I absolutely love this trail. It is one of those trails that really grows on you. When I first ran this trail, I hated it. The reason why is because I ran it to train for my first half marathon. The trail looks flat enough, but when you are running up and down that trail 3+ times a run, you realize that the trail is harder on the way up. After checking my fitness tracker, I saw that it has a slight uphill. Well, not only did I learn how to run comfortably at a slight uphill, it prepared me well for my first half! While everyone was saying the slight uphill towards the end of the race was hard, I did not even notice it lol. Other than that, the trail itself is beautiful, serene, and spacious. It is about 1.6 miles up and down, but once you reach the top you can also venture out into the streets without hitting a stoplight for a while. Did not get bored running 13 miles, and it really helped me to become a better runner. There are always people walking, jogging and riding bikes, but never get in the way because the trail is spacious. Also, there are both paved and dirt paths, which makes it really nice. If you are looking for a place to have a nice stroll, jog or run, give this trail a try! read more

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A strong 4.0 to 4.25 stars for this trailhead. Walking jogging running and biking... pet friendly- a straight trail from west to east. Either pavement or dirt access. Along the waythat has great scenic attributes and side short routes. Other trails nearby would be jeffery trail and the Cypress trail . The trail has a cumulative round trip of aroud 2 to 3 miles... along the way, you'll cross under a few street tunnels, run along interactive dirt trails and a few rest stops and the scenery is filled with manicured lawns clean pathways. This would be the south side entrance read more

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growing up in this area, i've gone on this trail way too many times for me to count. it never gets old!!! there's both concrete or dirt pathways and depending on how long you want to walk for, the trail extends pretty far. if you're looking for restrooms, there's one at the hicks canyon park, citrusglen park, or eastwood (if you take that route). there's lights at night, and lots of people walk on it all the time so you feel very safe. it's very peaceful and i'm always so mentally refreshed afterwards read more

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Large Regional park with a playground. Not to mention it's connected to an asphalt and dirt road trail. read more

Another nice trail in Irvine. I like walking all the trails from the Marketplace area. You don't have to deal with traffic or lights. You can walk nonstop. I always walk to the end on Portola then back to Jamboree. I usually try to walk 20 miles or so. read more

Great neighborhood hike. It's never too crowded and gets me out of my head and out in the open!

Easy walking/biking path in Irvine. Came here on a Saturday morning for a walk, and there was a brisk amount of people on the trail. It's still open during covid. Parking is available at the Hicks Canyon Park for free. Note that if you enter the trailhead on Google maps, it'll lead you to a gated community. No close street parking is available. The trail is paved and there is a wider compact dirt option right next to the trail for runners/walkers. Certain parts of the trail were closed when we went but you can easily circle back. The trail is family-friendly and good for small kids. Bathrooms are available at the park. The trail is very clean and well-maintained. It's a flat walk and good for beginner exercisers. Overall, not a place for when you want a strenuous workout, but a good option for when you want to take a leisurely stroll or have an easy run. read more

Nice walking/running trail. Not much of a "hike" as you are right up against homes and residential community the whole time. Aside from two steer under passes, the trail is flat. It's a nice trail for families with kids! If you begin the trail from Hicks Canyon Elementary and go to the end (Portola Pkwy) and back, the total distance is just over 4 miles. The trail goes under local streets so you can do complete 4 miles non-stop if you choose. There is both a paved walkway and an adjacent dirt path. The are plenty of walkers, a few bikers, and some joggers. Also, there are trees along the trail. The sun does shine through in various parts but you are not fully exposed to the sun for too long. As for parking, we went on Labor Day and there was still plenty of free parking (on the street in front of Hicks Canyon Elementary and Hicks Canyon Community Park). There are no restrooms along the trail but restrooms can be found at Hicks Canyon Community Park. read more

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The best thing about Hicks Canyon Trail is that it's not too crowded (the times I've come) & it's safe. I come here for a nice brisk walk and sometimes a run alone & I never feel unsafe. Plus you feel like you're still out in nature with the birds chirping & beautiful tall trees. But always be cautious of your surroundings. I usually park at Hicks Canyon Park where the trail starts. In the morning parking is ample not sure during the busy times. Another interesting fact is that the trail is split. There's a paved path (cement) so even cyclists can come & a dirt path for those who need more of a real life hike feel. read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

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Just pretty average local trail, next to a nice playground that's all. Nothing extravagant really.

