Sunday Briefing : Nearby Nature Beckons

Less than an hour’s drive from Orange County’s madding crowds, Cleveland National Forest offers a respite of wildflowers, waterfalls and wildlife encounters. The 67,800-acre Trabuco Ranger District, located within Orange County and at the western edge of Riverside County, is the largest of three districts comprising the 422,340-acre forest. The district has many uses:

Sleeping Over

Camping is permitted in designated campgrounds only. One site is closed due to vandalism. Most sites charge $7 plus $2 per additional vehicle per day for a stay no longer than 14 days. The particulars:

C1 Blue Jay

* Elevation: 3,400 feet * Campsites: 50 * Reservations: First come, first served * Amenities: Water, tables, pedestal grills, pit toilets

C2 El Cariso North

* Elevation: 2,600 feet * Campsites: 24 * Reservations: First come, first served * Amenities: Water, fire rings, tables, pedestal grills, parking spurs, pit toilets

C3 El Cariso South

* Elevation: 2,600 feet * Campsites: 11 * Reservations: First come, first served * Amenities: Water, fire rings, tables, pedestal grills, parking spurs, pit toilets

C4 Falcon Group Camps (Sage, Lupine, Yarrow)

* Elevation: 3,300 feet * Accommodations: Sage: 30 people; Lupine: 40 people; Yarrow: 70 people * Reservations: (800) 280-CAMP * Amenities: Water, pit toilets, tables, fire rings * Note: Good driving skills essential because of narrow access roads

C5 Upper San Juan

* Elevation: 1,800 feet * Campsites: 18 * Reservations: First come, first served * Amenities: Water, fire rings, tables, pedestal grills, parking spurs, pit toilets

Pack a Lunch

The district’s two designated picnic areas are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. No overnight camping or ground fires are permitted.

P1 Lower San Juan

* Elevation: 1,800 feet * Picnic sites: eight, open seasonally * Amenities: Water, pedestal grills, tables, pit toilets

P2 El Cariso

* Elevation: 2,600 feet * Picnic sites: five, open year-round * Amenities: Water, pedestal grills, tables, pit toilets

Happy Trails

Wildflowers, wildlife, woodlands and geological formations highlight the district’s 100-plus miles of hiking trails. Here are the most popular paths within the 39,540-acre San Mateo Canyon Wilderness and more northerly portions. Trails are accessible by foot and in some cases by wheelchair and horse.

* Trabuco Ranger District Trails

T1 San Juan Loop Trail 2.1 miles; easy T2 Trabuco Canyon Trail 4.3 miles; moderate T3 Los Pinos Trail 9 miles; moderate to strenuous T4 San Juan Trail 11.7 miles; moderate T5 Chiquito Trail 1.2 miles; easy T6 Viejo Trail 1.2 miles; easy T7 El Cariso Nature Trail 1.5 miles; easy * San Mateo Canyon Wilderness Trails T8 Bear Canyon Loop Trail 6.7 miles; easy to moderate T9 Morgan Trail 4.1 miles; easy to moderate T10 Tenaja Falls Trail 5.4 miles; easy T11 San Mateo Canyon Trail 7.5 miles; easy to moderate T12 Fisherman’s Camp Trail 1.6 miles; easy to moderate T13 Tenaja Trail 9.5 miles; easy T14 Lucas Canyon Trail 11.5 miles; strenuous T15 Bluewater Trail 4.3 miles; easy to strenuous

Finding the Falls

Waterfalls, usually a rarity in Southern California, should be running due to this year’s rains. Getting to a falls is sometimes difficult, but here’s how to find three of them:

F1 Holy Jim Waterfall: About a mile past the turnout for Falls Canyon is the junction of Holy Jim Canyon Road. Turn left and follow the road for another mile. There is limited parking at the end of Holy Jim Canyon Road, so you may want to park at the junction with Trabuco Creek Road and walk in. From end of Holy Jim Canyon Road you may walk or ride a horse or mountain bike to the falls. No motorized vehicles are allowed.

F2 Ortega Falls: Go about three miles southwest of the village of El Cariso, about one-quarter mile north of the Ortega Highway. The village can be seen from a turnoff on the highway. Hikers can walk to the falls, but the trail is somewhat steep and slippery.

F3 Tenaja Falls: Take Ortega Highway east; continue to South Main Divide Road, about five miles into Riverside County. Turn right (south), continue about 15 miles on paved road (eventually it becomes gravel then dirt). Park at a turnout and walk up trail for about a half-mile. Vehicles with high suspension or those with four-wheel drive are recommended.

Growing Wild

This is the best time to see the forest’s wildflowers. Heavy rains and nutrients in the soil from the 1993 fires are expected to yield a profusion of colorful flowers. Some of the flowers you may see:

* Monkey flower: Multibranched shrub, two to six feet high, with flowers ranging from cream-yellow to brick-red.

* California lilac: A shrub found in brushy and wooded places, ranges from white to deep blue.

* Purple nightshade: Perennial herb several feet high. Poisonous flowers, deep violet with white encircled green spots in center.

* Peony: This round flower is deep purple inside, reddish outside, and grows about 12 to 14 inches.

Forest Facts

Some facts about the entire Cleveland National Forest:

* Beginning: In 1893, President Benjamin Harrison preserved 50,000 acres and the Trabuco Ranger District--then called the Trabuco Canon National Reserve--was designated as a forest reserve

* Addition: In 1897, President Grover Cleveland added 700,000 acres

* Merger: In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt combined and expanded the two parcels and named the forest for Cleveland

* Employees: 173 permanent, full-time for entire forest

* Volunteers: About 100 for Trabuco Ranger District; 600 for forest

* Budget: $9.9 million for fiscal year 1993-94

* Visitors: 3 million in fiscal year 1993-94 for Trabuco Ranger District; about 10 million for entire forest

Act Tall, Carry Big Stick

The forest denizens with the most potential to ruin your day are mountain lions. They are generally calm, quiet and elusive. What to do if you meet one:

* Don’t run: Stand and face animal; make eye contact.

* Grow: Try to appear larger by raising arms and backpack over head, opening jacket, placing small children on shoulders. Wave arms slowly. Do this without bending over or turning away from lion.

* Noise: Speak in loud, firm voice.

* Sticks and stones: Throw stones, branches or anything you can. Don’t crouch or turn your back.

* Fight: If attacked, fight back. Mountain lions usually try to bite head or neck, so try to remain standing and face animal.

* Inform: Report encounters to nearest California Department of Fish and Game office during regular business hours. After hours, call nearest sheriff’s office. Also report any sightings of dead or injured mountain lions.

*

Sources: Cleveland National Forest, “Peterson’s Field Guide to Birds,” “Peterson’s Field Guide to Mammals,” “Flowering Plants: The Santa Monica Mountains, Coastal & Chaparral Regions of Southern California,” by Nancy Dale

Researched by CAROLINE LEMKE / Los Angeles Times