Arroyo Trabuco
Mission Viejo’s Oso Creek
Info:
2-mile loop with 100-foot elevation gain
Oso Creek Trail
The “Oso” bear is long-gone from these parts, but the trail uses a paw print logo on its signage, homage of sorts to the last grizzly bear sighted along Oso Creek. A family-friendly pathway winds along Oso Creek, now a suburbanized stream channel.
Oso Creek is a tributary of one of Orange County’s largest waterways, San Juan Creek, which
flows from high in the Santa Ana Mountains some 27 miles to the Pacific near Dana Point Harbor. Oso is one of the county’s creeks most altered by development: channelization, paving of the flood plain, loss of riparian habitat and biodiversity.
Oso Creek Trail has a collection of natural and cultural attractions along its banks to make it worth the casual hiker’s while. En route, you’ll encounter a handsome oak grove, a meadow, a butterfly garden and a plant maze. My family’s favorite is a peace obelisk, inscribed with the word “peace” in a dozen languages and displaying hundreds of copper relief peace emblems fashioned by community members. Now there’s something you don’t see very often alongside a trail!
Submitted by The Trailmaster on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 16:38
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