Bear Canyon Trail - Member Hike
| Hike Name: | Bear Canyon Trail |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | California |
| Nearby Town: | Lake Elsinore |
| Rating: |  |
| Directions: | Take the 5 freeway south (from Irvine) to Ortega Highway (Hwy 74) in San Juan Capistrano... Turn left onto Ortega Highway... continue past Caspers Park, over the narrow bridge, up the fun winding road, past Upper San Juan campground (you're almost there)... and the candy store is the small blue building (the first one you have seen for miles) on the right side... Parking is across the street on the left... Clean restrooms are availabe at the candy store... not so nice ones are available in the parking lot... |
| Total Hike Distance: | 14.00 miles |
| Hike Difficulty: | Difficult |
| Permit Required: | Yes |
| Hike Type: | Roundtrip, Loop Hike |
| Hike Starts/Ends: | bear canyon |
| Trails Used: | see below |
| Backcountry Campsites: | No |
| Backcountry Water Sources: | None |
| Management: | State Park Service |
| Contact Information: | Ortega Oaks Candy Store 34040 Ortega Hwy Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 |
| Best Season: | Winter, Spring, Fall |
| Users: | Hikers, Bikers |
| Road Conditions: | Primary Paved Roads |
| Hike Summary: | "Oak Flats is one of the nicest back corners of the Trabuco District, containing a charming mixture of oak-rimmed proteros and deeply shaded ravines.... Meadow wildflowers include owl's clover, lupine, blue-eyed grass and some non-natives typically found in formerly grazed areas: filaree and scarlet pimpernel" [from Afoot and Afield by Jerry Schad]. Starting from the Candy Store on Ortega Highway, we will follow the Bear canyon trail south to Four Corners (this is as far as I have been along the route described here). From there, we will take the Verdugo Trail "...along steep, brushy slopes offering excellent views of the San Mateo canyon drainage and the rounded Santa Margarita Mountains to the south.... the roadbed suddenly drops 400 feet to cross an oak-shaded tributary of Bluewater Canyon (4.7 miles). Winding upward, then down again you reach, around 5.5 miles [from Ortega Hwy] the edge of a pleasant woodland -- several hundred rolling acres shaded by live oaks and tall chaparral..." |
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