Fire. We all dread it. There's nothing like suddenly smelling smoke from a wildfire. Where is it? Is it close?
This one was just a few miles away. Car accident into a power pole.
HD Brushfires burn hot and fast in the bone dry chaparral in Southern California.
Our native oaks and black walnut trees have seen it before. They scorch, but still stand.
white ash covers the hill
the leaves may burn but the young walnuts survive
Using the highway as a firebreak, the firefighters stopped the 500+ acre blaze from burning homes and businesses. For more outdoor adventures, visit us at TheEarthMinute.com and subscribe today!
We took an early stroll the day before Thanksgiving, 2015 in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area through a little 200 acre gem of a park.
Rocky Oaks Park is a short drive away from the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.
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Sunlight in the early morning plays through the oaks, pines, and rocks of the park.
Rocky Oaks Park is located in the 31500 block of Mulholland Highway west of the Kanan Road
intersection. The entrance is on the north side of Mulholland Highway. Take the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) to Kanan Road. South on Kanan Road
to Mulholland Highway. Turn west (right) on Mulholland Highway and right
again into the parking lot.
GPS Coordinates: N 34.0967 W -118.8141
Nice, well maintained trails. Dogs allowed on leash. Water available. Meeting circle, ranger area under the oaks.
Take a hike into a California riparian habitat: Limekiln Canyon on the north edge of the San Fernando Valley. My friend Kerry introduced me to this oak glen and creek-side trail. In moments you leave the traffic behind and enter a peaceful edge of wildness.
native sunflower species
Especially in spring there are wildflowers–lupine, sage, and native sunflowers–and a variety of wildlife.
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Preserved between housing tracts, Limekiln Canyon has a scattering of introduced plant species, but still there are stately sycamores and coast live oaks helping to provide homes for resident species and migratory visitors.
western fence lizard
We spotted four species of native lizards–including scads of western fence lizards, nineteen bird species–including Bewick's wrens and a varied thrush. We watched a cottontail cross the old-road pathway and saw ten species of native butterflies.
Perhaps most exciting was the small Pacific tree frog or Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) that we caught on video. Listen for their loud call that seems much too big for a frog about the size of the end of your thumb. Keep an eye open for the European honey bees that have taken up residence in an old oak tree. Most of all enjoy a walk through habitat shared by wildlife and humans.
Open Dawn to Dusk.
No drinking water or restrooms, but picnic tables available.
Trails unimproved, but old roads provide wide walking areas.
Dogs welcome on leash. Rattlesnakes can be present. Respect the safety of wildlife, keep dogs leashed.
Los Angeles is filled with Hidden Gardens; gardens free to the public offering quiet escapes and natural treasures.
Orcutt Ranch Park has been one of my favorite Hidden Gardens since I was a child, it is rich with romantic rose gardens, iconic citrus groves, and ancient oak trees.
The park is a 24-acre remnant of a 210-acre cattle ranch established by William Warren Orcutt and his wife. Rancho Sombra del Roble or “ranch in the shade of the oak” was nestled along a stream in the northwest corner of the San Fernando Valley. In wet years the stream still flows. This prime location was probably inhabited by native peoples prior to the mission era. Legend has it that the adobe to build the bricks for the San Fernando Mission came from just up the canyon west of the ranch.
Orcutt was a wealthy oil executive in the early boom days of California oil drilling. He and his wife retired to their ranch and lived out the rest of their lives here. In doing so, they protected a slice of California history, including a majestic oak glen. The Orcutt home, now used for events, is modest and classically southwestern. The park was registered as a Historical-Cultural Monument in 1965.
Look For:
Adobe ranch house built in 1926
Ancient oak trees, including the Bicentennial Oak; a coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) believed to be over 700 years old. (Massive branches were cut off of this tree to stoke the kilns that created the limestone ash for use in making the bricks and mortar for Mission San Fernando.)
Special Opportunities: Public fruit harvesting (oranges and grapefruit) on specific dates in Feb. and June.
The Specifics:
Open - Daily, Sunrise to Sunset; Free to the public
Parking - Plenty
Restrooms - Yes
Kid Friendly - Absolutely, a wonderful place to explore
Accessibility - Many pathways are wheelchair friendly, but unpaved
Dogs - Welcome on a leash, watch for coyotes and rattlesnakes
Restrictions - Expect some closure of the house area and rose garden on weekends due to the large number of weddings performed here. The house is typically not open to the public.
