Roller Coaster Ridge Hike at Sunset/Level 2

This is a great wide trail that borders San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente, with beautiful views and some great hills to hike up. It is hard for beginners, so you need to turn around if feeling not keeping the group pace.

DISTANCE & ELEVATION GAIN: about 4.5+ miles with 790+ ft gain; completed in about 2+ hours.

GENERAL RATING/DIFFICULTY: Levels 2 to 3 (Moderate) for distance, elevation and pace. Click RATING TABLE to learn more about hike levels https://tinyurl.com/HikeRating

This trail has beautiful 360 degree views of the mountains and Pacific ocean, with spectacular sunsets. The trails are (as the name implies) hilly, but we hike on wide, well groomed fire roads.

ABOUT THIS HIKE: This is a dirt trail in open space with what we call roller coaster hills. We will do the inclines at the beginning of the hike and head up to the flag. We will turn around at the flag and head back, mostly downhill. If you have not been hiking on a regular basis, this may be a tough hike due to the frequency and steepness of the hills.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/roller-coaster

NOTES: Choose hiking shoes or shoes with a good tread. Bring water and a flashlight as we will be returning in darkness.

DIRECTIONS: From the 5 South exit at Camino Estrella and turn left at the light. This will turn into Camino de Estrella and you will drive about 3 miles to the very end of Camino de Los Mares Map. There are plenty of retail establishments along the right side of Camino de Los Mares that have restroom facilities.

PARKING: You can park on either side of the street at the end of Camino de Los Mares. The trailhead begins where the street ends.

REMINDER:

By joining the meetup, you agree to Meetup Terms of Service releases the Organizer and Assistant Organizers from any liability related to incidents that occur at Meetup gatherings
***Hiking is a rewarding and pleasant activity in nature, but there are certain dangers you should be aware of. Those include, but are not limited to, trip and fall injuries, bee stings, poison oak exposure, ticks, mountain lions, coyote, snake bites or wildlife. By signing up for this event, you agree to hold harmless the hike organizer, assistant organizers and other participants for any injuries sustained during this hike***
>>>YOU acknowledge THAT WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS.
>>>YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR SAFETY