Trip Date: 3/31/2013
Location: Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park
Permit/Pass: Day use ($5), O.C. Parks Annual Pass ($55)
Trails: OC Parks map, GTN Mileage Map
Directions: From Interstate 5 in San Juan Capistrano take the Ortega Hwy (CA 74) exit east. Drive just under eight miles to the park entrance on the left (north) side of the road. After passing through the entrance follow the street past several side roads before coming to the turnoff for the San Juan Meadow group area on the right (if you get to a stop sign you've gone too far). Turn right and follow the gravel road all the way to the end where you'll find a parking and the trailhead.
Trail sequence: Juaneño trail / San Juan Creek cut-across / Mesa loop connector /Mesa loop / San Juan Creek trail / Pumphouse Road (cut-across to Juaneño) / Juaneño trail
Type: Balloon loop
Distance: 3.5 miles
Elevation: Min. - 360', Max. - 534'
Profile:
Rating: Easy
Synopsis: A mostly level hike through riparian woodlands, creek bed, and exposed, mesa meadows. Shady along the Juaneño trail but could get hot in summer up on the Mesa loop section. Good views up the canyon and of Caspers' East Ridge cliffs.
Turn by Turn:
-- At the end of the gravel group camping road look for the Juaneño trail trailhead directly adjacent to the small parking area. Head north on the immediately ascending trail.
-- After a mild climb the trail descends and levels out, then crosses a service road. Directly across the road pick up the trail again. Note that if you follow this trip guide you’ll return to the Juaneño trail by way of this service road.
-- After crossing the road, continue on the trail as it meanders through woodland, creek, then woods again (somewhere between 1 and 1.5 miles) before coming to the junction with the cut-across to San Juan Creek trail. Turn right (east) onto this new trail.
-- The cut-across leaves the shaded area quickly and begins a crossing of the wide dry creek. Soon you’ll reach a point where the trail becomes undefined as it enters a mostly rocky area. As of the date of this hike, there was a pyramidal rock cairn marking where the trail enters this rocky creek-bed. Look to the right (south) about 20 yards for another cairn identifying where the trail resumes and heads up over the bank.
-- After a short walk you’ll meet San Juan Creek trail. The marker directs you to the second left (east) through a culvert which runs under Ortega Highway, to pick up the Mesa Loop trail.
-- Exit the culvert and head up directly to the right where you’ll find a split in the road. To the left you’ll see a marker for the Mesa Loop trail. Follow this service road as it appears at first to follow Ortega Highway in the wrong direction, but soon veers back to the south and up onto the mesa.
-- The trail moves across the exposed tableland for most of your return hike, dropping into a few arroyos along the way before finally reaching the culvert that takes you back to the west side of Ortega Highway.
-- From here there are several possible return paths, but if you want (as I did) to avoid walking on park pavement, take the short cut (there is a marker) which sends you along the service road you crossed near the beginning of the hike (Pumphouse Road) back to the Juaneño trail.
-- Soon you’ll come to the junction with the Juaneño trail, turn left (south) and head up over the small hill once again before dropping back down to the parking lot and your car.
Photo gallery: Flickr