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    Back Bay Loop Trail

    4.5 (174 reviews)

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    3/4 miles and his still going
    April L.

    Nice little trail! Just wish they had more trash cans, had to carry Luckys poop bag, for a while.

    Julie Y.

    This is a beautiful scenic trail that loops around body of water that extends further out to Upper Newport area if you choose to walk a longer distance. Hubby & I walked about 11 miles total completing both upper & back bay loop. This is definitely an easy flat trail for all levels. It's more of a "walk" than a "hike" bc there are no inclines. You will also see bike riders & pets on the trail as well. There's no shade so it's best to wear sunblock, shades, & a hat even if it doesn't feel as hot. I didn't wear sunblock last time & got a sunburn. Parking is plentiful even on weekends. I've been here several times on weekends & it's never been packed.

    Suzette S.

    Easy level paved trail in New Port! Saw a variety of different birds including storks. Fish in the bay. Saw Bat houses. Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center on site with parking and restrooms. Bikes, horses, and dogs allowed in trails.

    Nancy S.

    This was a great, scenic ,flat loop to go hiking with friends. Dogs welcome! Bring some sun protection as this is not too shaded a hiking spot. Lots of wildlife and things to enjoy along the way. The loop is about 4 miles I believe (don't quote me) paved roads so bicycles are allowed. Watch out for animal waste. Parking is all over and in some spots crowded so plan ahead. Great hike!

    Claudia D.

    Great day for an easy hike/stroll by the bay. I've driven by here but never stopped to visit. I'm glad I finally did. Pet and kid friendly, parking was not an issue. We didn't do the whole loop but I would come back to do it again.

    Nick H.

    Amazing World Class Trail.. When everybody leaves that is. I come here often especially for sunrise and Sunsets. I have one spot I particularly love and sit and just think while looking at the making views. I have had several personal experiences here including being at peace with my thoughts and even several daddy-daughter talks. You can run, bike skate and even drive through the back bay.. When the crowds of people who found this place on the internet are done taking their Instagram tphoto ops and leave, it becomes very peaceful and beautiful. So many sounds of nature and so many fragrances in the breeze. This has always been a special place for me throughout the decades. You will rarely find me here in the day. I am only here when others are not. The sun rises and sunsets and when the planes don't fly is when this spot becomes my second home.

    Trail sign!
    Cherie M.

    My friends and I come here with our coffees and go for walks. I would say that this is a great walking trail. If you want to just walk and not hike, then this is the trail for you. You can stop and see the beautiful views from all sides of the trail. I personally love coming here at sunset. The trial is clean and easy to access. Horses are allowed on the trail, so watch where you step! Overall, this is a great trail for having coffee and conversations. :)

    Vivian P.

    Absolutely love it here!! Most of the path is asphalt so if you're planning on bringing your dog make sure the weather isn't too hot. I've been bringing my dog here after work on weekdays around 4/5pm and the path is usually pretty open. Google maps takes you to the entrance of the loop and there's a sign that says there's no parking ahead but if you keep following the road, there's a small (20 spaces~) parking lot on the left for you to park at.

    Jack H.

    A very well maintained and trafficked trail located in Costa Mesa/Newport area. The trail is shared by bikers, runners and hikers and the full loop is about 11 miles or so. Parking, if you're coming up/down from Jamboree, can be found on Eastbluff Rd or Bayview Way (same street as the Marriott). It's the perfect trail for after work on weekdays as it doesn't get too crowded. There's always a nice and cool breeze, so definitely a great way to unwind and catch the sunset/view. On the weekend though, it can get pretty busy, so come early in the morning if you don't want to deal with the crowd.

    Angel B.

    What a great place to get away for a quick run in or bike ride. Came here early in the morning and probally only saw 3 people tops. Beautiful scenery and clean crisp air. Parking was easy. I entered off a side street off Jamboree and just found a spot on the street before the gate and went from there. Unfortunately I probably only ran about a mile or so then turned back. My dog was with me and she rather walk and run. It was also sprinkling and we both got wet. Next time I'd probally go with a group or on my bike.

    Lizelle P.

    Probably one of my favorite hikes. I like that it is paved so it was stroller friendly. I also liked that there are clearly marked paths for pedestrians and cyclists so the chance of my 4 year old getting in the way of speeding cyclists is none. Easy free parking available on the street by Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. It is peaceful and scenic. It connects on to the Mountains to Sea trail. I did not manage to get very far with the heat and little ones but it was a fantastic hour spent on the trail. After which we cooled down at the beach!

    On the northern bridge crossing on Jamboree

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    2 months ago

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    1 month ago

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    29 days ago

    Great trail! Clean and easy path! Definitely adding to my list of favorite spots to hike.

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    8 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    24 days ago

    Great place to walk, whether that's a nice stroll, hike, or jog; at Back Bay, you can do it all!

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    4 years ago

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    This is a must!!! Such great views and my god the amount of people it's like a really good way to work out or just mingle!

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    2 years ago

    Beautiful trail open year round that is great for walking or biking!! I highly recommend the area!!

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    I had a nice walk with a friend and sat in a café. Had a snack and drink. Very nice outing.

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    9 years ago

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    Back Bay Loop Trail Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Back Bay Loop Trail

    Can you actually do a full loop? I can't understand where to go once you get to the top of the bay walking from pch...

