Category Archives: Hikes

Review: Santiago Oaks Regional Park

Located on the very eastern edge of the city of Orange, Santiago Oaks Regional Park runs alongside Santiago Creek, Orange County’s main tributary to the Santa Ana River.

This secluded 1,269 acre park – located close enough to most east Orange neighborhoods to walk to, including Orange Park Acres and Villa Park – offers family-friendly nature well within the reach of everyone. There is a mature forest, Santiago Creek, wildlife, and trails for virtually every level of hiker, mountain biker, and equestrian.

Unlike nearby Irvine Regional Park, Santiago Oaks is less of an ‘entertainment’ destination park; you won’t find a zoo, trains, or large open maintained grass areas for parties. It’s a wilderness park. Santiago Oaks calls to the adventurer’s spirit within; the park does offer a cozy amphitheater, BBQs, picnic tables, playgrounds, and an interpretive programs/nature center, but the draw – the beauty – of Santiago Creek are the trails. A vast interconnected series of trails stretch throughout the park offering technical trails for all skill levels, and rewarding the hiker, biker, or equestrian with inspiring views of Orange and the unspoiled foothills surrounding the city. The park trails also connect with the Anaheim Hills Trail System.

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Hiking Review: Quail Hill Loop

Quail Hill offers a few hiking, biking, and horse riding options from the Quail Hill Trailhead and Staging Area.  The Trailhead is located on Shady Canyon Drive, just past Fossil Road on the right.  To get there from the 405, take the Sand Canyon / Shady Canyon exit towards Shady Canyon Drive.  Enter the traffic circle and take the first exit to the right onto Shady Canyon Drive.  Turn into the first driveway on your right past Fossil.

I like the Quail Hill Loop for a few reasons, not the least of which is that it offers better views than you’ll find walking, jogging, or running around a high school athletic field.

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Update on the fundraiser to save Sturtevant Camp

Last weekend was a great fundraiser to help save the historic Sturtevant Camp.  KCET did a follow up, titled “Friends of the San Gabriels Mount Fundraising Efforts to Save Historic Sturtevant Camp”

From the article:

Sturtevant Camp — which contains the country’s oldest surviving USFS Ranger Station in its original location and a historic main lodge built as the open-air Swiss Dining Pavilion in 1897 with all original wood — is the last of five resorts that once flourished in Big Santa Anita Canyon but has since been lost to floods and fire (including Hoegee’s Camp, Robert’s Camp, and Fern Lodge). There was at one point over 200 cabins just like the ones at Sturtevant. But despite its historic significance, Sturtevant has never received landmark status. Although Angeles National Forest is protected from being developed, there’s nothing preventing Sturtevant’s structures from being demolished or languishing in disuse.

You can read the entire article HERE.

fundraiser at the historic Sturtevant Camp

Friends of Echo Mountain have posted on Facebook about a fundraiser this Sunday, January 25.  From Facebook:

Busy Sunday? There will be a fundraiser at the historic Sturtevant Camp in the Santa Anita canyon area. The camp is located approximately 4 miles from the chantry flat station. It is a easy to moderate hike through some beautiful woods. Come see the last of the great hike-in resorts! They will be serving a light lunch. Your donations are also tax-deductable! The pack train will leave Chantry at 7:30.

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Support the PCTA

The Pacific Crest Trail Association is the only organization dedicated to preserving the entire Pacific Crest Trail and the experiences it provides so that you and others have a wild place for personal reflection.  Ensure a place for journeys big and small, and help protect and maintain the Pacific Crest Trail by donating to the Pacific Crest Trail Association.

You can donate to the PCTA HERE.

You can find out more about the PCT HERE.

…and go see the movie Wild with Reese Witherspoon; it’s a good flick!

Here’s Cheryl Strayed’s call for support, asking you to help the Pacific Crest Trail:

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