The Nature Reserve Staff Picks: Favorite OC Park
Laura
O’Neill Regional Park, because it represents the quintessential Southern California habitats, riparian, oak woodland, native grassland and coastal sage scrub. Plus, it has some spectacular trees, both Coast Live Oaks and California Sycamores.
Leeta
I really love the Irvine Ranch Open Space – especially exploring Limestone Canyon. This was one of the first wilderness areas I worked in after moving to Orange County. The hike to The Sinks has always been a favorite. The mosaic of different ecosystems set against the striking geology of the area is incredible. It is a good reminder of how much of Orange county is covered in a variety of diverse ecosystems.
Linda
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in Laguna Niguel. Why I like it: The park is a designated wildlife sanctuary with over 30 miles of trails. It has a fun visitor center and is a great spot for family hikes with beautiful views, a rich Native American history and even a cave said to have been used as a hideout by stagecoach robbers!
Sydnie
Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park is the first place that I went camping since moving to California, I love how secluded the camping and trails are. You see lots of friendly faces and if you go early in the morning, you might get lucky and see deer. It's a great place for beginner hikers and learning about native plants and animals that live in Southern California.
Ann
Capistrano Beach Park. I have fond memories of spending summer days at Capistrano Beach with family and friends as a child. While this beach has undergone massive erosion in recent years it still is a great place to ride bikes to, listen to the waves break and watch the sunset.
Michelle
The OC Park that I frequent the most is the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. It is an exceptional park for hiking or mountain biking. It has unique geology in the Red Rock Canyon area. The Billy goat trail is a steep single track that goes along an impressive ridge. Then there is the "Dreaded Hill", for those who need a little extra incline. It's loads of fun for everyone and easy to get to.
Bonnie
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve is my favorite place to watch birds like osprey, herons, and other wetland birds. I also love to kayak on the water for a different perspective on the bay. We love to visit the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center with our kids where we have fun seeing live animals, playing, and learning more about the species that depend on this critical estuary habitat.
John
O'Neill Regional Park because it's the first place I went camping and I have a lot of other memories of going there while I was growing up in Mission Viejo. Now, we take our kids there for parties, hikes and we will go camping there with our kids for the first time.
Tom
Irvine Regional Park is my favorite wilderness park to explore and offers a wide variety of environmental programs/events, historical sites, and recreational activities that can be enjoyed by all ages. The OC Zoo is also located inside the park and provides a great place to view and learn about various wildlife species native to California, many of which that had been injured, orphaned, confiscated, or not releasable back into the wild.