Excerpt
Hike 57. . .From Laguna Beach, the San Joaquin Hills rise abruptly from the sea to an elevation over 1,000 feet. Large, undeveloped areas have been preserved as public parks and wilderness land, with an extensive network of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails. One of these treasures, Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, spreads across 4,000 acres and includes more than 30 miles of trails. The park has massive sandstone formations, several forested canyons, two year-round streams, lush riparian vegetation, oaks, elderberries, sycamores, and native grasslands. This hike begins from the Top of the World trailhead on Temple Hill, the highest point in the park at 1,036 feet. The awesome birds-eye views extend across the Pacific Ocean and into Laguna and Wood Canyons. The undulating path follows a ridge separating the canyons and drops into the upper end of Wood Canyon, shaded by ancient oaks and sycamores.