Evidence suggests that Aliso Creek was once the boundary of the Acjachemen and Tongva tribes, but Aliso Canyon likely lay completely on Acjachemen land.
The mountains to the north and west of the canyon rise more sharply and rise higher than those on the south and east.
The northern drainage divide of the gorge marked the boundary in this area, and the Acjachemen settled in small villages all along the valley floor.
Fed by springs in the Santa Ana Mountains and some in the canyon itself, Aliso Creek ran year round through the canyon and supported a lush riparian ecosystem with many tall trees and smaller undergrowth.

When the Spanish established missions along nearby larger rivers, they forced most of the Native Americans to live at the missions, and Aliso Canyon lay abandoned for many years following the 1770s.
The canyon then came under the ownership of Juan Avila in 1842, who operated Rancho Niguel that encompassed most of the canyon, an area of about 13,500 acres (55 km²).
The fertile alluvium and extensive grasslands of the canyon floor were used primarily for grazing cattle.
Several corrals still stand in the Wood Canyon area today.
In 1871, pioneer Eugene Salter settled at the canyon mouth, but one year after, sold it to the Thurstons, who cultivated the present-day golf course area as an orchard.

Eventually when the city of Laguna Beach was founded in 1926, the area at the mouth of Aliso Canyon, including Laguna Beach, became a popular camping area.
The inn and golf course was begun in the 1960s and grew throughout the remainder of the 20th century.
A proposal to extend the golf course into the canyon and expand it to 18 holes was eventually stopped.
In the 1960s, Orange County began to fall victim to heavy urbanization, and to protect the canyon from further development, Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park was established in 1979 and expanded to its present size by 1990.

A later project to restore a riparian zone in the canyon, the Aliso Creek Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Project (ACWHEP) involved damming the creek and constructing pipelines from the impoundment to irrigate artificial creekside terraces of native plants, as well as prevent further erosion of the canyon floor by urban runoff.
Due to a flaw in the design, the dam actually caused further erosion, and the irrigation pipes are now broken and the terraces lie fallow.
Evidence suggests that Aliso Creek was once the boundary of the Acjachemen and Tongva tribes, but Aliso Canyon likely lay completely on Acjachemen land. The mountains to the north and west of the canyon rise more sharply and rise higher than those on the south and east. The northern drainage divide of the gorge marked the boundary in this area, and the Acjachemen settled in small villages all along the valley floor. Fed by springs in the Santa Ana Mountains and some in the canyon itself, Aliso Creek ran year round through the canyon and supported a lush riparian ecosystem with many tall trees and smaller undergrowth.
When the Spanish established missions along nearby larger rivers, they forced most of the Native Americans to live at the missions, and Aliso Canyon lay abandoned for many years following the 1770s. The canyon then came under the ownership of Juan Avila in 1842, who operated Rancho Niguel that encompassed most of the canyon, an area of about 13,500 acres (55 km²). The fertile alluvium and extensive grasslands of the canyon floor were used primarily for grazing cattle. Several corrals still stand in the Wood Canyon area today. In 1871, pioneer Eugene Salter settled at the canyon mouth, but one year after, sold it to the Thurstons, who cultivated the present-day golf course area as an orchard.
Eventually when the city of Laguna Beach was founded in 1926, the area at the mouth of Aliso Canyon, including Laguna Beach, became a popular camping area. The inn and golf course was begun in the 1960s and grew throughout the remainder of the 20th century. A proposal to extend the golf course into the canyon and expand it to 18 holes was eventually stopped. In the 1960s, Orange County began to fall victim to heavy urbanization, and to protect the canyon from further development, Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park was established in 1979 and expanded to its present size by 1990.
A later project to restore a riparian zone in the canyon, the Aliso Creek Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Project (ACWHEP) involved damming the creek and constructing pipelines from the impoundment to irrigate artificial creekside terraces of native plants, as well as prevent further erosion of the canyon floor by urban runoff. Due to a flaw in the design, the dam actually caused further erosion, and the irrigation pipes are now broken and the terraces lie fallow.
Aliso Canyon