Bluebird Canyon Is Still Filled With Bluebirds In Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—Just beyond the “Traffic Calming Area” sign, Bluebird Canyon transforms from a charming street into its true canyon nature. In the quiet wake of cars swooping by a little too fast, listen for bees droning, roosters crowing and an orchestra’s worth of songbirds.

Believe it or not, bluebirds abound in Bluebird Canyon and orioles fly on Oriole Drive.

Its highest ridge is free of houses, as it was when Native Americans were the land’s only inhabitants. Instead of scars from mudslides or fire on the wild hills, you’ll see evidence that Laguna’s herd of goats has been doing its job: eating weeds that could fuel brush fires. But even on the thoroughly chewed slopes, little pockets of native plants thrive.

Glance right as you walk, and high on the hill is a large estate with avocado and loquat trees, where a man rides a tractor to keep the fire danger in check. A little farther up lies Bluebird Canyon Farms. Though the 15-acre permaculture farm isn’t visible from the road, it offers weekly harvest-share subscriptions and tours.

Once past Oriole Drive, keep a lookout on the left for the entrance to Bluebird Canyon Nature Trail. Its restoration is a work in progress. Volunteers keep it clear because goats would eat up the native species being reintroduced. The rains last year turned the preserve a lush green. But now that drought conditions are imminent, it’s arid and a bit bare—making it easier to spot poison oak.

Beware.

Walk under willows and sycamores, while low to the ground lemonade berry grows. Cross a wide plank that’s securely fixed over the gully cutting through the canyon’s center, where half a century ago a stream ran and local children hunted for tadpoles and frogs.

Once back on the paved road, look down where you’ve been for an ocean view. If you’re lucky, spot a dusty bluebird gathering materials for a nest. Then, being mindful of cars on the blind curve, veer right to take Rancho Laguna. You’ll recognize the street by a monument marking the entrance to the housing development that was never built. It's just as well since the canyon’s true character emerges in each unique dwelling on its meandering, steep streets being as individual as the people who reside there.

As you ascend Rancho Laguna, notice a groomed path lined in stones open to the public and beyond that a private residence that was once a church. Wind your way down Morningside Drive, enjoying ocean vistas, riotous flora and the many footpaths providing shortcuts over the peaks to adjacent canyons. Well-developed calves of bicyclists calmly pedal past dog walkers, along cottages and mansions dating from the 1930s to the 21st century.

The hike is a bit rigorous but well worth the trip through this legendary canyon.