Читать книгу Afoot & Afield: Orange County. A Comprehensive Hiking Guide онлайн
6 страница из 92
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
ssss1
Preface
Hidden within or just beyond Orange County’s urban sprawl lies more opportunity for the appreciation of the natural world than most county residents imagine. Barely a few hundred yards from busy highways and shimmering glass high-rises, shorebirds haunt protected estuaries and marshes. Along the southern coast, ocean swells roll in and spend themselves against lonely sands and jagged cliffs. Over the foothill country, hawks and eagles cruise in search of a furry meal. And deep within the corrugated fastness of the Santa Ana Mountains, mountain lions, deer, and coyotes roam cool, dark canyon bottoms and sun-warmed, chaparral-covered slopes.
Surrounding Orange County’s densely populated coastal plain are parks, preserves, designated open spaces, and public lands totaling approximately 200,000 acres. Within this domain, intriguing pathways introduce explorers to natural landscapes ranging from the intertidal zone to oak and coniferous woodlands. Orange County boasts, either within or abutting its rather compact borders, 8 state parks and beaches, 19 regional (county) parks and wilderness areas, more than 130,000 acres of national forest, and more than 500 miles of trails and roads for hiking.