Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

Covering some 3,900 acres of wilderness and natural open space, Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is the largest regional park in the hills above Laguna Beach. It was once part of the tribal land belonging to the Juaneno and Acajchemem, and then owned for a time by Don Juan Avila, Louis Moulton, and the Mission Viejo Company. The area is currently under the jurisdiction of Orange County Parks.

From pastoral landscape to thickly forested areas, the park land feature a wide variety of flora, including mature oaks, sycamores, elderberry trees, olive sumac, and numerous endangered plant species. Rare animals also make this their home, as do 137 species of migratory and resident birds, and the entire park has been designated as a wildlife sanctuary.

Among the many attractions at Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park are the two year-round streams that carved Aliso Canyon and Wood Canyon from the landscape. Some 30 miles of official trails have been developed for hiking, and cycling is permitted on some of the wider dirt roads. Bike racks have been provided near the parking area at the mouth of Wood Canyon, too. Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is located at 28373 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Niguel, California 92677.