What national forest affords a panoramic view of Del Amo high-rises?

They were determined to get the creature’s attention.

They shouted, threw small stones, even flicked at him with the short string on the end of a stick.

But the frog--motionless and almost as dark as the pond water itself--refused to be disturbed by such juvenile enthusiasm.

“Boy, that’s sure a stubborn frog,” said 12-year-old Larry Martin as he leaped off a rock and onto the shore.

With the amphibian the decisive winner in this little game of confrontation, Larry and his friends quickly turned to chasing each other through the pine trees and heavy grass.

An afternoon in the mountains? Could be--but what’s that big apartment building doing beyond the stand of eucalyptus trees? And what national forest affords a panoramic view of Del Amo high-rises?

Welcome to Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach, an 11-acre wonderland in the heart of the South Bay that gives family campers the illusion that they’ve driven a couple of hours to escape the city.

It works.

“I feel like I’m in the middle of nowhere,” said Sheree Randall of Lawndale, who was setting up camp for an overnight stay. She and her neighbor, Laura Martin, had six children in tow and were trying to figure out if they had put up one of the tents--it leaned a bit--the right way.

Randall, on her sixth camp-out at the park, said she discovered the place in an article about bargain activities for children. And the price is right. Camping per person per night is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Redondo Beach residents pay half-price. Reservations are required. There is no charge for people who want to stroll through the park.

The women said the size of the park and the secure fencing around it make it a safe place to enjoy the outdoors.

“The kids won’t get hurt and there’s no stealing,” Randall said. And what do the adults do? “We sit, talk, play cards, hike and enjoy peace and quiet,” Martin said.

According to the Redondo Beach Recreation and Parks Department, which opened Wilderness Park nearly 11 years ago on what was once a hilltop radar site, people may experience a forest, meadows, streams and ponds within easy walking distance of each other.

The once-barren land was planted in 1975, and the trees--eucalyptus, gumwood, redwood, cottonwood and pine--are still growing into a forest. Gophers build tunnels, rabbits scamper and lizards feed on insects in the grassy meadows. Pumped water creates two streams, which empty into a pond--home to turtles, fish and tadpoles--and the green swamp nature study area, which supports tiny mosquito fish and a variety of bird life.

Besides individual and group camping, the park offers day camping and an outdoor amphitheater with a fire pit, which can be used by up to 150 people at a time. Schoolchildren and Scout groups working on nature studies are regular visitors to the park, recreation officials say.

There are rules. No vehicles are allowed, not even skateboards. Wading in the ponds is a no-no, but that doesn’t prevent a few feet getting wet from chasing frogs. Fires are not allowed, and cooking is confined to outdoor electric stoves. Genuine firearms, as well as the toy variety, are banned. So are war-type games, although officials concede that children do pretend to be young Rambos from time to time.

And if you really need it, civilization is just beyond the gates.

When dinner time rolled around the other evening, the campers from Lawndale sent out for pizza.