| Location: Limestone Canyon, Santa Ana Mountains, California Distance: 8.5 miles (loop) Peak Elevation: 1,385 feet Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet Difficulty: Moderate Caution: Mountain lions, rattlesnakes, ticks, poison oak |
The Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) balances recreation and conservation within the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Thankfully, the great IRC volunteers lead guided hikes through the protected lands on certain days of the week. This brisk hike explores Limestone Canyon and Loma Ridge via the West Loma and Shoestring trails.
Where to Park | Trail Directions | Loma Ridge | Shoestring Trail | Hicks Haul Road | Plan Your Visit | Video Tour
Directions to Hicks Haul Road Staging Area
| From the 5 freeway, exit Jeffrey Road and head north. Continue on Jeffrey Road for 2.5 miles to Portola Parkway. At the Portola intersection, continue north on Jeffrey, which becomes Hicks Haul Road. (There is a private road sign. You can drive on this road during public events.) Drive for 1.5 miles. At the top of Hicks Haul Road, veer right to the metal gate (toward the toll road). A volunteer will let you through the gate. The staging area is on your left at the intersection of Hicks Haul Road and the overpass. |
Trail Directions
| Trailhead: From Hicks Haul Road Staging Area, head east on Hicks Haul Road. 1.95 miles: At the gate, turn left and climb the Loma Ridge Jeep Trail. 3.3 miles: At the junction, turn right and descend the Shoestring Trail. 4.3 miles: At the junction, turn right and climb the Shoestring Trail. 5.1 miles: At the junction, turn right onto Blue Diamond Haul Road. 5.3 miles: At the junction, turn right onto Hicks Haul Road. Follow the road back to the staging area. |
Loma Ridge
The hike begins at the Hicks Haul Road Staging Area and rises almost 500 feet in two miles on pavement. The rock walls by the road begin getting rather tall. At some spots, the rock has sheared off and you can see the white limestone.
At West Loma, a volunteer unlocks a gate to the Loma Ridge Jeep Trail. The IRC has mowed a path along Loma Ridge. It is less than half a mile to the highpoint of the ridge and a mile to Shoestring Trail.
In springtime, just after some rain, the hills are completely green, except for some patches of purple Arroyo Lupine wildflowers. There’s also plenty of invasive yellow mustard.
Shoestring Trail
From Loma Ridge, Shoestring Trail begins descends a few hundred over one mile. Just before Santiago Canyon Road, the trail veers to the right and becomes a narrow single-track. The path stays slightly above the road until reaching the haul roads.
Hicks Haul Road
Once you are back on Hicks Haul Road, it’s less than three miles back to the Staging Area. There’s a slight climb, then it is all downhill from there. On the way down, you have a better view of the sheer limestone cliffs. On a clear day, you can enjoy panoramic views of Irvine and Orange County.
Plan Your Visit
- Registration: Register online at the Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Let’s Go Outside activities page by 4 p.m. the day before the event. Each event has limited spaces.
- Arrival: Arrive at the event 15 minutes before the start time. The gate will close promptly at the start time of the activity.
- Waiver: Participants must sign a liability waiver upon arrival at the staging area before beginning the activity.
- Cancellation: If your plans change and you cannot attend, cancel your registration to open your spot to another visitor.