Wagon Wheel Wilderness Park

Officially, this smallest wilderness park located next to Coto de Caza off Oso Pkwy, is called the Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park, after a longtime OC Supervisor.
The 5 miles of multi-use trails for bikers, equestrians and hikers is surrounded by Western Sycamores, Coast Live Oaks and monkey flower. We have hiked it once before so getting out there on our bikes was a great way to spend an hour and half early last Saturday morning. The rolling hills, grasslands and canyons of Coastal Sage Brush make for a wonderful, easy and quick escape into nature. I'd recommend this park to first time hikers, bikers, families with small ones in tow. You can wander out into wild and still see your car if you don't or can't walk too far. The views of Saddleback peaks is great from most viewpoints in the park. We rode up Oak Canyon Trail up to Skink Vista point; quite a tough bit of climb but not too long. The string of boy scouts hiking on the distant Pheasant Run Trail looked like munchkins so you get a sense of some space out here and at the same time, neighboring homes surround you...not too close...not too far....a great beginner spot as I mentioned.The history of the park begins.... "In 1769 when Captain Gaspar de Portola and his entourage of 63 soldiers and two priests made their way through this area in search of suitable mission sites along the California Coast." This park became part of a land grant from Governor Pio Pico to his bro-in-law, big time English trader John Forster, in 1845 . Times got tough however, and Forster's heirs sold the land to James C. Flood and the Irish cattleman, Richard O'Neill, Sr. The park was ranch land until it was acquired by the County of Orange from the land owner, Coto de Caza in 1983. We rode under some of the biggest scrub oaks I've ever seen. For such a small wilderness park, the trees were colossal. We always stop and look and listen hoping to catch site of any bit of wild thing moving about. Today it was just lots of bunnies, flies and a tarantula hawk. Now that creature requires a whole blog on its own. An amazing creature, every tarantula's nightmare!!!!!! I'll try an download a video of a tarantula hawk in action....Yikes!!