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In the next few pages, you’ll learn briefly about the “other” Orange County: its climate, geology, flora, and fauna. Following that, you’ll find some notes about safety and courtesy on the trail and some tips on how to get the most out of this book. After perusing that material, you can dig into the heart of this book—descriptions of 124 hiking routes from the coast to the Santa Ana Mountains. Happy reading and happy hiking!

Land of Gentle Climate

A succinct summary of Orange County’s climate might take the form of just two phrases: “warm and sunny” and “winter-wet, summer-dry.” But some variation in climate exists across the county’s width from coast to mountain crests. Without resorting to technical classification schemes, let’s divide the county into two climate zones: The coastal zone, extending inland 10–15 miles across the coastal plain and low coastal foothills, is largely under the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean. This climate is characterized by mild temperatures that are relatively stable, both daily and seasonally. Average temperatures range from the 60s to 40s (daily highs and lows in Fahrenheit) in winter to the 70s to 60s in summer. Rainfall averages about 15 inches annually. Overall this climate closely matches the classic Mediterranean climate associated with coastal areas along the Mediterranean Sea.