This is a clean scenic residential trail. I'm jelly of the residents nearby! It takes me about 17 miles to get to this trail, but I would definitely come here often if I lived nearby. The trail has both paved and dirt roads following the residential community, which is a plus! I prefer the paved road as it is a pain to clean my shoes from the dirt every time. I don't think there are that many paved trails in OC either (that I could find). It's a flat trail, so it's good for jogging or running. I'm not sure if a lot of people know about this trail, but it's never crowded. I hope it stays that way though, because it's very relaxing and peaceful, especially during the sunset. There is more than enough places for parking at the community park. read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

Suburbanite Yelpers of Irvine- Ah, the Hicks Canyon Regional Trail. Not much of a Canyon to speak of, but no matter. This is a fine trail. 4 miles in length. Clean and well-kept. An abundance of benches and seating arrangements for those with poor stamina. Dwight K. Schrute Assistant Regional Manager Dunder Mifflin Paper Products, Scranton Branch read more

I ran on the Hicks Canyon Trail for the first time last weekend, and I really liked it! It's about 1.25 miles of paved and unpaved trails running parallel to each other. I ran on the unpaved, smooth gravel trail, which is a nice break for your legs from the hard pavement. The trail starts from Hicks Canyon Community Park at the corner of Culver and Viewpark in Irvine and goes east. I took the trail and connected with the trail along Jamboree and up to Cedar Grove Park and Peter's Canyon. One of my running buddies told me that by running on this trail, you can actually do almost an entire marathon's distance (26.2) all on dirt if you continue through Peter's Canyon to Irvine Regional Park. Orange County has a great trail system, so if you're a runner, cyclist, walker, or hiker, you have plenty of options. Get out there and enjoy! read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

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This is a great place of a nice stroll any time of the year. There is a park near by for the kids to play and the walk is a relaxing and easy calorie burn, both on dirt or a paved path. read more

If you love the outdoors and you live in Irvine, Tustin, or Orange, this trail is part of the mountains to the sea trail that's about 20 miles. You start over by Peters canyon, and you end up down by Newport Beach. My kids have ridden their bikes a good 7-8 miles down this trail. If you just start up by Portola and the toll road, you can get to the 405 in about 30 minutes. The only drawback is there's a small section that's closed, and you need to detour on Harvard. read more

Love this paved trail! My dog and I frequent it all the time! I love it better than the trail that leads to Peters Canyon. It's nice and there is spots of shade along the way! read more

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I just started running again during Covid after 20 years. I love the Hicks Canyon Trail. Great place to run and it's really easy to park there in the morning. Lovely sunrise is if you hit it at the right time! Also, the restrooms are always unlocked which can definitely come in handy read more

It's a nicely situated trail that has both dirt and concrete and can accommodate walkers, runners and bicyclists. There is plenty of room for all. Even though this trail is located in a pretty well populated area of Irvine and sandwiched between two Northwood neighborhoods, it never seems to be overly crowded or congested on this trail and that's what makes it a nice place to get in a little bit of the outdoors just about anytime of the day. Even though one generally feels safe and secure on this trail due to having other people around and particularly the homes on either side, that should still not cause one to not always be aware of their surroundings and it's always certainly recommended, even a community is safe it's Irvine to walk with a friend or two. read more

Nice trail to go for a walk or ride your bike. Never crowded. Relaxing and quiet. read more

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Really nice outdoors, flat trail with two sides to it, dirt and paved. Lots of places for parking at the Hicks Canyon Regional Park (which is pretty much just a big soccer field). There's housing on both sides of the trail, so don't expect a total outdoors camping feeling. When you live in a city, you take what you can get. It's a long enough trail for Zulu and I to enjoy (several miles worth). On one end the trail ends, to what looks like construction across the street at Jeffrey St. At the other end of the trail, it merges into Peter Canyon Trail by the canal. We'll be back to this trail when we're looking for a lengthy yet easy walk, or as a supplement to Peters Canyon trail. You can get here also from the Jeffery open space trail. read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

