Crystal Cove State Park
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Crystal Cove State Park
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 At the Pacific Ocean |
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| location | Orange County in California (USA) | |
| surface | 11.3 km² | |
| Geographical location | 33 ° 34 ' N , 117 ° 50' W | |
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| Setup date | 1979 | |
| administration | California Dept. of Parks and Recreation | |
The Crystal Cove State Park ( English for "Crystal Bay") is a nature reserve on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the US state of California in the south of the Los Angeles area . The site is level with the city of Newport Coast and is a designated state park .
In the middle of the nature reserve is the Crystal Cove Historic District , a small settlement with historic wooden houses.
geography
Geographical location
Crystal Cove State Park extends approximately 3.5 miles (6 km) along the coast of the Pacific Ocean . It spreads from the ocean to the San Joaquin Hills, which border the Los Angeles Basin in the south. The entire area measures around 8.1 square kilometers.
The reserve is located in western Orange County between the two coastal towns of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach . Above the park, Newport Coast , a district of Newport Beach, nestles into the rolling landscape. The Pacific Coast Highway cuts through the terrain. There are driveways and parking spaces on the expressway.
Landscape and activities
Crystal Cove State Park offers varied hiking routes through the mountain tops of the San Joaquin Hills. Wooded valleys and hills characterize the landscape inland. The paths that run between the dunes are particularly popular with riders .
In front of the cliffs by the sea are wide sandy beaches that are ideal for swimming and sunbathing. The surf here attracts many surfers . The coastline is designed as an underwater park that can be explored by diving .
Flora and fauna
Both plant and animal lovers will get their money's worth in Crystal Cove State Park, where a diverse flora and fauna has developed.
The vegetation in the nature reserve is not particularly spectacular, but it is varied. Shrubs and grasses have preferred to settle near the coast . Further inland along the watercourse at Moro Creek are broken forests , which are mainly composed of plane trees and oaks .
Various types of crabs and sea anemones cavort in the sea off the coast . When the water level is low, you can walk around in the rocks and observe small sea creatures in the tidepools . Gray whales often swim offshore, migrating southward from the arctic waters during the winter months.
The wildlife in the interior is no less interesting. Gophers , lizards , rabbits and cuckoos prefer to live on the cliffs . The park's open spaces provide habitats for white footed mice , rattlesnakes , red-tailed buzzards , coyotes, and bobcats .
history
native people
Settlers have been recorded in the El Moro Canyon for over 9,000 years. The early settlement was favored by natural fresh water sources and the abundance of fish in the Pacific Ocean . A number of tools and items from prehistoric times have been found. With the arrival of the Spanish missionaries in the late 1770s, the indigenous people were confronted with religion and modern agriculture.
The Irvine Company
In 1864, three Northern California farmers , including James Irvine, bought land in the area. In 1876 Irvine became the sole owner. After Irvine's death in 1886, his son James Irvine II continued sheep farming. At the same time he also leased land to local farmers, which led to the establishment of the Irvine Company in 1894 .
From 1927, Japanese-born farmers leased land from the Irvine Company and built barns, houses and a community center on it. The latter was preserved and is now known as the Laguna Beach Language School . The cultivated agricultural products were sold directly on the surrounding streets or delivered to markets in Los Angeles . When the Second World War began, the lives of Japanese farmers changed dramatically. They were taken to a detention center in Poston as part of the internment of Japanese Americans . Their possessions have been confiscated. The Irvine Company continued leasing land into the 1970s.
Crystal Cove State Park
In addition to the activities in the agricultural sector, the Irvine Company rented out the coastal area and the beach houses located there to those looking for relaxation and film studios from nearby Hollywood . With the construction of the Pacific Coast Highway in the 1920s, a lively leisure activity began on the coast. In order to gain control over the large number of visitors, the Irvine Company limited the construction of the beach houses. Camping in the area was prohibited. Crystal Cove has been declared a private beach.
The historic beach house settlement was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 under the name Crystal Cove Historic District . In the same year, the Irvine Company sold the entire land to the state of California , which then designated the area as a state park . The old cottages have been restored one by one and made accessible to the public. Three new campsites were also set up, but they have no sanitary facilities. With Tyron's Camp , another campsite was built in 2005.
Crystal Cove State Park in Art and Media
The beautiful landscape of the nature reserve has already served as a location for several film and television productions, including:
- Girlfriends (1988), main character Cecilia Bloom's ( Bette Midler )beach housewas in the Crystal Cove Historic District .
- A question of honor (1996), for the representation of the US naval base Guantanamo Bay Naval Base the beach of the park had to serve.
The historic beach house settlement was originally built as a film set.
See also
Web links
- Crystal Cove at California Dept. of Parks and Recreation
- Pictures and information on California Beach (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Crystal Cove State Park. California State Parks , accessed May 16, 2009 .
- ↑ a b c d e f Crystal Cove Brochure 2008. (PDF; 5.2 MB) (No longer available online.) California State Parks , archived from the original on May 21, 2009 ; accessed on May 16, 2009 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Crystal Cove Historic District. National Register of Historic Places , accessed May 22, 2009 .
- ↑ Titles with locations including Crystal Cove State Park. Internet Movie Database , accessed May 16, 2009 .
- ^ Crystal Cove State Park. (No longer available online.) California State Parks , archived from the original on June 25, 2009 ; accessed on May 22, 2009 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
