The Nix Nature Center and Little Sycamore Trail

Hello all ~

Today was my first time visiting the Nix Nature Center, located at 18751 Laguna Canyon Rd/SR-133, approximately two miles north of El Toro Rd and 5 miles south of the I-5. This weekend was the official re-opening of the center since its construction/renovation.

Upon entering I was pleased to see the work that had been done, with the various educational displays on the rocks, fauna and flora of the canyon. I then met a fantastic ranger who was kind enough to inform me of the volunteer opportunities within the park and the Laguna Canyon Foundation. It was almost 1 PM, and very hot outside, but I wanted to take a little hike to discover this part of the canyon that I had never seen before. When I asked about the trails starting from the lot, the ranger recommended the Little Sycamore trail, a "quick" one-mile trail up to Serrano Ridge (Elevation 500'). Little Sycamore is fun, uphill for a lot of the short trek, with little two-board bridges from time to time, narrow pathways once you get half-way into the hike (brush/bushes/trees surround you on either side, you've got a 15" wide path to stick to). As you climb and look back towards your starting point, you begin to see much of the larger canyon hills behind you, the 133 and the 73 Toll Road begin to shrink into oblivion and you realize how grand and important our nature preserves truly are. At the end of Little Sycamore, you end up on a crest and look out over towards Irvine, Newport Beach, Santa Ana, and the likes... a little disappointing if you expect to see more rolling hills once you reach the top, but a good reminder of the necessity to keep what natural land we still have protected!!!

Click on the following link to watch the little video I took while on the trail (sadly a plane started to fly overhead, but you can still hear the birds' songs) Little Sycamore Trail Video

Pictures of the plants and scat I found are available HERE: Little Sycamore Trail Photos

(For more information on the Nix Nature Center, call 949-923-2235, or visit www.ocparks.com/lagunacoast).