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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

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Note: Wilderness parks are closed for 48 hours or more after significant rainfall. Call or visit websites for current conditions.

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CRYSTAL COVE STATE PARK

Crystal Cove State Park, 8471 N. Coast Hwy, has 3.5 miles of beach and 2,000 acres of undeveloped woodland. $10 day-use parking fee.

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The park is open 6 a.m. to sunset daily. Docent-led backcountry hikes are scheduled for 9 a.m. most Saturdays and Sundays. Hikes are three to five miles, and last about two hours.

Note: Hikes meet at one of these locations:

?El Moro Visitor Center “” from Coast Highway, turn inland at the School/State Park light and follow park signs.

?Los Trancos “” from Coast Highway, turn inland at Los Trancos. Meet near the trailer.

?Pelican Point Lot No. 2 “” From Coast Highway, turn coastward at Newport Coast.

?Mountain Bike Poker Ride: 8 a.m. Saturday. Crystal Cove State Park’s annual Mountain Bike Poker Ride fundraiser supports the Crystal Cove Interpretive Assn. and SHARE Mountain Bike Club. In addition to the ride, there will be a beginner clinic and a bike maintenance class. For information e-mail RLemonds@gmail.com.

?Volunteer Training: 6 p.m. Wednesday. Crystal Cove State Park is seeking volunteers to work in the Historic District in the Park Store and the Visitor Center. A training session will take place at the Los Trancos trailer. For more information, contact wbonnin@parks.ca.gov

LAGUNA COAST WILDERNESS PARK

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, 20101 Laguna Canyon Road; reservations and information, (949) 923-2235; www.ocparks.com.

Rangers staff the park daily. Open daily, 7 a.m. to sunset, including holidays. Parking lot hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To learn more about volunteering or helping Laguna Canyon Foundation to preserve, protect and enhance the South Coast Wilderness, visit www.lagunacanyon.org or call (949) 497-8324.

Willow Canyon on Laguna Canyon Road, just south of the El Toro Road intersection. Open to hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers on specified trails; open 7 a.m. to sunset, but parking lot is only open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., $3.

Dilley Preserve on Laguna Canyon Road, just north of the 73 Toll Road: Open daily 7 a.m. to sunset. Parking $3; lot open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Little Sycamore Canyon on Laguna Canyon Road, just south of the 405 Freeway interchange: The James and Rosemary Nix Nature Center hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; parking $3; lot open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Laguna Heights, the trail head for West Ridge trail and routes into Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, at Top of the World on Alta Laguna Boulevard, is open daily, 7 a.m. to sunset.

?Weekends at the Nix Nature Center: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Join Nature of Wildworks for a live animal presentation from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Enjoy wildlife activities and a chance to view the animals before and after the presentation. Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center. Reservations required (attendance limited), call (949) 923-2235.

Parking: $3.

?Intermediate Mountain Bike Ride: 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday. Enjoy ocean and canyon views on this 13-mile ride over steep terrain (2,200-foot gain) with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer mountain bike trail assistant Jeff Bartel. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Big Bend Staging Area (ask for directions when making reservations). Reservations and helmets required, call (949) 923-2235. Parking: $3.

?Junior Ranger Program: 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Second- and third-graders, ages 7 to 9, are invited to learn about wilderness plants and animals and skills needed to become a ranger. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Willow Canyon Staging Area. Reservations required, call (949) 923-2235. $10/person. Parking: $3.


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