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    Santa Ana River Trail

    4.1 (117 reviews)

    Santa Ana River Trail Photos

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    Right before sunrise
    Brenda L.

    The path is gorgeous! We did a full 5k run and could have gone longer, except there were no restrooms on site (at least none that we saw). The path is very clean, no homeless or littering at all. We went before the sun hit is peak as there is not many shades besides your occasional bridge and few trees. The water looks pretty and is a very peaceful site. I felt very safe. There were plenty of bikers and only a few other runners.

    Lori L.

    Beautiful place to ride e-bikes, run or walk. The bridge is so cool. We even saw a Bald Eagle. The picture didn't turn out the best because it was far away. My husband and I enjoyed our ride very much, and I am sure we will be going there more often.

    Tuesday walk
    Caitlin V.

    My husband and I visit this river bed almost every day. We live nearby, so it's a short walk. He runs, and I walk. It's perfect, especially for social distancing and getting your steps in. My goal is at least 10,000 steps, which takes about an hour and a half to two hours to complete. Most of the time, it's less because in the morning, I usually walk about 5,000 steps around my apartment complex. We often go in the late afternoon, and there aren't that many people. If you don't want to run or walk, there is a bike trail. I see many people come and go on their bicycles.

    Christina L.

    I saw tons of review ages ago concerning about the homeless being there. They don't have this problem no more. I've been riding this trail for the past half a year and i don't see a problem. The trail is smooth and clean with the option of dirt trail and road trail. Perfect for people running, walking, jogging and cycling. The trail goes from Newport Beach to Yorba Linda. They have the best sunset there, just look at my photos. Lots of vegetation and animals. People, please maintain this place clean. :) Thanks!

    Angel B.

    Down by the trail Where the bikers go Back on the trail I dare not go For if I do My mother would say Did you ever see A bike, losing its breaks Down by the trail Yea, Im the one on the 17.5 inch 29er on the river trail, ask me if I care. Cuz I dont. Yes, this is a road trail. But Ive put to much into my 29er, and Im going to ride it here, if Im riding street, which is usually unlikely. I like the dirt. This trail is what you make of it. There are lots of places to enter the trail. I used to enter it near Angel Stadium, park my car and take off down to the beach and back. But I dont think that particular lot allows parking. The trail is all road, and primarily flat with a few easy roller coaster type bumps. The roadies, are quick and usually shout out as they pass you. There is also Edison Park, which is a great place to park, have a BBQ then ride. 2 stars...1 star bonus for the beach.

    1 mile in
    Chris R.

    Another weekend, another trail to explore. This one is super easy and is really more for biking. The views are pretty blah and more city scape than nature. It's not a loop, but an up and back trail for 8 miles. It does connect to various other trails and will get you all the way to the beach if you keep going. I'd probably not go for a walk on it again, but would give a try on my bike

    Steep hills to run up and down for leg work
    Noah R.

    Nothing like a long stretch of concrete with steep hills to work you out and level up . Definitely go with a water backpack . I started on the lower side by fountain valley . It is maintained by the city while there I saw multiple city trucks . All graffiti is painted over . Mostly bicyclist but a couple marathon runners (pacers ) I'd recommend if you're the type that likes to workout alone and be In Your zone

    Patrick A.

    Everyone is gone and it's all cleaned up. They re-route you through a few service roads that are right next to the trail where it was most contaminated from Taft to Orangewood. Parts of the trail area are fenced off because they said they need to remove the contaminated dirt but it doesn't look like anything is happening yet. It's really hard to believe how clean it is. On a recent Sunday we saw dozens of riders, walkers and families enjoying the trail - people that were understandably not venturing through here a couple of months back. I've seen more homeless now on the trail to the east of here but they're not setting up permanent camps. Let the good time roll.

    Some nice fog to begin this glorious Sabbath.
    Francisco G.

