Wilderness Area Will Be Doubled in Size

The 930-acre Arroyo Trabuco wilderness area, one of the most active wildlife corridors in the county, will be twice as large as originally planned when it opens in a few months.

With the recent grant of an additional 980 acres of open space by the Santa Margarita Co., outdoors enthusiasts will be able to enjoy hiking trails that stretch for up to 12 miles.

“We’ve owned the land since 1983, yet we’ve never been able to open it to the public until now,” county parks manager Tim Miller said. “The public will love this site.”

The Arroyo Trabuco is an extension of O’Neill Regional Park, near the county’s eastern foothills. The Santa Margarita Co. is giving up Tijeras Canyon and Chiquita Ridge to enlarge Arroyo Trabuco as a condition for developing the Rancho Santa Margarita and Las Flores communities.

Wilderness experts say the 1,900-acre preserve is like a wildlife freeway for large migratory animals.

“You’ve definitely got mountain lions, deer, wildcats, coyotes and raptors traveling through there,” Miller said.

Gushing through the area is the Trabuco Creek, a major South County waterway.

The Arroyo Trabuco is also home to a “magnificent stand of Sycamore trees,” Miller said. “Some of them are hundreds of years old. These sycamores are part of the Orange County Heritage Tree program.”

The Arroyo Trabuco opening will take place in either January or February, depending on the completion of a bridge that is part of the Foothill tollway under construction.