Stagecoach North Trail is Open

NEWS! Stagecoach North Trail is finally open to the public. What does this mean?

A loop is now possible for hikers who want to start at the Nix Nature Center and go up Little Sycamore, up and along Serrano Ridge, down to Stagecoach North Trail, around to the lake, under the 133 back to the Nix. Bikers can now access the opened trail, probably making it possible to go further than before.

However, while this opening is great news to us who love to be outside, I am sadly disappointed... For today, while hiking along Serrano Ridge with the intention of going on this newly opened trail, I couldn't help but notice how noisy it all was - the cars whizzing by on the 133, the distant grumbling from the 5 and 405, plus all the side street traffic - I simply could not "get away from it all." In fact, with all of our urban conglomerations monopolizing the view, plus the newly ravaged section of the hills now bulldozed down to flat nothingness in preparation for new homes, there was little for the naturalist, the nature lover to get excited about.



So, before going any further towards Stagecoach North trail, yet after having passed up the entrance for "Rabbit Run," (an Irvine trail that is closed to the public), I decided to turn around and go back towards Little Sycamore, where the noise of our civilization faded back out into oblivion. As I looked down over the edge of the trail onto Stagecoach, which parallels for a long while the 133 as a large fire road, I was happy to be returning to the vantage points from which I could look out onto rolling hills and our sage scrub habitat.


Although I will say one thing in Stagecoach North's defense - or rather, the part of Serrano Ridge that leads to it - it gives the Southern OC native a nice overview of the area, from a new perspective. And it definitely leaves a lasting mark on your conscience - with all of that urbanization out there, and with so little wild land around it, it makes one wonder just where we are going with all of our new construction, and how much we are damaging our natural resources...

So, if you see me on the trails and want my advice on where to go, I will probably suggest you take Serrano Ridge to Camarillo Canyon, to Stagecoach South, or that you go to the Willow Staging Area on Laguna Canyon Road right after the stoplight at El Toro (heading south) and take Willow to any of the multiple trails up at the top. Those are the trails where, in my opinion, you'll find you can connect to nature the best.

To View All Serrano Ridge photographs, Please Visit Nature In Orange County's Photo Albums online - Serrano Ridge Photographs