Modjeska Peak and Santiago Peak
The Live Oak – Vista – Hoffman Homestead – Coyote Loop (loop) follows three trails in the O’Neill Regional park. The short hike has great views of Orange County, Trabuco Canyon, and the Saddleback Mountains.
The Quick and Dirty:
Location: O’neill Regional Park
Distance: Approximately 3.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: 1.5 hours
Dogs Allowed? No, dogs are only allowed on the paved trails and campgrounds in O’Neil Park
O’Neill Regional Park is situated in Orange County, California, it is about an hour south of Los Angeles in the heart of Orange County. It is bordered by Trabuco Canyon, Whitings Ranch, Cleveland National Forest, and the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, making it easily accessible. The park offers camping, hiking, mountain biking, equestrian trails, day use facilities, and connects to the trails running running south west towards the beaches.
O’Neill park is run by OC Parks and they limit the type of use of each trail. Some trails will allow a combination of hikers, equestrians, dogs, and mountain bikers. Single tracts are typically limited to hikers and equestrians. Dogs are only allowed in camping facilities and the Mesa Trail (paved). Since L is spending 3 months at home with Baby S (thank you California Paid Family Leave), we have been frequenting the park a lot due to the proximity to our home. Below are some of the trails we’ve explored:
Edna Spaulding Trail
Live Oak Trail – Vista Trail – Hoffman Homestead Trail – Coyote Trail Loop
Mesa Trail
Camping at O’Neill Regional Park
Mountain biking Arroyo Trabuco – Tijieras Creek
Links:
It was another beautiful day out at the Mojave Desert as we woke up camping beneath the Granite Mountains. As usual, Baby S woke up at 6AM. We had breakfast and took our morning hike around the campsite trails. This schedule seems to work out for us since it coincides with Baby S’s nap time. We were sad that our stay at Mojave National Preserve has come to an end but were so grateful to have spent the last 3 days exploring this hugely understated park. We still cannot believe we stayed away from this place for so long! Mojave National Preserves has made its way into one of our favorite places.
Eating dinner and trying to stay warm at the Granite Mountain campground
Day 4 was another high mileage day that included ascending to the top of Half Dome.
The Quick and Dirty:
Location: Sunrise High Sierra Camp to Half Dome to Happy Isle
Distance: Approximately 16 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Duration: N/A
Day 3 was an unplanned, high mileage day to make up miles and get closer to Half Dome. We stopped off at Tuolumne Meadows for some food and headed towards Sunrise High Sierra Camp (HSC).
The Quick and Dirty:
Location: Lyell Canyon to Sunrise High Sierra Camp
Distance: 22 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Duration: N/A
Hike Now, Work Later 