TRAVEL TALES : DR. QUINN'S RX FOR OUTDOOR FUN.

Byline: Susanne Hopkins Daily News Travel Editor

Here's an outdoorsy idea for a midweek escape that's right out of a scene from ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.''

Your destination is Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills (off the 101 Freeway), where you can picnic and hike in a national recreation area and possibly mingle with TV stars. And it's free.

Paramount Ranch is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 150,000 acres of canyons and chaparral-covered rolling hills, oak groves and meadows, waterfalls and lagoons west of Los Angeles.

The setting for hundreds of films and TV shows since 1927 when Paramount Pictures purchased it to use as a movie set, the ranch currently doubles for Colorado Springs, circa 1870, in the CBS show, ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.''

On most weekdays from September to June - beginning Sept. 8 this year - you can venture out to the ranch and its centerpiece, an Old West town, and watch the filming of the show, which stars Jane Seymour as Dr. Michaela (Mike) Quinn and Joe Lando as her husband, Byron Sully.

``There are three different sets, one about a half-mile hike out, another one-quarter of a mile out and, of course, there's the Old West town and the meadow. They can be filming at any one of those places,'' said Jean Bray, public affairs officer for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Provided the filming isn't indoors, visitors can follow cast and crew to the location to watch the filming or wander the town (but wander carefully - no leaning on the buildings or jumping on boardwalks. This is, after all, only a TV set.)

Filming is generally from about 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, said Stephanie Raphael, director of media relations for ``Dr. Quinn.''

But there are no guarantees when it comes to filming, she said. ``We don't promise anything because sometimes we shoot inside or we start later because we're shooting night scenes,'' she said.

The open set - necessitated because national park regulations call for the park to be accessible to the public - is relaxed and actors often mingle with the crowds.

``Many times, to the surprise of the visitors, the actors will come out and sign autographs,'' Bray said.

Shawn Toovey, who plays Dr. Quinn's son, Brian, often poses for photos with fans; and Larry Sellers, who portrays Sully's best friend, Cloud Dancing, frequently spends time with visitors, Raphael said.

``It's so relaxed,'' Raphael said. ``You come out here and you see lots of dogs and lots of kids and lots of babies.''

Cast and crew bring their pet dogs and their children to the set. Indeed, Seymour's toddler twins regularly visit, as do the twin babies of executive producer Beth Sullivan and her husband, Jim Knobeloch (who plays the barber and town mayor, Jake Slicker). And then there are the Calabrese triplets, Megan, Alexandria and McKenzie, who alternate in the role of Dr. Quinn's baby daughter, Katie.

Once you've gotten your fill of filming, there's still plenty to do, Bray noted.

``If people want to, there's a large meadow over there and if they're not filming, (visitors) can bring a picnic lunch and spend the day there,'' she suggested, adding that they should bring a blanket because there are no picnic tables.

(And, Raphael advised, people should bring their own water and be prepared for heat, dust and a dearth of concessionaires. ``There are no hot dog stands,'' she joked.)

Whether you go for the filming on a weekday or just to enjoy nature and tour the western town on weekends, Paramount Ranch is also a good starting point for three hikes:

The Coyote Trail is three-quarters of a mile round trip from the west side of the town. The easy trail takes hikers along a chaparral-covered canyon to a knoll overlooking a valley (there's a picnic spot with a view nearby).

Medea Creek Trail is an easy three-quarter-mile round trip hike that begins at the southern end of the parking lot and loops through wooded areas complete with a stream.

If you're looking for a view, the Overlook Trail - one mile round trip - climbs up Coyote Canyon for a view of western mountains.

Keep that camera ready - along the way on all the trails, you might spot wildlife such as quail and mule deer.

Of Paramount importance

Paramount Ranch is located on Cornell Road in Agoura Hills. Take the Ventura Freeway (101) to Kanan Road, go south three-quarters of a mile to Cornell Road and turn left. Go 2-1/2 miles to the entrance and park as far left as possible in the lot.

The park is open dawn to dusk daily; admission and parking are free.

While visitors are welcome to explore on their own, the National Park Service periodically features a free, one-hour guided tour, ``From Set to Screen,'' which details the history of the ranch and how movie magic is made there. The next such tour is 9:30 a.m. Sept. 6; no reservations are needed.

Another tour, ``From Colorado to Korea,'' takes visitors through the sets that double for Colorado at Paramount Ranch, then moves up the road to Malibu Creek State Park, where the TV show ``MASH,'' set in 1950s Korea, was filmed. Visitors get a history of the ranch and the park, as well as insights into the filming of both ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' and ``MASH.'' The free, four-hour tour, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., is scheduled for Nov. 8. No reservations are needed.

Information: [phone], Ext. 201.

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Photo, Box

Photo: Hike, picnic and perhaps even mingle with the stars of ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' during a visit to its set on Paramount Ranch.

David Sprague/Daily News

Box: Of Paramount importance (See Text)