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San Juan Loop Trail
Cleveland National Forest
CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN - Friday, February 8th, 9:00 a.m.
This is an easy and relatively short hike, yet offers a very complete experience. As the name says, it is a 2.2-mile loop trail in the Cleveland National Forest, off of Ortega Highway. It goes through different portions of open trail, amidst a chaparral ecosystem, and sections covered with large and very old oak trees. You can enjoy views of landscape, see a small waterfall in a gorge, hike along a creek bed, and of course bird watch! It does have some stretches along the trail that have bedrock poking through, but it’s not too bad.
Directions: Take the 5 Fwy (S) to Ortega Hwy (E); drive about 21 miles to the parking lot across from the "Candy Store" (Ortega Country Cottage). You will be turning left into the trail’s parking lot where we will meet. The entry into the parking lot is not easily seen, so when you see the Candy Store on the right, the entry will be almost straight across to your left. If you end up in Lake Elsinore, you’ve gone too far. Also, double check that the trail you are starting is the San Juan Loop Trail, and not the San Juan Trail, which is a much longer hike also in the area.
Make sure to bring a National Forest Adventure Pass (or carpool with someone who has one) and keep it displayed in your parked vehicle. You can get a pass at any sporting goods store, or on-line. You can also buy one at the Candy Store.
For those who prefer to carpool, please meet at El Dorado Library parking lot at 7:45 a.m. If you would prefer to meet at the venue please be at the site at 9:00 a.m. There is food available at the Cottage, or feel free to bring a lunch and snacks. Rain cancels the trip. Hope to see you there!
NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you always check the website (www.eldoradoaudubon.org) for last minute cancellations or call Greg Cook at 562-822-9548.
Franklin Canyon Park
2600 Franklin Canyon Drive, Beverly Hills
February 23rd, 9:00 a.m.
Franklin Canyon Park has a history steeped in the forces that created the bustling metropolis of Los Angeles—oil and water. In 1914, William Mulholland and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) began construction of a reservoir in upper Franklin Canyon to distribute water brought in from the Owens Valley. The family of his friend, oil baron Edward L. Doheny, used the canyon as a summer retreat and a place to graze and water their cattle. The Doheny family built the Spanish style home in lower Franklin Canyon in 1935. The National Park Service purchased the Franklin Canyon Ranch in 1981 as part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
The Park rests on 605 acres near the center of Los Angeles between the San Fernando Valley and Beverly Hills. Within the park boundaries are chaparral, grasslands and oak woodlands, a three-acre lake, an ADA-accessible duck pond, over five miles of hiking trails, and the Sooky Goldman Nature Center. The lake and pond serve as permanent and seasonal home for birds along the Pacific Flyway.
Directions: There are different routes you can take to get to the park, so you may want to use Google Maps or Map Quest to see what route would be best for you. Though with LA freeways any way you choose is a crapshoot, the route I am taking, which avoids both the often congested downtown and Westwood areas, is as follows: Take the 5 Fwy (N) to the 134 Fwy (W), which will turn into the 101 Fwy. Stay westbound on the 101 Fwy to Coldwater Canyon Blvd. (S). Head south to the intersection of Coldwater Canyon and Mulholland Dr. Make a 90-degree right turn onto Franklin Canyon Dr. Road signs read "Road Closed 800 Feet" "Sunset to Sunrise"; this is the Park entrance. Do NOT make a U-turn, as this will bring you onto Mulholland Dr. instead of Franklin Cyn. Stay on paved surface to reach the Sooky Goldman Nature Center. Continue south of the lake for 1.5 miles to reach the Franklin Canyon Ranch site area. The main parking lot is located at the Ranch Area adjacent to the Doheny House.
For those who prefer to carpool, please meet at El Dorado Library parking lot at 8:00am. If you would prefer to meet at the venue please be at the site at 9:00 a.m. There are ample picnic grounds, so feel free to bring a lunch and snacks. Rain cancels the trip. Hope to see you there!
NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you always check the website (www.eldoradoaudubon.org) for last minute cancellations or call Greg Cook at 562-822-9548.
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