of 1-10): Steepness: 4 Exercise level: 6 (overall) Children under 8: 8 (long,difficult up) Dogs: Yes (on leash only)
Trail Information
Full Review: You can plan hours and hike
it, or bike the full length to the ocean just below the Ritz Carlton Hotel
in a matter of minutes. Plan on an hour to ride or two hours to walk back
up.
All along the way, the scents of the original, rich, natural plant habitat
greets you. Can you imagine if citizens in each city along the coast would
put as much energy and dedication into a linear park path to their beaches?
There's only one other comparable in Orange County, the Upper Newport Bay
Nature Preserve. It reaches all the way up to the salt marshes in front of
UCI and links to Mason Regional Park. Within two years, you'll be able to
ride or walk to Peters Canyon Park and up to Irvine Regional Park in Orange.
Further, we'll be able to take the Hicks Canyon Trail and reach the future
planned El Toro Regional Park or Limestone Wilderness Park.
The good news is that two other beach access trails are actively being
planned. One similar, equally promising experience is proposed for Riverview
Park in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach near the mouth of the Santa Ana River.
Fairview and Talbert Regional Parks feature grasses and shrubs of the
original habitat that grew here hundreds of years ago along the river.
Similarly, the Bolsa Chica area is expected to provide county residents a
unique opportunity in a 100+ acre regional park connecting the ocean with
Huntington Beach's Central Park. With the old oil fields that once stretched
along Coast Highway all but shut down, the park will replace most of the
housing development that was once planned.
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If
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it’s all right here where you live
and play.
