Trabuco Canyon & Santiago Canyon


Trabuco Canyon is a small, unincorporated community in Orange County, California north of Rancho Santa Margarita. With a population of only a few thousand, it has a zip code of 92678. It includes the area known locally as Rose Canyon, while the adjoining area of Portola Hills also carries a postal designation of Trabuco Hills and a zip code of 92679. However, it has now been annexed to and is officially a part of the City of Lake Forest. 

Trabuco is home to an Orange County landmark, Cook's Corner, a 60-year-old restaurant that has long been popular with bikers. Another local landmark is the 30-yr old Trabuco Oaks Steak House that is known, not only for its good food, but for affectionately snipping off the neckties of its patrons. It was a favorite restaurant of President Richard Nixon. Diners come from the far reaches of Orange County and beyond. Each 4th of July includes an old-fashioned parade of locals riding horses and pulling home-made floats to the cheers of observers who are small in numbers but large in enthusiasm.

Trabuco Canyon is named after the nearby canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains, land now largely within the Cleveland National Forest. Trabuco is Spanish for blunderbuss, an old type of rifle. The name was applied after soldiers serving under Gaspar de Portola lost such a weapon in the area in 1769. Trabuco Canyon was the site of attempts to mine tin in the early 1900s. Remains of this activity are tunnels into the sides of the canyon, the stone foundation of an ore-processing mill, and some dams along the creek.

Santiago Canyon is an unincorporated community in Silverado, California. According to the 2000 census, Santiago Canyon has several hundred residents living within its borders. Two canyons that border Santiago Canyon include Trabuco Canyon and Modjeska Canyon. Modjeska and Santiago Canyons are both sections of Silverado. Some of the few neighborhood communities in Santiago Canyon include the Santiago Canyon Estates and the Falcon View Estates.

Hiking and mountain biking are the two common forms of recreation in Santiago Canyon, due to the area's mountainous terrain. Some popular trails include the Modjeska Trail and Live Oak Canyon Trail, both available for hiking and mountain biking. Bird watching is also a prominent activity in the canyon; native birds in the area include the Turkey Vulture, Red Tailed Hawk, and Golden Eagle, all of which can be seen in the Tucker Wildlife Bird Sanctuary in neighboring Modjeska Canyon as well. Motorcyclists are a common sight in and around the twisty roads of Santiago Canyon and Trabuco Canyon.

On October 21, 2007, a large wildfire, the Santiago Fire, started in Silverado Canyon, and spread to Trabuco Canyon. Trabuco Canyon was almost completely blocked off to all residential traffic and, along with adjoining canyons, was subject to wind-blown and rapidly moving fire danger for a period of nearly 2 weeks. The fire was ignited on October 21, 2007, and was attributed to arsonists. It  burned over 28,400 acres, and the cost of rebuilding is estimated to be $5.5 million.

Approximately 15 homes and a number of other structures were lost to the fires in Modjeska Canyon, while Silverado Canyon was also threatened long and severely. Most of the canyon residents were evacuated at some times during the fires, while Silverado residents were unable to return home for as long as 2 weeks, in some cases.

 

 



The Allure of Orange County

 

Orange County California has so much to offer, from the charming and sunny beaches of San Clemente to the world famous theme parks of Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm, and so much in between. With over 42 miles of coastline, it includes over 24 miles of beautiful beaches open to swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, diving, snorkeling, fishing hiking, kayaking, boating and luxurious sunbathing.

 

Its many wonderful vistas have earned it the label of The California Riviera, both for its wondrous sunsets as much as the Mediterranean climate and enviable living environment. As a sporting mecca, the U.S. Open is among the many surfing championships that are featured in Surf City, aka Huntington Beach. Other major attractions include the Fun Zone on Balboa Peninsula, including the ferry boat ride to picturesque Balboa Island, world-famous Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, and Wild Rivers water park in Irvine.

 

Aside of the water theme, there are dozens of parks that offer camping , fishing, hiking, biking and nature programs, while the remaining nature preserves, forests and wetlands provide more diverse environments for learning, leisure and recreation. Golfers have so much to choose from, with over 30 public courses throughout the county, including the magnificent Pelican Hill overlooking the Pacific, to the challenging and new courses like Aliso Viejo Golf Club, plus the exclusives such as Strawberry Farms and Shady Canyon.

 

For those who appreciate art, Laguna Beach offers the esteemed Festival of The Arts, incorporating the annual Pageant of The Masters, with open air living tableaux recreations of famous art pieces. Additionally, the Art-A-Fair and Sawdust Festival offer conveniently located and timed alternative choices in locally-produced artworks. The end result is an annual summertime celebration of one of Americas great enclaves of creativity!

 

Orange County is also known for excellence in education, with many highly regarded school districts, its amazing business climate, ranking it among the top-producing economies in the world, and its nearly unlimited recreational opportunities. Quality of life is the end product, enjoyed by its 3 million citizens and innumerable visitors alike.

 

From the word-renowned Crystal Cathedral just south of Anaheim to the Lake Forest mega-church known simply as Saddleback Church, worship is done on a large scale, and with flair and pomp seen in such productions as The Glory of Christmas, produced annually in the 12-story glass and steel Cathedral.

 

For more established church attendees, there is The Great Stone Church found at Mission San Juan Capistrano, a cathedral ruin included in the worlds 100 most endangered sites. Home also to the famous Swallows Day Parade, this event celebrates the incredible migration of the birds who return annually to Capistrano.

 

To the north in bustling Anaheim is found the California Adventure and Disneyland complex, as well as the Big A home of the World Champion Angels baseball team and Arrowhead Pond (now known as Honda Center), home to the World Champion Mighty Ducks hockey team. The huge and always-busy Anaheim Convention Center is found here also, as are numerous musical entertainment venues. Not only in Anaheim, but all around the county there are many places to catch a concert or play, a night of dancing, dining or stand-up entertainment. Orange County always has plenty to offer for anyone, anytime!