"Trail still closed as of Thanksgiving."…read more Visiting from the bay area, I've always wanted to hike this trail. From Plano Trabuco/Trabuco Creek Road, you can still drive in, up to the gate, which is securely closed. Since I was driving someone else's car, I parked about a mile after the model airplane runway. My in-laws Toyota Camry did pretty good, and I inflicted hardly any damage to their vehicle. The day that I visited, there were four cars parked at the gate. Of course, you have to hike from that point on. It's a few miles to get to the volunteer fire station it's a nice run or hike from that point on. I had an opportunity to talk to some locals, who explained that the local fire marshal, Mike, died a few months ago. He lived in the last cabin right before the official trailhead-- the one that is now closed. So I was disappointed that the Falls trailhead is closed, but I still enjoyed running the road.

Not a business but am amazing place. Loved taking my new 4WD off the beaten path and going for…read moregreat walks in the wild

Amazing waterfall is here! It's really difficult to find the trail. Recommend ware hiking boots,…read morelong pants and gloves. Trabuco Creek Road is a dirt road. It's fun to drive. Hikers are so nice and friendly. I definitely come back here again!

Summary: if you want to see a running stream without hiking then this is the place which is closer…read morethan Holy Jim Trail. The drive is one way and you will drive past a hobby aircraft airport. The problem is at the end of the road is a stream and it's a dead end where it is prohibited to walk, drive beyond. Just a few trees, rocks and stream so bring tables and chairs because nothing else

One of the coolest hikes I've done, Red Rock Canyon starts as a pretty typical forest trail. It's…read morereally easy and chill, but watch out for snakes midway through! Once you get past the woods and make it to the end, you're met with all the red rock plateaus and it's so cool to see and be around! Really beginner friendly, just make sure to pack water and snacks :)

Red Rock Canyon is located at the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Trail. To get here there are different…read morehiking trails but the most popular one is probably the Borrego Canyon Trail. It's only a 1.8 mile hike one way to get to the intersection where you can continue straight to get on the Red Rock Canyon trail. You'll know when you're at the end when you see signs and the large red rock structures all around you. The red rocks really reminded me of the sights that I saw in Arizona and Utah. It was really cool to see some of that in California.

Stunning park. Great campgrounds and easy hiking trails. We spotted a deer while on a walk. Sooo…read moreincredible. $5 parking per vehicle. Ok, bye.

As near perfect as you can get. Wilderness for miles and miles. Uphill downhill, twisty curves,…read more tree canopies, parks along the way, skunks squirrels and quietness. From O'Neil Park from the north to the south of Capistrano. GREAT for bikers, great for long distance runners and amazing all day walk and hikes. I just touched 15 of the passage.... looking to see so much more. I started from the 241 freeway area and headed south. Bathrooms water fountains and great ambiance make this a great place - and so many entry points. Take water, and be prepared to just stay here for hours. Definitely one of just a few 5 star places.

Love it! It's a lot of climbing over rocks but it's great exercise. The best part of everything is…read morereaching the falls and eating a good sandwich. I do notice that many people leave their trash behind in this particular trail. PLEASE TAKE YOUR TRASH! You'll definitely get a good nap after getting home.

First time visiting Black Star Canyon Wilderness Park to check out the "falls" and it was just as…read moreexpected. By doing a little bit of research, we learned it was best to go early - my husband and I got there at 7:45am in October on a Saturday and the lot was already starting to fill up. When we left at 11:30, the lot was very full. There is technically plenty of parking but the busier it is, the farther you would have to go just to get to the trailhead. We had a very good weather for hiking. It was overcast for the first hour or so, and there is shade when hiking along the creek, and it was partly cloudy on our way out. If hiking during the afternoon, I would recommend bringing twice as much water as you think you would need. Overall, the trail was long but not too difficult. The first 3 miles are fairly easy/moderate and only the very end being somewhat difficult because it is steep. We think the total hike was about 7-8 miles round-trip and took 3.5-4 hours at a moderate pace. In October 2025, the falls and creek were dried out after a hot summer and only one storm in months. It made crossing the creek a non-event (only a little mud and puddles in a few areas), but it also meant the waterfalls were non-existent. The trail was still very scenic and a fun hike. The end of the trail is still very beautiful when dry. Note, there are lots of mountain bikers so be alert and stay to the right side of the trail. No bathrooms, trash cans, or water fountains but still very clean; thanks to the regular hikers who help to clean up the trails. Please be kind to others and respectful to nature. Pack it on, pack it out.