    This trail is much cleaner as many recall, once as seen on the highway near the Angel Stadium there were entire campsites of homeless often blocking the trail; it had been a problem for decades until 2018. I hope many of them found a proper shelter or at least some semblance of help. The trail has a familiar design and path and is simple to navigate yet daring when doing so in reverse as the winds will getcha.

    Patricia C.

    I am not a hardcore cyclist by no manner of means! I do not own a road bike nor do I bike on a regular basis. I came to the Santa Ana River Trail after searching for paved biking trails in Orange County on Yelp. I thought it was really impressive that one could run/bike/walk from Anaheim to Huntington Beach via this trail... I just never thought of the existence of such a "highway" system for pedestrians/cyclists in the OC. Furthermore, the trail continues farther north of Anaheim for miles and miles, but I have yet to explore it. According to their website, it will be possible to reach Big Bear Lake when complete: "Welcome to the Santa Ana River region's longest recreational trail and parkway. When complete this 110-mile trail and bikeway corridor will reach from Big Bear Lake, high in the San Bernardino Mountains, to the mouth of the Santa Ana River, at the Pacific Ocean." I parked in the lot where there is a Starbucks near the Honda Center and easily found an access point to the trail. I traveled southbound from Anaheim to Santa Ana and turned back because the sun was setting. It was pretty scary (but kind of thrilling?) once it started getting dark because the trail is not brightly lit, and I was by myself.... I will definitely not do that again!! I never pedaled faster in my life!!! :P I look forward to checking this trail out again and biking to Huntington Beach ;)

    Beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon!
    Linda H.

    There are definitely negatives to this trail, including the freeway traffic noise, sewage smell at certain points of the trail, and as many reviewers stated, the prolific homeless population clustered near the 22 freeway (by Angel Stadium). However, there aren't many lengthy, paved bike trails in the San Bernardino/OC area, so I'm grateful this 30 mile stretch exists where I can bike without worrying about getting hit by a car. It's a bonus that it ends at the beach! If you're looking for a bike trail that is nice and leisurely, this one is more than satisfactory.

    A section of the River Trail in Anaheim.
    Kiril K.

    From the Pacific Ocean, in Huntington Beach, to Montrose Beach & the base of the mountains, in San Bernardino, the Santa Ana River travels 70 miles or so. Most of the River is accessable by Bicycle, including all of it in Orange County. In 2007, for my Blog The Cycling Dude, I rode the whole length, and took plenty of photos. This ride is a joy to take, from top to bottom, in either direction, and you will learn a lot about the communities it passes through, and about the environment. The Santa Ana River Bike Trail begins on the north side of the river, at the border of Huntington Beach and Newport Beach and there are 2 entrances: 1 on the East side of Pacific Coast Highway, 1 on the beach side. At 4 1/2 mi. you get your first glimpse of how Mother Natures march to the Sea has been briefly interupted by the hand of man. How Nature, and the hand of Man, battle for control of who shapes the landscape is a recurring theme of your journey, with Man seemingly having the upper hand in the OC. At several spots along the route the Bike Trail switches from one side of the river to the other. The ride is mostly flat and depending on the time of day, and day of the week, you will share the trail with families out for the day, walkers, joggers, and other bicyclists, from fellow individuals, and Club Rides, large, and small. There are plenty of opportunities to leave the trail for food, and bathroom breaks. While there is the occasional graffiti, trouble from gang bangers is not an issue. There ARE few spots in Santa Ana, and Anaheim, where you might encounter small Homeless Encampments under a bridge, and you might encounter a lone Homeless man resting along the trail anywhere along your journey, from time to time, but they tend to keep to themselves. Flowing water, flowery weeds and bushes often appear in the river, and many spots are prime hangouts for birds of all persuasions. At 22 1/2 mi. the river is really flowing, the freeway is on your right and Yorba Regional Park is on your left and, if you choose to continue further inland, into Riverside County, this is your first inkling that Mother Nature only relented completely to the hand of man, in her march to the ocean, only after the river had traveled a few short miles into the OC. At 26 3/4 mi. you come to La Palma Ave. & Gypsum Canyon Rd. Cyclists interested in continuing into Riverside County take note of a little brown sign on the wall nearby. Turn right, here, because to go under the bridge and continue on the trail will lead somewhere else. Turn right, ride to the corner, and turn right again. Following the green signs, to the right, the trail enters Canyon RV Park, then heads into a narrow passage where the freeway is on my right, and the east end of Featherly Regional Park, on my left. The last leg heads past the Coal Canyon entrance to Chino Hills State Park, and Green River Golf Club. Take a good look around because this is the last sight of the flowing river that you will see for almost 15 miles. The trail official ends at 29 mi., at the entrance to Green River Golf Club on Green River Rd., and to reach the start of the Bike Trail in Riverside County means a 15 mile ride thru the streets of Corona, and Norco. To see read my Detailed Report, with Pictures, and to read the Riverside County/San Bernardino County Report with its pictures, as well... go here: http://www.cyclingdude.com/2007/12/rolling-rolling.html

