TAKE A HIKE : It May Not Be a Sexy Sport, But It Offers Its Own Rewards

Hiking is not a glamorous sport. It gained some favor during the ‘70s environmental awareness boom (raise your hand if there’s a backpack gathering dust in your garage) but it never achieved the sort of sexy, flashy aura some other outdoor pursuits can boast.

Skiers, river kayakers, surfers and mountain bikers get to bounce and race and wipe out spectacularly. Their adrenaline pumps. Ever fashion conscious, they get to wear outrageously gaudy duds made of stretchy, skintight, space-age fabrics. They rely on flashy technological contraptions that grow obsolete faster than home computers. They get to be on light beer commercials.

Hikers, on the other hand, tend to plod. Their wardrobes run to old T-shirts and cutoff jeans. They don’t spawn personality cults--no hiker chicks waiting faithfully at the trail head for their hiker dudes. They eat trail mix. They don’t end up on “Wide World of Sports.”

But what hikers lack in image, they make up elsewhere. Where the equipment-intensive sports tend to use the great outdoors as a blurred backdrop for their various forms of thrill seeking, hikers immerse themselves in the medium. They walk slowly and get to know a place, even become part of it. No rush. Done right, it’s mobile meditation, a temporary but revivifying respite from the less savory aspects of civilization.

And that’s more important than ever in Orange County, where the stucco tide that long ago swamped the flatlands continues its inexorable rise into the once-pristine hill and canyon country. Luckily, getting out into the wilds for a few hours still doesn’t require a lot of planning or driving. Orange County has miles of scenic and challenging trails left, especially in the Santa Ana Mountains region along the Riverside County border.

State, county and city parks can provide ample introduction to the local backcountry. The trails, ranging from short strolls to strenuous multimile hikes, are well marked. Maps often are provided, there is plenty of parking, and many parks have nature centers and posted nature trails to acquaint visitors with the local flora and fauna. Guided walks may be offered on weekends.

This guide is intended as an introduction to the best parks in the county for hiking. A few items to note before setting out:

* Equipment. Keep it simple. Sturdy walking shoes--even sneakers--or lightweight trail boots are adequate for most purposes. Take along at least a quart of water. A basic first aid kit is not a bad idea on longer hikes. Bring sunglasses. Other items, depending on personal interests, might include binoculars or a camera. Keep the essentials in the trunk of your car and you’re ready to go whenever the mood strikes you.

* When to go. June is really the last month of the county’s hiking season--July, August and September are simply too hot and dry in most spots. Even in June, the midday heat can quickly sap the fun out of a hike, so go in early morning or late afternoon. Keep your eyes open for the last bloom of the spring wildflowers.

* Trail dangers. Local hiking, especially in the parks, need not be a dangerous activity. Poison oak, with its reddish leaflets grouped in threes, is a nuisance. Learn to identify it. Rattlesnakes sometimes sun themselves on the trails but they are easy to spot and avoid. Mountain lion warnings are posted in some county parks, and a mountain lion did attack a young girl in Caspers Park a few years back. They are not likely to attack an adult. Be aware of other trail users; equestrians and, increasingly, mountain bikers share the trails in many parks with hikers. Stay to the right of your trail and be alert on blind curves, especially at the bottom of a descent. Most mountain bikers are courteous and conscientious, but some are not.

* Trail etiquette. This is common sense stuff: Stay on the trail, don’t litter and don’t smoke or use an open flame for any reason. Check the park rules when you enter.

* Graduating. Hikers who want to leave the parks and move on to new challenges can explore the many trails of the Cleveland National Forest. Some of these treks can be extended to overnight jaunts. An excellent guide is “Trail Guide to the Santa Ana Mountains” by Ken Croker, who as a longtime Sierra Club volunteer is responsible for the upkeep of many of the trails he describes. Another good introduction is Jerry Schad’s “Afoot and Afield in Orange County.” Both can be found in camping stores and some local bookshops.

The Parks

* Caspers Regional Park: The county’s best park for hiking encompasses 7,600 acres of the Santa Ana Mountains’ coastal slope. The trails, most of which depart from the Old Corral Picnic Area at the end of the park road off the Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano (see map, Page 12), go for miles and are interconnected to make possible dozens of different loops, allowing some variety for frequent visitors.

The terrain varies: The Bell Canyon Trail twists along the willows and sycamores of the stream bottom, while the West Ridge and East Ridge trails climb above the trees to offer overviews of the canyon and the hills beyond.

For ambitious hikers, the Juaneno Trail departs from the San Juan Meadow Picnic Area and connects with the Oso and Bell Canyon trails to create a 9-mile loop with more than 2,000 feet of climbing. The trail takes in stands of oak, wooded stream bottoms, stone outcroppings and scenic overviews.