Beautiful trail with a stunning view of the lake…read more It is a narrow sandy trail all the way which is stroller friendly. There are bikers, joggers and dog walkers on this trail. Friendly hikers and residents. The trail is dotted with little fairy houses and tiny toys - probably set up by the residents. Fun little treasure hunt for kids. The only negative is dog poop on the trail - there's a lot of dodging involved (harder to do with stroller). Needless to say I stepped in poop. Park on Windsweet way residential street and join the trail.

No tickets needed, it's free. It is an amazing view. It's one of my fav places to visit, read a…read morebook, chill, party, or hangout with some friends. Also very romantic for a date spot. Watch out for mountain lions at night!

Came here with my daughter and her friend, went on hiking trails, this place is absolute to go…read moreplace for a walk, hiking and there also has a small park where you can take kids to play. This place has an amazing view and lots of trails for you to go walking and hiking as well. Theres plenty of parking, rite next to the park and it has restroom as well. It's a free parking. Some places you can park on the street and hike up.

My favorite "hike"! I prefer to do more of the "rock climbing" and going along the water but there…read moreis a trail that goes around. Lots of people on the weekend but never too busy. Best time is the spring, late winter.

5/6/2023 Went on a Saturday at 11:30am. Parking on both sides on Ortega Hwy. It was our first time…read moreso we asked some passerby's which way to go. There are 3 trails, we took the one on the far right. Nice easy walk. We listened for the sounds of the water fall and walked towards it. We ended up at the bottom of the waterfall and worked our way up. Luckily the water was flowing nicely after the rain on Thursday. Sad to see so much graffiti was it was still worth going.

I love this lake! It's really a hidden gem in Orange County because I have lived in Orange County…read moremy whole life and I did not know this existed until I moved to the city. We love to come here as a family, and do family walks, my son loves to ride his scooter around and I also like just taking a walk around with friends and getting our exercise and catching up with each other! The environment is very clean, beautiful scenery of the water and the trees and flowers, and occasionally we'll do some of the exercise exercises along the way ha ha. I always try to park next to the beach club even though the parking is a little limited there because it's just easier to get in and out. When I park in the shopping center where Starbucks in Ralph's is, it gets a little harder to park and hard to cross the street, especially with a little one. So I recommend parking by the beach club side and then walking from there. And of course, during the holidays, it is all decorated with a Christmas tree and lights and it's very pretty. This is our go to place that we go at least once a week!

Talk about a serenity walk. We love walking around the lake in the evenings at sunset. The scenery…read moreis just that incredible. In the summer months, the bats come out of the nearby woods and caves to feed on the bugs by the lights. This special place, will help you to just....unload the days worries.

Who knew that there's nature in Orange County? Not me. Like many Angelenos, most of my experience…read moreof the OC is as seen from the 5 freeway. Vast expanses of cloned homes, subdivisions, entertainment parks and extensive suburbia as far as the eye can see. But tucked here and there are hidden spots of wilderness preserved for future generations. This park is one these spots. Beautifully maintained, clean and not crowded (but parking is not free, $4 as of my visit). Still a heck of lot cheaper than Disney and much healthier for the family, imho. My friends and I had a great time on the trails and enjoyed a relaxing hike. Trails are well-marked. Highly recommended!

This is an amazing park for your engagement / family photos. We caught the sunset with the green…read morescenery in early spring. Other families were just walking around nature! We would definitely come here again when our daughter is a little older! Also, Parking is $3