    Schel H.

    This place has taken up so much of my time I cant hardly believe it. Light or Dark, day or night, weekday or weekend, what a great place to have available. I have ridden hundreds of miles on my bike and skated a lot of miles on rollerblades as well. It is something that gets repaved every few years which it always eneds with new tree roots growing under the path. This is the kind of place that gets a lot of great use by the general public and ive never come across anything bad here. There are a lot of cyclists like myself, rollerbladers, horse riders, walkers, runners/joggers, nature lovers, bird watchers, kids playing around, dog walkers, etc. It is just one of the best places to get out of the house and enjoy the scenery. Check it out unless you are an anti exercising couch blob. Its a great thing though. If you want to go and have some fun times alone or with friends just go... what more could you ever want... It goes from the edge of the IE in Corona all the way down to the beach near Huntington/Newport passing places like the Big A and The Pond in Anaheim on the way. There are lots of portapotties, fountains, rest stops/picnic areas, bird watching locations, etc. What a fun fun place to go and get out. :) See you there soon!

    Batavia and Lincoln entrance.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Santa Ana River Trail

    Is it okay to skate longboard on the trail or do they hate skaters of all types? Have you ever seen anyone get in trouble?

    I've seen a decent amount of skateboards, E-bikes, E-skateboards and rollerbladers. Never seen anyone getting hassled unless you try to set up a tent and spend the night.

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - Santa Ana River Trail

    The portion of the trail outlining Yorba Regional Park is perfect for a late afternoon or a midnight stroll.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Santiago Oaks Regional Park - Tarantula on deer

    Santiago Oaks Regional Park

    4.6(349 reviews)
    5.8 mi

    The trails and views are AMAZING! We peddle from home into Irvine Park, then into the " OAKS"…read more A must 2-3 times a week See you out there!!