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"No city should be too large for a man to walk out of in a morning." --Cyril Connolly Well... you're not leaving the city on this little Hicks Canyon Trail. Heck, you're not even leaving Irvine. This little trail doesn't even give you the feeling that you're remotely away from the city as it butts up against homes and back yards. BUT... it is a damn nice trail. And the cell phone reception is fabulous. A few stats about the trail: - About 3 miles up and back from Hicks Cyn Community Park to Portola Pkwy. - Very easy. 100 ft elevation change over 1.5 miles. - West end of trail actually connects with the Peter's Canyon trail network. WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT HICKS? 1. Like the Shady Canyon Trail, Hicks sports two well maintained paths, a two-laned bike path and a gravel path. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hicks-canyon-regional-trail-irvine?select=KcR8089RokMOF6GrvWS15w#9jmLJwULOdNTnxyX2aL67Q 2. OMG LOTS OF SHADE. SHADE!!! It's such a precious commodity in this crazy heat. This trail is like an oasis compared to others. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hicks-canyon-regional-trail-irvine?select=KcR8089RokMOF6GrvWS15w#KcR8089RokMOF6GrvWS15w 3. Several rows of super old eucalyptus trees line the path: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hicks-canyon-regional-trail-irvine?select=KcR8089RokMOF6GrvWS15w#7cxl65qK8zChgBzccg0wBA 4. Nice airy, open tunnels take you under Culver Dr. and Yale Ave. so no stopping and waiting to cross a street! 5. Occasional benches and trash cans line the trail. 6. Very pet friendly. Saw lots of people walking their furry friends! 7. Convenient parking right up to the trail at Hicks Canyon Community Park! This is a great trail for runners and joggers who are training for 5K's. It is flat, smooth, and sufficiently shady! It's a great every-day trail to get some exercise on! read more

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One of the few non-pavement trail running options in Irvine. For a running newbie like me still trying to convince myself that running is not entirely evil (I'd rather just read a magazine on the recumbent bike), anything to make the ordeal more enjoyable is a plus. So I pick trail running over mind numbing laps on a track, and dirt or gravel paths over concrete. Hicks Canyon Trail fits the bill. Hicks Canyon is also great because it's fairly short, making you feel like you really accomplished something because you completed the whole trail. Starting at Hicks Canyon Park, the trail goes under Culver, and is a slight uphill the entire way out. It's a little over a mile, then you turn around and get an easy, slightly downhill return for the second half of your run. For the majority of the trail, the paved bike pathway runs separate and parallel to the gravel trail, which is great because you're not constantly dodging faster moving bike traffic. It also allows multi-sport families or couples to enjoy the trail together, whether biking, blading, running, or walking. read more

Peaceful, quiet and scenic. I'm starting to wonder if I run because I eat way too much and want to stay skinny or if I really do love running this trail. It's such a nice break from the city views I'm used to on the east coast. Sometimes at sunrise I'll see the little bunnies on the trail :) I hear the birds behind my shuffle's music. There are two options on the trail: paved or dirt road. I like to mix it up depending on how my knees feel that day. I recently sprained my ankle so I've been jogging the smooth pavement but the dirt road is fun and parallel to the pavement. There are bikers coming from both directions so it's common courtesy to just lean to the left or right side of the trail. Share the road :) the trail runs under the main roads like Culver and Yale which is awesome because you don't have to stop at lights! I hate jogging in place at lights. I feel like everyone is looking at me and wondering why is she jogging in place at the light. lol read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - seeeeee I told you I see bunnies here! - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

This is one of the few hiking trails I've been on in Irvine and I really like it here. You can park at Hicks Canyon Park and start your walk/run/bike workout from the parking lot. There's an underground tunnel that gets you started so you don't have to cross the street to get into the trail! There are two options for people to take: 1. paved and 2. unpaved (dirt). Although I normally like to go on paved trails, the option of having both is nice. Nice scenery as your going through..it's quite peaceful. I'm not exactly sure how long this trail is, but it's nothing too strenuous. read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - Paved trail. And the unpaved trail is to the right on the other side of the fence. - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

I really like this trail. There is a two way bike path made of asphalt and a gravel trail next to it. Plenty of shade, plenty of benches and other places to sit down to take a break, and relatively well lit and safe at night. This trail snakes through homes' back yards and starts at Hicks Canyon Park and ends at Portola. It's scenic and also well-kept. I always see landscapers maintaining plants, or some sort of structure, on the trail. The trail runs about 3-4 miles round trip, and there isn't much rise in elevation, though it's mostly uphill towards Portola and downhill on the way back. read more

Tonight was my first time walking this trail. I absolutely loved it. It's scenic, safe and well lit at night. I felt very safe with just the kids and I. There is a small incline here and there, but nothing to lose your breath over. I can't wait to go again tomorrow night and connect to some other trails! #LoveMyCommunity read more

