Hiking Trail Guide: Wagon Wheel Loop, Riley Wilderness

>> Back to Hiking Trail Guide

Wagon Wheel Loop, Riley Wilderness

Distance
3 miles

Elevation
490 feet gain

Difficulty
2/10

City
Trabuco Canyon ,CA (92678) 43.16 miles from you Weather Map

Trailhead
Take Interstate 5 to Oso Parkway in Mission Viejo. Head east on Oso Parkway for 6 miles. Look for the park entrance fifty feet before the stop sign at Coto de Caza Drive. The dirt road leads to the parking lot (with room for 75 vehicles including equestrian trailers) and the ranger station.

The trailhead is located to the right of the Butterfly Garden/Visitor Center area. Walking sticks are provided at the trailhead. Please return them when you finish.

There is a $2 parking fee.

Description

Baronial manor houses owned by theCoto de Caza elite press against the boundaries of this 500 acre wilderness. The land was formerly used as a cattle ranch and a hunt club so there remain problems of nonnative mustard, wild oats, foxtails, and anise displacing the native coast sage scrub & meadows. Relics of these days remain along the trails.

Old growth coast live oaks and sycamores shield you from the houses. These and the native plant life found in the higher elevations are, in themselves, worth a closer look. Reptiles including rattlesnakes, fence lizards, and red racers abound. Signs explain the trailside habitats.

Clear days afford vistas of the nearby Santa Ana Mountains.

Rangers are especially proud of the NWF-certified Butterfly Garden next to the Visitor Center. The facility also includes photo guides to the parks native plants and wildlife. It is worth the visit. Call the park for information about ranger-led activities.

Map / Directions: