Crystal Cove State Park

The Crystal Cove State Park ( English for Crystal Cove ) is a nature reserve on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. state of California in the south of Greater Los Angeles. The site is located at the level of the village Newport Coast and is recognized as a state park.

Set within the conservation area is the Crystal Cove Historic District, a small settlement with historical wooden houses.

• 2.1 Native
• 2.2 The Irvine Company
• 2.3 Crystal Cove State Park

Geography

Geographical location

The Crystal Cove State Park extends over a length of about 3.5 miles ( 6 km) along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It spreads from the sea to the San Joaquin Hills from which restrict the Los Angeles Basin in the south. The entire area measures an area of ​​approximately 8.1 square kilometers.

The nature reserve is located in the west of the Orange County coast between the two cities Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. Above the park, Newport Coast hugs, a district of Newport Beach, in the hilly landscape. The Pacific Coast Highway cuts through the terrain. There are driveways and parking on the highway.

Landscape and activities

The Crystal Cove State Park offers varied hiking trails through the mountain peaks of the San Joaquin Hills. Wooded valleys and hills dominate the landscape inland. The running between the dunes trails are popular with riders.

Prior to the seaside cliffs extend wide sandy beaches, ideal for swimming and sunbathing. The surf here attracts many surfers. The coastline is designed as an underwater park, you can explore diving.

Flora and Fauna

Both plant and animal lovers come to Crystal Cove State Park at their own expense, where a diverse animal and plant life has developed.

The vegetation in the reserve is not particularly spectacular, but varied. Near the coast, preferably shrubs and grasses have settled. Next in the hinterland along the watercourse to the Moro Creek are swamp forests, which are composed mainly of sycamore and oak trees.

In the sea off the coast romp various species of crabs and sea anemones. At low tide you can walk around in the rocks and watch small sea creatures in the tidepools ( tide pools ). Off the coast often swim gray whales, draw in the winter months from the Arctic waters southward.

The wildlife in the interior is no less interesting. On the cliffs preferred ground squirrels, lizards, rabbits, and ways cuckoos live. The open areas of the park provide habitat for Weißfußmäuse, rattlesnakes, Rotschwanzbussarde, coyotes and bobcats.

History

Native

For over 9,000 years, settlers are detected in the El Moro Canyon. The early settlement was favored by natural sources of fresh water and the abundance of fish of the Pacific Ocean. It was found a number of tools and objects from the prehistoric period. With the arrival of the Spanish missionaries end of the 1770s, the indigenous people were confronted with religion and modern agriculture.

The Irvine Company

1864 bought three northern California farmers, among whom were James Irvine was land in this area. 1876 ​​Irvine became the sole owner. After Irvine's death in 1886 his son James Irvine II went on to sheep farming. At the same time he also leased land to local farmers, which led to the founding of the Irvine Company in 1894.

From 1927 Japanese- farmers leased land from the Irvine Company and built on barns, houses and a community center. The latter has been preserved and is now known as Laguna Beach Language School. The cultivated agricultural products were sold directly to the surrounding streets or delivered to markets in Los Angeles. When the Second World War began, the life of the Japanese farmer changed dramatically. They were taken to an internment camp in Poston internment under the Japanese -born Americans. Their possessions were confiscated. The Irvine Company operated the lease of land further up in the 1970s.

Crystal Cove State Park

In addition to activities in the agricultural sector, the Irvine Company leased the coastal area and to our own beach houses of pleasure seekers and movie studios from the nearby Hollywood. With the establishment of the Pacific Coast Highway began in the 1920s, a lively recreational operation by the seashore. To gain control over the many visitors who Irvine Company limited the construction of beach homes. The tents in the area was prohibited. Crystal Cove has been declared a private beach.

The historic beach house estate acquired in 1979 under the name Crystal Cove Historic District inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. In the same year, the Irvine Company sold the entire country to the state of California, which subsequently auswies the area as a state park. The old cottages were successively restored and made ​​publicly available. Also three new campsites have been established, but which have no sanitary facilities. With Tyron 's Camp another campsite was built in 2005.

The Crystal Cove State Park in the Arts and Media

The charming landscape of the nature reserve has already served as a filming location for several film and television productions, including:

• Girlfriends (1988 ), the beach house the main character Cecilia Bloom (Bette Midler ) was in the Crystal Cove Historic District.
• A Few Good Men (1996 ), for the representation of the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay Naval Base had to serve the beach of the park.

The historic beach house estate was originally built as a film set.