Trail Report: Aliso Creek Trail (aka Snails Trail)

There's a bike path that will take you from Cook's Corner in Lake Forest to Aliso Wood Trails in Aliso Viejo.  It's a two way, single lane bike path with plenty of areas to jump on. 

Perks of Aliso Creek Trail:

• No cars
• Light traffic on the path (particularly on weekdays)
• Saturdays Snails Pace and TNT are oftentimes seen training on the trail
• Plenty of scenery (wooded areas, creeks, golf course, orange grove, etc)
• Traveling from North/East to South/West it's primarily all downhill
• Trail is partially marked with mile markers
• Enough trail to get 26 miles in round trip
• No money to park at the many entrances to the trail

Sucks about the Aliso Creek Trail:

• Minimal bathrooms (limited to:  Baseball fields which are located on two spots of the trail)
• MOUNTAIN LION SIGHTINGS.  ALWAYS RUN WITH A SOMETHING TO SCARE THEM WITH.  (Latest sighting was Tuesday, 3/1)
• Run in pairs - trail has been known to have suspicious characters including a flasher that struck a few times while I was coaching runners
• Traveling from South/West to North/East is a gradual (but tough) uphill. 
• Some big rollers past Paseo De Valencia towards Aliso Creek
• Summer time - trail is super dry and hot.  Plan for morning runs to beat the heat.
• Be careful after rainy days.  Portions of the trail are closed and make it impossible to pass through.

Areas to pick up the trail (really anywhere, but try):

• Park at A Snails Pace Running Shop in Laguna Hills and walk down to Wendy's where trail head is (warning:  due to sever weather in December the bridge is out and only way to get to trail is by jumping over rocks)
• Park at Jamboree and Los Alisos Baseball fields
• Park at Laguna Hill Community Center off Paseo De Valencia
• Park at Aliso Wood Park and run North/East
• Park at Cook's Corner in Lake Forest (great post run breakfast place!)
• Residential neighborhood off Creekside and El Toro
• Parking entrance up by Saddleback Church and El Toro Road (entrance is on same side as Saddleback Church, between Saddleback Church/Marguerite stoplight and Santa Marguerita Parkway)

Overall I give this trail a 6 out 10. 

It's not my favorite trail... but I like the markers and I like running from Snails Pace to Cooks so I can get an "easy ride" downhill back.  When I ran this for my first 16 miler, the trail was closed at El Toro road between Santa Marguerita Parkway and Marguerite due to rain damage.  It required me to "off road" up to El Toro until I could jump back on right.  Approximately 1/4 a mile. 

BIGGEST WATCHOUT:  Mountain Lions on the North/East end of the trail by the 261 Freeway and Saddleback Church!