The park has a museum and a self-guided nature trail. Note: Because of the threat of mountain lion attacks, the trails at Caspers are not open to minors. The day use parking fee is $2. Information: (714) 728-0235.

* Crystal Cove State Park: From the El Moro Canyon parking lot on the inland side of Coast Highway between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, a variety of trails reaches back into the parallel coastal Deer and El Moro canyons. Once again, intersecting trails allow loops of varying lengths and difficulty; one possible grand tour takes in more than eight miles.

The trails traverse grass-covered ridges and hillsides and wooded canyons. Tantalizing views of the Pacific hover in the background. Many of the trails involve steep climbs, but one path remains relatively flat for more than a mile. It leaves the parking lot near the entrance booth and skirts the nearby trailer park before reaching into lower El Moro. None of the trails is marked, but maps are available at the park office.

Warning: This is a mountain biking hot spot, especially on weekends, and the steep trails mean some bikers are moving at a pretty good clip. Also, because of the recent rise in state park prices, day users are now being soaked for a $6 parking fee. Information: (714) 494-3539.

* Chino Hills State Park: This mammoth and relatively new addition to the state park system takes in portions of four counties--Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino. The main entrances are in Riverside County, but hikers also can enter through the east end of Carbon Canyon Regional Park outside Brea in Orange County. The trail cuts through an orange grove and rises gently through scenic, tree-shaded Telegraph Canyon into the heart of the park, where it intersects with other paths.

Leave your car at Carbon Canyon Park (fee: $2), which has a two-mile nature trail of its own. Information for Chino Hills: (714) 780-6222. For Carbon Canyon: (714) 996-5252.

* Santiago Oaks Regional Park: This small park in Orange boasts a varied landscape and some tremendous walks. Rich in bird and native plant life, it is a delightful, relatively undiscovered spot with a nice nature center and picnic facilities. As a bonus, the paths here connect with the Anaheim Hills trail system. Parking is $2. Information: (714) 538-4400.

* Oak Canyon Nature Center: Like Santiago Oaks, this park in Anaheim Hills is relatively small but offers some excellent walks. A year-round stream descends through the heavily wooded canyon (although it looks quite natural, it carries the runoff from a nearby reservoir). Parking is free. Information: (714) 998-8380.

* Aliso/Woods Canyon Regional Park: This newest addition to the county park system in Laguna Niguel doesn’t offer a big variety in trails (just one, which forks near the end), but it nevertheless offers a scenic slice of the Laguna Greenbelt. Don’t be discouraged by the first mile or so, which parallels a private construction road and skirts a Gargantuan new housing project; the trail soon veers to the right, into some relatively pristine canyon land. Parking, for now, is free. Information: (714) 831-2791.

* O’Neill Regional Park: This venerable spot in Trabuco Canyon, once remote but now bordered on one side by sprawling Santa Margarita, offers two worthwhile walks. One follows Trabuco Creek, through the lush growth along the mesa that marks the edge of the Plano Trabuco. Another climbs about 1 1/2 miles to an nice viewpoint. Bonus: The approach takes you along Live Oak Canyon Road, probably the most scenic drive in the county. Parking is $2. Information: (714) 858-9365.

* The following parks offer short nature walks, great for a quick jaunt or a leisurely stroll, especially for people who live nearby: Turtle Rock Nature Center in Irvine, Shipley Nature Center at Huntington Central Park, Irvine Regional Park in Orange, Featherly Regional Park in Anaheim, and the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach.

Orange County Parks

1. Caspers Regional Park: 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. Information: (714) 728-0235.

2. Crystal Cove State Park: 8471 Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. Information: (714) 494-3539.

3. Chino Hills State Park/Carbon Canyon Regional Park: 4422 Carbon Canyon Road, Brea. Information for Chino Hills: (714) 780-6222. For Carbon Canyon: (714) 996-5252.

4. Santiago Oaks Regional Park: 2145 N. Windes Drive, Orange. Information: (714) 538-4400.

5. Oak Canyon Nature Center: 6700 E. Walnut Canyon Road, Anaheim. Information: (714) 998-8380. 6. Aliso/Woods Canyon Regional Park: 28241 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel. Information: (714) 831-2791.

7. O’Neill Regional Park: 30892 Trabuco Canyon Road, Trabuco Canyon. Information: (714) 858-9365.

8. Turtle Rock Nature Center: 1 Sunnyhill Drive, Irvine. Information: (714) 854-8151.

9. Shipley Nature Center: Huntington Central Park, Huntington Beach. Information: (714) 960-8847.

10. Irvine Regional Park: 21501 Chapman Ave., Orange. Information: (714) 633-8074.

11. Featherly Regional Park: 24001 Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim. Information: (714) 637-0210.

12. Environmental Nature Center: 1601 16th St., Newport Beach. Information: (714) 645-8489.

Note: Numbers refer to map.