finished hiking, and make sure you wash them carefully afterward. Take a shower as soon as possible. And be aware that dogs can pick up the urushiol on their fur, so wash your pup when you get home if he brushed up against the plant.
Ticks can sometimes be the scourge of overgrown trails in the Santa Ana Mountains, particularly in mid-spring when they climb to the tips of shrub branches and lie in wait for warm-blooded hosts. Ticks are especially abundant along trails used by cattle, deer, and coyotes. If you can’t avoid brushing up against vegetation along the trail, be sure to check for ticks frequently. Upon finding a host, a tick will usually crawl upward some distance in search of a protected spot, where it will try to attach itself. If you’re sensitive to the slightest irritation on your skin, you’ll be able to intercept a tick long before it attempts to bite.
Southern Pacific rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are fairly common in brushy, rocky, and streamside habitats from coast to mountains. Seldom seen in either cold or very hot weather, they favor temperatures in the 75–90°F range. Expect to see (or hear) rattlesnakes out and about in the daytime from early spring to mid-fall and at night in summer and early fall. Most rattlesnakes are every bit as interested in avoiding contact with you as you are with them. Watch carefully where you put your feet, and especially your hands, during rattlesnake season. In brushy or rocky areas where your sight is limited, try to make your presence known from afar. Tread with heavy footfalls, or use a stick to bang against rocks or bushes. Rattlesnakes will pick up the vibrations through their skin and will usually buzz (unmistakably) before you get too close for comfort.
Here are a few more safety tips: Regard most free-flowing water as unsafe for drinking without purification, excluding, of course, developed water sources within campgrounds and picnic areas. Chemical (iodine or chlorine) treatment, filtering, and ultraviolet light are the most convenient purification methods, but secondary in effectiveness to boiling. A bigger problem, of course, in this part of the world is the availability of the water itself. Many springs and watercourses in the Santa Anas are intermittent, flowing only after winter rains. Your best bet is to carry all the water you’ll need on the trail.
Deer-hunting season in Cleveland National Forest occurs during mid-autumn. Although conflicts between hunters and hikers are uncommon, you may want to confine your explorations at that time of year to state and county parks, where hunting is prohibited.
Mountain lions do frequent the wilder corners of Orange County and have even been spotted on the edge of suburban neighborhoods. While recent news stories have trumpeted every instance of encounters with mountain lions, attacks on hikers or mountain bikers remain statistically rare, with one fatal attack in 2004 on a solo mountain biker at Whiting Ranch and two nonfatal attacks on children in Caspers Wilderness Park in 1986. All persons entering mountain lion country are urged to take the following precautions:
Hike with one or more companions.
Keep children close at hand.
Never run from a mountain lion. Doing so may trigger its instinct to attack.
Make yourself “large.” Face the animal, maintain eye contact with it, shout, blow a whistle, and do not act fearful. Do anything to convince the animal that you are not its prey.
Carry a hiking stick and use it, or pitch stones or other objects at the animal if it advances.
There is always some risk in leaving a vehicle unattended at a remote trailhead. Fortunately, automobile vandalism and burglary are not acute problems in the described areas. Report all theft and vandalism of personal property to park officials or the county sheriff, and report vandalism of public property to the appropriate park or forest agency.
Trail Courtesy
Whenever you travel the backcountry wilderness or a well-trodden park trail, you take on a burden of responsibility to preserve the natural environment. Aside from commonsense prohibitions against littering and vandalism, here are a few of the less obvious guidelines every hiker should be aware of.
Never cut trail switchbacks. This practice breaks down the trail tread and hastens erosion. Improve designated trails by removing branches, rocks, or other debris if you can. Report any trail damage and misplaced or broken signs to the appropriate ranger office (Cleveland National Forest has a form for this purpose).
When backpacking, be a “no trace” camper. Camp well away from water, and leave your campsite as you found it or leave it in an even more natural condition. Because of the danger of wildfire in Orange County, you cannot have open fires (campfires or barbecues) except in developed campgrounds and picnic grounds. For cooking, you can use a campstove (with the proper permit), but only in an area cleared of flammable vegetation. In the backcountry, dig a hole at least 6 inches deep and bury human waste; carry out used toilet paper in a plastic bag so that animals don’t dig it up and scatter it about.
Collecting minerals, plants, animals, and historical objects without a special permit is prohibited in state and county parks and national forests. This regulation includes common things, such as pinecones, wildflowers, and lizards. Leave them for all visitors to enjoy.
It’s impractical to review here all the specific rules associated with the use of public lands in the Orange County area, but you, as a visitor, are responsible for knowing them. Refer to Appendix 4 for sources of information.
Using This Book
Whether you wish to use this book as a reference tool or as a guide to read cover to cover, take a few minutes to read this section. It explains the exact meaning of the capsulized information that appears before each trip description, and it also describes the way in which trips are grouped geographically.
One way to expedite the process of finding a suitable trip, especially if you’re unfamiliar with hiking opportunities in Orange County, is to turn to Appendix 1, which calls out the most highly recommended hikes. The main map of Orange County and vicinity shows the area that each chapter covers.
Each chapter’s introduction includes any general information about the area’s history, geology, plants, and wildlife not included in the trip descriptions. Important information about possible restrictions or special requirements (wilderness permits, for example) appears here too, and you should review this material before starting on a hike in a particular chapter.
At the time of this writing, most trailheads in the national forests of Southern California are signed to indicate that you must post a National Forest Adventure Pass or Interagency Annual Pass on your vehicle. You can purchase an Adventure Pass at ranger stations and some retailers but not at the trailhead, which is a significant inconvenience for casual visitors. However, according to the Federal Lands and Recreation Enhancement Act that authorized the Adventure Pass system, the US Forest Service is prohibited from charging a fee solely for parking. In May 2014, a US District Court ruled that the Adventure Pass is required only for visitors who use developed trailhead facilities, such as picnic tables or restrooms. If you want to simply park and hike, the Adventure Pass is not required, despite signage to the contrary. You may wish to follow the latest developments in the media.
Each chapter contains a sketch map of the locations and routes of all the hikes it describes. The boxed numbers on those maps correspond to the trip numbers and refer to the start and end points of out-and-back and loop trips. Point-to-point trips have two boxed numbers, indicating the separate start and end points. The map also shows GPS coordinates
