Irvine Ranch Conservancy
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate

Crisp Winter Air Brings Fantastic Vistas to the Landmarks

1/9/2015

 
Picture
Clean, clear winter air makes it easy to enjoy panoramas of Orange County and beyond from the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

The shorter, cooler days of the winter season make it a perfect time to enjoy the vibrant colors of the canyons and sprawling vistas in the open space preserves of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. While standing on a peak or ridge, visitors might look one way and see the snow-capped peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains, then turn around and clearly see out to one of Southern California’s Channel Islands.

The shorter days of winter bring cooler temperatures, and that colder air holds much less moisture, smog and other pollutants than warmer air does. That’s why the summer months in Orange County are often associated with haze and smog, while the dehumidified, cleaner air of winter can provide great views in almost any direction.

There are several upcoming decent-led activities, as well as self-guided trail routes, that will bring hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers to peaks and ridges that overlook unforgettable panoramic vistas. To take advantage of pleasant weather for active outdoor activities, and to enjoy the unrivaled views available in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks this time of year, consider registering for one of these activities or planning your own adventure.

Take in an Orange County view almost every weekday with regularly-scheduled fitness hikes on Hicks Haul Road in Irvine— held Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, as well as Tuesday mornings. This activity offers participants a chance to hike along a paved road to the top of Loma Ridge in OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve. From there you can look out over much of urban Orange County, and on a clear day, can even get a glimpse of downtown Los Angeles. The next After Work Fitness Hike on Paved Hicks Haul Road will take place on Monday, Jan. 5, and you can click here to see a list of all upcoming Hicks Haul Road activities.

To explore further into Limestone Canyon, join docents for a 10 to 12-mile Mid-Week Hike on Wednesday, Jan. 7. This hike includes several steep climbs and descents, with over 2,100 feet of accumulated elevation gain, but is done at a moderate pace. Towards the end of their journey, participants will be rewarded with a view of a striking limestone formation known as the Sinks. Mountain bikers can also visit the Sinks during the Beginner Mountain Bike Ride in Limestone Canyon on Sunday, Jan. 11.

With snow falling at fairly low elevations this week in Southern California, you may get to see Saddleback capped in white snow during the Cardio Hike: Weir Canyon/Santiago Wilderness Park on Saturday, Jan. 10. During this fast-paced, docent-led hike participants will travel through coastal sage scrub, grasslands and oak woodlands with multiple steep climbs and descents leading to unobstructed views of Saddleback Peak, Modjeska Peak and the Cleveland National Forest.

Equestrians can join docents on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 8 for the Weir Canyon to Two Towers Vista ride. This 5-mile ride in OC Parks’ Weir Canyon Nature Preserve will bring riders along the route of the Butterfield Stage, visiting a monument dedicated to the Mexican ox cart drivers. The trail weaves its way through a beautiful oak woodland on the way to Two Towers vista point—which provides great sprawling views of Orange County and beyond.

A Great way to explore the vistas of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks on your own is by visiting Bommer Canyon in the City of Irvine for a self-guided exploration of the trails and views along the way. After parking at the Bommer Canyon Trailhead, at 6400 Shady Canyon Drive, hike across Bommer Meadow then follow the short Bommer Pass Trail to the West Fork trail. Continue up the Turtle Ridge Trail to the top of the hill for stunning views of the Pacific coast and an unobstructed view of Catalina Island, 22 miles off-shore. Click here for a map of the City of Irvine Open Space Preserve.

Most of the docent-led programs are free and require pre-registration for all participants (children must attend with their parent or guardian). To register and to find more information about the above activities, and others, please visit www.LetsGoOutside.org/activities.

Comments are closed.

    About

    Welcome to the Irvine Ranch Conservancy "News from the Field" blog. These articles are written by Conservancy staff about activities and projects in and near the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. 

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    Agua Chinon
    Baker Canyon
    Big Canyon
    Birds
    Black Star Canyon
    Bommer Canyon
    Buck Gully
    City Of Irvine
    City Of Newport Beach
    Crystal Cove
    Dripping Springs
    Equestrian
    Family Friendly
    Fire
    Fire Watch
    Fremont Canyon
    Grasslands
    Habitat Restoration
    Hicks Haul Road
    Hiking & Fitness
    Interpretive
    Invasive Plants
    Irvine Open Space Preserve
    Irvine Ranch Open Space
    Irvine Regional Park
    Laguna Coast
    Limestone Canyon
    Mesa Loop
    Mountain Biking
    Native Plant Nursery
    Native Plants
    Native Seed Farm
    Nighttime
    OC Parks
    OC Zoo
    O'Neill Regional Park
    Orchard Hills
    Peters Canyon Regional Park
    Quail Hill
    Red Rocks
    Round Canyon
    Safety
    San Joaquin
    Santiago Oaks Regional Park
    Stewardship
    The Sinks
    Tracking
    Trails
    Trail Work
    Upper Newport Bay
    Volunteers
    Weir Canyon
    Wilderness Access Day
    Wildflowers
    Wildlife

    RSS Feed

Irvine Ranch Conservancy  •  4727 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620  •  714-508-4757  •  info@irconservancy.org

© 2016 Irvine Ranch Conservancy, All Rights Reserved.   Irvine Ranch Conservancy reserves all rights under copyright, including (without limitation) rights to photographs. No permission to copy or publish any portion of this web
site or any material posted on the website is granted without the express written permission of Irvine Ranch Conservancy. 
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate