This past season has been a landmark period for Laguna Canyon Foundation’s Trails department. With dedicated participation from both new and returning volunteers, we have achieved an all-time high in volunteer hours, work accomplishments and fundraising.
Between October 2023 – June 2024 LCF hosted 46 trail stewardships. Within these events, 8.7 miles of trail was improved and maintained. We were fortunate enough to introduce trail work to 289 new volunteers.
The Cholla project was a two-phase process to completely revitalize the trail. Cholla is a popular route for all trail users as the primary uphill trail for Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. Cholla was suffering from severe widening, inadequate drainage and rough tread. With a generous grant from the Glasswood Foundation, LCF was able to give Cholla a hefty makeover. With help from our dedicated field crew and volunteers, 27 new drains were installed, 18 drains were maintained, and 1,020 linear feet of tread was improved. In this process, 570 square feet of previous tread was naturalized and now has potential for native plant life to reclaim. Feedback from local trail users has been phenomenal!
In February, we began the Laguna Ridge Realignment project, a realignment on a fall-line segment to improve sustainability and user experience. The project was completed in 10 workdays with our field crew and 2 stewardship events with volunteers from REI and Corelogic. We created 350 feet of new tread, 6 new turns and used over 3,000 lbs. of large rock to close the original path.
Our National Trails Day event took place on June 1st, 2024, on the trails Meadows and Sheep Run of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. This was LCF’s biggest trail stewardship event to date with 39 volunteers in attendance. An impressive 19 drains were maintained and 100 feet of tread was improved.
While we recognize the impact and importance of these achievements, there is still plenty of work to be done. According to our assessments of the trails system there are 1,058 drains that need to be maintained. Last season we managed to maintain/create 291 drains, 27% of the total number of drains between the two parks. This season, we are prioritizing maintaining existing drains as opposed to constructing new larger drains. After extremely wet seasons like this past winter, existing drains that haven’t been maintained get washed away, meaning we must start from scratch on those drains. Prioritizing existing drain maintenance will allow us to work on more drains throughout the season and use our efforts as efficiently as we can.
A goal for the trails department is to complete at least 2 grant or contract-funded improvement and repair projects within the season. Large-scale trail projects allow us to implement sustainable long-term solutions. More resources and materials provide us with alternative technical approaches.
This season we aim to host 68 events: 37 public events, 18 volunteer-only events and 13 corporate private events. With assistance from our team of dedicated volunteers and recognition from all trail users, the future of LCF’s trails program is bright. Our program is only as good as the support we get. With your help through volunteer efforts and donations, we can continue to maintain and improve this irreplaceable native wilderness.
If you are interested in participating in trail stewardship, please consider joining us for some upcoming events! Visit https://lagunacanyon.org/events/#trailwork to find more information and register for events.
Contact volunteer@lagunacanyon.org or nicholas@lagunacanyon.org with any questions.
Thank you to our generous donors that make all of this possible!
Marisla Foundation
Offield Foundation
Draper Family Fund
Glasswood Foundation
REI, Inc.
Designs