I did my first 5k here!! It's super pretty, lots of trees. I guess anywhere with lots of trees is pretty though. You're definitely not in the wilderness but get juuuuust enough trees to pretend that you are ;) this park is in between neighborhoods which was kind of confusing for me at first. I'd for sure come back to run! read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - First 5k :) - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

I love coming here to walk my dog or go for a run. I need to get my bike up and running so I can ride it up here! I wish it was just a little bit closer to my house. The down side is that it will make you feel really sad and poor looking at all the nice houses along the trail. On your walk you can ponder the mysteries of the ridiculous California housing market and how young professionals nowadays will never be able to afford anything more than $500,000+ townhome (that is basically a glorified apartment) unless they are a businessman with a mysterious overseas business a la Christian Grey. But seriously, this place is a little escape from life. It has great greenery and is like a little mini hike right at home. read more

Enjoyed a beautiful morning run on this trail (actually the neatly paved two lane concrete path right beside it) and it was awesome. It runs in between a few residential neighborhoods in Northwood all the way to Portola. Was not too crowded, and sprinkled nicely with happy people getting their fitness on. You ever notice how much more pleasant people are when they are under the influence of endorphins? Gotta love it. read more

In need of a real running trail... Not a jog around a soccer field or a walk on the other side of the baseball field. Besides that it's cool. Clean Restrooms++++ read more

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Great trail for runners, walkers, bikers, and dogs - all around. It's short but a very nice trail! It passes through Culver to Yale to Jeffrey. read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

Beautiful morning trail to walk pets, go for a jog, or ride a bike. The breeze in the morning is pleasant and makes the trial much more calming along with all the maintained landscape. I've never gone at night but I assume it's lit. read more

Hicks Canyon Regional Trail - Hiking Near Me - Irvine, California

I think the use of the words "hiking," "trail" and "canyon" can be misleading as they relate to the Hicks Canyon Regional Trail. It is actually a 100-ft. wide clearing with gated-community homes on either side. The trail goes along like this for about a mile, sharing its center path with a water causeway and eucalyptus trees. It is very flat and even. Take away the houses on either side and it would be quite rustic. But as it is, there is little to look at. So much so, my neck hurt from trying to find SOMETHING interesting to gaze upon in the treetops. And so much so that we opted to take a neighborhood route back to the car (the trail is there-and-back; not a loop). But the neighborhood route was a bust- locked and gated community, forcing us onto a main road. The thinking here was that neighborhood foliage would hold more interest than the flat, dirt trail had on the trip out. Well, since the homes are all Homeowner Associations, there is little of interest in any of the yards. So... lose-lose, you could say. I Googled "North Orange County Hiking Trails" and found the Hicks Yelp page. I read the favorable reviews and some of them said it was very natural, you hardly noticed the neighborhoods (!). So we packed up from Anaheim and journeyed out (I know- I'm an idiot). It would be great for a run, when you need something straight and flat, without cars, and you aren't there taking in the beauty. It would also be great for biking (for the same reasons). In fact, next time I'd like to bring the whole family on bikes. It's just that, as a "Nature Trail," Hicks gets a failing grade. My 8-yr. old daughter was not amused, either. read more

This is a very well-lit trail good for bicycles and people. It took forever to get there from UCI via bike trails but coming back was a breeze on Culver. read more

Love taking the dogs here! It's a nice place to roam and the scenery never gets old! Definitely worth checking it out.

Very nice walking trail that's well maintained and runs through some very nice neighborhoods. The path can be done on the paved or dirt side as the dirt side parallels the paved side. There are some sections that are only paved also. There is some shade, depending on the time of day but it's not completely shaded. If you usually need sunscreen you'll need it on this trail. Very nice walk. One complete walk starting at the park in the middle (where free parking is available) and looping back is 4.5 miles. read more

unpaved side is now reopen between Portola and Harvard. Happy trails.

Great scenic trail. Ran the Jingle Bell 5k here last weekend. Clean and flat.

I took my kids to this trail this morning and we really had a good time , it goes trough back yards of some of the neighbors and it is fun and safe read more

I can't really complain about a hiking trail but I thought this one was pretty boring. If you want a flat and easy hike, this one is for you. It would be awesome to run this trail though. Walking by the strawberry fields was my favorite part! read more