Holy Jim Trail

[Jorgelito Hagens]

The Holy Jim Trail is named after Jim Smith, aka “Cussin’ Jim,” a beekeeper who earned his nickname no thanks to his mastery of the English language. He resided in the north region of Trabuco Canyon in the late 1800s among a community of beekeepers. Some of them mockingly called him “Salvation” Smith, which served as the inspiration for government surveyors who later renamed the canyon.

Along the 2.8 mi trail, wildlife is abundant, including birds, squirrels, rabbits and deer. Parts of the canyon are covered with figs while wild blackberries grow in the spring.