The Tijeras Creek / Arroyo Trabuco Loop
Navigating around Coto de Caza (some street riding)
blue arrow=jump on the dirt trail, orange arrow=entrance into O'Neill
Tijeras Creek Trail
Coastal Indian Paintbrush along Tijeras Creek
Since we live about 2 miles from one of the entrances to the O’Neill Wilderness area, this seems to be the park that we are spending most of the time exploring since it does not require loading up the car. Today’s ride was the Tijeras Creek / Arroyo Trabuco Loop which ended up just shy of 20 miles. There are several possible places to park (no actual Park parking is available, neighborhoods/shopping mall parking); Oso/Antonio Pkwy to enter at Oso, Bienvenidos and Antonio Pkwy to enter at the Bienvenidos entrance.
Starting at the Oso entrance and take the Tijeras Creek trail behind the Las Flores apartments. It is a crushed gravel trail with great views of the canyon. At one point, the trail pops out onto Antonio Pkwy for about 100 yards and then pops back in behind more apartments. Once the trail gets into the wilderness area, there are about 10 ‘whoop di doos’ (series of hills) to navigate that end under the Foothill Transportation Corridor (FTC). The whoop di’s are a blast, the climbs out (the ‘do’s) not so much. Right now the trail is surrounded by fields of lupines and mustards. Once past the FTC, the Tijeras Creek trail meanders through meadows, along the Tijeras Creek and under canopies of oak groves. With the exception of a few rocky drops and climbs (easy to walk your bike through), this is a great beginner off-road single track trail.
The Tijeras Creek trail ends at Plano Trabuco Road. Follow Plano Trabuco Road for a few miles. When the road starts getting scary, there is an option to hop onto a dirt trail on the left side of the road-get on it. After about a mile, there will be an entrance gate into O’Neill Park, go through and turn Left. Ride towards the back of the park to the Arroyo Trabuco Trail.
Starting at the Oso entrance and take the Tijeras Creek trail behind the Las Flores apartments. It is a crushed gravel trail with great views of the canyon. At one point, the trail pops out onto Antonio Pkwy for about 100 yards and then pops back in behind more apartments. Once the trail gets into the wilderness area, there are about 10 ‘whoop di doos’ (series of hills) to navigate that end under the Foothill Transportation Corridor (FTC). The whoop di’s are a blast, the climbs out (the ‘do’s) not so much. Right now the trail is surrounded by fields of lupines and mustards. Once past the FTC, the Tijeras Creek trail meanders through meadows, along the Tijeras Creek and under canopies of oak groves. With the exception of a few rocky drops and climbs (easy to walk your bike through), this is a great beginner off-road single track trail.
The Tijeras Creek trail ends at Plano Trabuco Road. Follow Plano Trabuco Road for a few miles. When the road starts getting scary, there is an option to hop onto a dirt trail on the left side of the road-get on it. After about a mile, there will be an entrance gate into O’Neill Park, go through and turn Left. Ride towards the back of the park to the Arroyo Trabuco Trail.
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