    There is a section at the top of the loop that goes through a residential area. The trail disappears and you have to just follow the street for a few blocks. Just take the streets that parallel the bay, until you see the trail start again. Same… Read more

    I've heard people roller blade and skate through Back Bay... in your opinion, would this be do-able for a new-ish skater? I'm mostly concerned about hills and sharp curves.

    Yes you can because you don't have to ever complete the entire trail. Just portions of it can still be pretty and there are many various places to park along the trail to launch from. If I were you, I'd drive around until I found a spot I felt safe… Read more

    Is this trail stroller friendly?

    Yes, it is a paved trail. There are unpacked ones but as long as you follow the paved pathway you will be just fine. :)

    Are there any water fountains or water sources along the trail?

    There was a fountain by the trail head where I parked

    Can I go get pictures taken their?

    Sorry Salma, tried to answer earlier but Yelp mobile issues. If your question is whether you can take pictures there, yes. There a plenty of nature photographers that I run by every weekend on Mountains to the Sea Trail Bikeway. If you are asking if… Read more

    Staying at the Island Hotel next month and wondering if I can walk to the trail from the hotel?

    Depends how often you walk. But if you're not use to walking at least four miles average a day itll be too far foe you. Driving there is faster.

    Is the parking free?

    Lots of free parking along the route. Easiest may be East Bluff

    Do they allow dogs?

    Yes!! Great path for dogs

    View All 13 Questions

    Review Highlights - Back Bay Loop Trail

    Castaway Park and Galaxy Park along the route are great places to stop have a pinic or just enjoy the views.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    Balboa Peninsula Park

    Balboa Peninsula Park

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    This is our favorite place! My in-laws were coming from Texas and we suggested to meet at Newport…read moreBeach to enjoy the fireworks show and beach together. The weather was perfect the entire time we were there. It was really nice to get away from the heat. The beach and the water was clean. The waves were a bit high which was perfect for boogie boarding for the kids and some of us adults. (I am totally sore from boogie boarding and maybe broke something... but totally worth jt!) There was a bit of traffic around the beach area when we first arrived in the morning (9 am). Some streets were small so you have to be extra careful driving because pedestrians darted into the street whenever they wanted to... We were able to find parking in the parking lot and we got charged around 32 for the entire day. 6 hours was the max before having to add more money to our parking pass but easily done by using our phone, just remember your car license plate number and zone number. The area was very nice and got front row on the sand. We had 16 people in our group, we all got to have our space. But as people started coming they started crowing around so it was tent to tent next to each other around noon. So make sure you get there early if you want a nice view. There was a bathroom close by with washing stations and even swings and playground for the kids to enjoy. We were able to take a short walk (5-7 minutes toward the fun zone and ferry area). We left our stuff on the beach for a few hours and it everything was still there when we returned. We just love Newport and wish we weren't four hours away but we do not mind the drive. It truly is relaxing when we get there. We spent about 12 hours on the beach and enjoyed every moment. Can't wait to go back!

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    Begonia Park

    Begonia Park

    (9 reviews)

    I feel a little bit bad not giving this beautiful park five stars, but I'll make my reasons clear…read morebelow. Still, compared to most parks of this size in the US, this is probably a five-star park. And yet. Wow. I just can't believe Newport Beach had the foresight and wisdom to allow this little plot of prime real estate to be a wonderful park for the entire community to use rather than some multimillionaire's hillside estate. When I came and took my photos, I only explored the southern side of the park, which is separated from the northern side by a steeper part of the hill and some shrubbery. It's easy enough to get from one side of the park to the other, but from the bottom, where I started, I couldn't tell there was another half of the park. Most of the southern side is on a hillside that steepens as you walk away from Carnation Avenue. In addition to small grass areas, there are a playground, some picnic tables, and only a few shade trees. Those trees are important, though, because when the weather is beautiful and there's not a cloud in the sky like when I came in August, you probably don't want to be totally exposed. I had walked here from where I parked about three-quarters-of-a-mile away. When I drove back, I noticed on my GPS that the park continued, so I turned left onto 1st Avenue, and who knew? Begonia Park is actually named after Begonia Avenue, which is its northern/western border. This northern part of the park comprises a much larger, flatter grassy area. However, the only trees up here are at the very eastern corner of the park, so again, if you're picnicking on the grass up here, bring something to shade yourself with. At the westernmost corner of the walkable part of the upper park, there are two benches that face the ocean. There was a man sitting at one, so I didn't get out of my car to try the benches, but I could tell that they have a lovely ocean view. These benches are definitely five stars. My quibbles with Begonia Park may be minor, but if the City of Newport Beach fixed them, I'd gladly re-review and bring this rating up to five stars. The first problem is a big one. Despite Bayside Drive being a fairly busy street and despite the fact that two separate concrete walkways go right up to Carnation Avenue right across from Begonia Park's own concrete path to the playground, there are no marked crosswalks at or near the corner of Bayside & Carnation. This just feels like feckless indifference on the part of city planners. In addition to crosswalks, there should be those blinking yellow lights that flash when people are in the crosswalks. The top half of the park has a lovely view, and I like all the open space, but there should be more shade trees and especially benches all around the edges of the park, not just right where the best view is.

    Lovely spot to picnic. Kind of tucked out of the way, so always easy to park along the, ha, well,…read morepark. Umm... one thing that I'd like to see? Bathrooms. Bit challenging to "hold it" if you're having a leisurely picnic, curled up with a good book, or catching up with a friend. Sometimes you just don't want to get up and leave the moment. Nice views from the top of the park. 2022: 60/100

    Back Bay Loop Trail - parks - Updated May 2026

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