Touring * Slalom *

From Interstate 5 in Mission Viejo, take the Crown Valley Parkway exit and proceed southwest for 1.5 miles. Turn left at Street of the Golden Lantern and drive another 1.5 miles to Chapparosa Park Road. Turn right to follow the lane down to Chapparosa Park. Parking is free.

Laguna Niguel is a beautiful town located in the hills north of Dana Point. Residents and visitors who love to skate are lucky to have Chapparosa Park nearby. In and around the park, there are many opportunities for in-line skating, including large flat areas for freestyle skating, access to nearby expressway sidewalks, and easy entry to the rolling expert run down the Salt Creek Trail. Chapparosa Park is new enough that the parking lots and sidewalks are still in perfect condition. It is situated at the northern end of the canyon of Salt Creek Regional Park and is bordered by tree- and shrub-covered hills that rise steeply on both sides, preventing heavy development. The park's most tempting pavement is on the three basketball courts and on the sidewalk that borders the parking lot, which in itself is excellent terrain for freestyle practice. Picnic tables, water fountains, and shady patches of lawn make for a comfortable post-skate rest. Ready to explore the easy section of Salt Creek Canyon and sample the slopes on the 10-foot-wide sidewalks just west of Chapparosa Park? Start at the southwest end of the parking lot, where you will see the sign marking the beginning of the Laguna Niguel Hike/Bike Nature Trail. The smooth asphalt is 10 feet wide, and mileage is painted on the pavement every one-tenth mile. (Ignore the numbered posts, which are there to be used with a nature trail brochure.) Enter the Salt Creek Canyon between shrub-covered hills. Up on the ridges, the rooftops of homes on view lots are just visible. Follow the path past the seemingly misplaced street sign in the middle of nowhere that says "Anderson," and through the tunnel under Niguel Road. The trail branches at the other side. The right fork takes you to the Salt Creek Trail (for experts only!), described on page 391. Take the left fork to follow the concrete sidewalk that runs along the south side of the canyon, creeping up until it reaches Beacon Hill Way at Niguel Road to a landscaped sidewalk that continues south above the deep, dry gorge. Across from the Beacon Hill entrance, the sidewalk leaves the canyon and descends in a thrilling half-mile roll down to the intersection with Camino Del Avion. We leave you here to retrace your steps back to Chapparosa Park. More diversions: The 10-foot-wide sidewalks on two other nearby expressways are worth exploring. Marina Drive, north of Chapparosa Park, is just over a mile long and has gentler slopes than those on Niguel Road. Street of the Golden Lantern connects the Chapparosa Park entrance road with Camino Del Avion two miles south. Its slopes are long and steep, and you must skate next to fast-moving cars. You should determine which route is best suited to your skills by driving them both beforehand.