Show of Orange : Colorful monarch butterflies are headed our way, but it’s anybody’s guess if their numbers will be high or prove disappointing.

With its magnificent ocean views, sycamore-lined paths and meandering creeks, Point Mugu State Park is an idyllic place to spend a few hours any season of the year. But with luck, campers, hikers and mountain bikers who visit the 15,000-acre wilderness in autumn will be treated to an extra bonus--thousands of bright orange butterflies.

Monarch butterflies from throughout the Western United States and Canada spend winter in sheltered, wooded areas along the California coast, from Mendocino to Mexico. Point Mugu’s Sycamore Canyon Campground--with its shady groves, fresh water, moderate climate, sheltered ravines and winter-blooming plants--is a popular winter home for the brilliant-winged insects.

Monarchs begin arriving at Sycamore Canyon in late September, and sunny, mild October and November days are usually best for viewing them. In the early morning, the butterflies are usually found roosting in eucalyptuses and sycamores. As the day warms, they begin to flit and flutter about, feasting on milkweed and clustering near streams. After mating in January and February, the butterflies begin their return migration, and the next generation continues the cycle.

Last year was the disappointing exception. According to state park ecologist Suzanne Good, just a few hundred monarchs were spotted in Sycamore Canyon in 1992--about 10% of the turnout in previous years. “It’s anyone’s guess if they will return this year,” she said.

The entire West Coast experienced a similar decline. No one knows for sure why the butterflies stayed away, so there’s no way to predict with certainty if the butterflies will return in force, according to monarch expert Walter Sakai, a Santa Monica College biology professor. “My gut feeling is the numbers will be low again,” he said.

Whether swarms of butterflies congregate in Sycamore Canyon this fall, hikers looking for wildlife won’t be let down. Squirrels rustle in trees, lizards scramble along the trail, quail scatter noisily in the brush, tadpoles swim in the creek and red-tail hawks soar in the sky. Those who walk softly may come within inches of a shy cottontail rabbit munching on a leaf-and-flower breakfast.

For an easy excursion into Point Mugu’s backcountry, stay on Big Sycamore Canyon Trail, a wide, flat fire road ideal for all ages and abilities. The trail follows a shady, gurgling creek, and the fern-covered stream crossings are perfect places to take a break and breathe in the fresh, sage-scented air. A picnic table about two miles past the trail head (just after the fifth creek crossing) is a good lunch stop and turnaround point.

Before returning to the car, hikers may want to veer up the Overlook Trail, which offers vistas of the Pacific Ocean (and, on clear days, the Channel Islands). For a close-up ocean view, cross Pacific Coast Highway and head for the beach at Sycamore Cove.

If the monarchs stay away en masse again this fall, don’t despair. Simply plan to return to Point Mugu State Park in a few months for another majestic sight: California gray whales are often spotted in the shallow waters just off Sycamore Cove. The gentle giants begin appearing in December and continue their annual migration through spring.

WHERE AND WHEN

What: Monarch butterfly watching at Point Mugu State Park.

Location: To reach Point Mugu State Park, take Pacific Coast Highway 20 miles west of Malibu Canyon Road to Big Sycamore Canyon Campground.

Times: Best viewing is on sunny, mild October and November days.

Price: Parking $6.

Call: (818) 880-0350 or (800) 533-PARK.