    I was invited to this place by IG reels that showcased the circular stepping stones that perhaps…read moredefine this place, at least to people who have not been there. As I waited for my turn across the stepping stones, I realized that they had the capacity to only hold one person/group across. Meaning that I could not go north and others south, as an awkward dance of who goes first would occur. As I stepped on the stones, I was careful, I did not feel like I would take a false step and splash into the water that held tadpoles. Still I wanted to be young and skip and cartwheel- with carefree innocence- across these, like I imagined Finn and Sawyer would do. Why? I just feel they both embody youthful movement and limber legs. On my way back, after I experienced the park for about 80 minutes, it was my turn to wait while a woman and her dog named (Pepper- a joke I think because it had white fur) crossed. I saw the woman wrestle a bit with her dog, they were having a tug of war via leash, not a rope. Eventually, she let Pepper of her leash. The dog played in the water, splashing like Sawyer would do. When Pepper crossed the path via water and not circular steps, she did that thing that dogs do when they are damp. The dog's drying ritual splashed me with water. But seeing Pepper and her owner negotiate some pond time was worth the annoyance. As I walked, I regretted my choice to have not come earlier. The Spring sun made every step less joyful. And this place does not have much paths arched with trees that give treasured shade. In fact, in terms of natural beauty this place does not offer much. Meaning that its areas were not lush, there were no patches of green to lie in, it was a rough and brown park. I decided to make a point to find color on the walk to remind myself that even in the brow-ness of a day color exists. As my pictures show the pops of color were minimal. For instance, there were those famous mustard yellow flowers that are ready to bloom. I also clipped a picture of a sole violet flower amidst basic green and common brown. It looked like a sea urchin, the flower head. Seeing it in the moment reminded me that spirit exists because lavender it is the color of spirit according to some. And without spirit, nature is hollow because spirit makes a day in nature peaceful and reinvigorating. I also clipped a small patch (about 8 ) orange flowers, flimsy, but present in rebellion- a spark amidst the drab colors that can be comfortable described as muted. As I walked I also saw bugs that I thought were crickets. They looked like crickets but then the crickets flew. And I thought, is this how crickets jump? But then I decided they were not crickets because these animals were flyings, they had wings. Then I thought what insect is this? And then I remembered the Flash- the show from the CW. One of his major enemies, I think in Season 5 was Cicada and I thought this insect must be that. The sound that the villain made in the show was the sound that these insects were making. I took a video of it, maybe another can identify it. The park is big, like big big. I think I would need several visists to get the whole scape. I took an easy route and it was easy, the signs did not lie. I tried a difficult one the mountain goat one and it was a sweat but I did it, at least some of it. The heat was really tuckering me out. I then took another path with steps, and I crossed a bridge and I wanted to continue, but, like I said to exhaustion, the sun, the heat, made me want to run back to my car, not literally of course. This park is great, and I did not explore. It is more for trails and sweat not really for Spring joy.

    Photos
    Santiago Oaks Regional Park - In the visitor center!

    In the visitor center!

    Santiago Oaks Regional Park - Beautiful trails throughout!

    Beautiful trails throughout!

    Santiago Oaks Regional Park - Walking across the creek.

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    Walking across the creek.

    Black Star Canyon Trail - Peacock on the trail

    Black Star Canyon Trail

    4.4(393 reviews)
    11.4 mi

    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.

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    Black Star Canyon Trail
    Black Star Canyon Trail
    Black Star Canyon Trail

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    Peters Canyon Hike - 1st timer here w Powee Dowee. Started @ 11:15 finished at 12:37 p.m. 9,031 steps 2.04.26

    Peters Canyon Hike

    4.4(386 reviews)
    6.6 mi

    Great place for a hike. There is hardly any shade though so best to go early in the am, or early…read moreevening, or cloudy day. You will get a great workout. You can park at the start of the park where gps takes you or I start on the back side. You can go for 4mile along the top route &/or the hike around the lake. You choose. When there's rain, it's beautiful to see the surroundings. Otherwise, it's a little dry. I've seen it all. Been hiking this for year. SYOY!

    Review 30/365 day challenge 2.04.26…read more Finally made it here to PC for a late morning hike w my hiking Gfren Pow. She's a regular here and been coming. Have told mee several times she loves this hike and it's a good hike where it's a bit more busier than other hiking trails that you feel safe to go to. Started the hike a little late morning around 11:15 a.m. and finished right before 12:40 p.m. A little over 4 miles. We went to a much easier hike trail. Where it was much shading area until you enter the hiking trail and then it was full of sun. Luckily it was a bit breezy so wasn't too fully hot. There's different areas to park, some where it's free of charge and they have the main parking where supposedly have av actual public restroom for $ 3. We parked near some residential area. Right before entering the entrance where the trail started, there was about 5 porter potties available. As all hikes there are warning signs of Rattlesnakes, poison ivy, mountain lions etc. Located in Tustin borderline of Orange. Not too far from Irvine Regional park off Jamboree. Will definitely return to hike here and check out the different trails.

    Photos
    Peters Canyon Hike - Beautiful Wednesday afternoon w Powee Dowee 2.04.26

    Beautiful Wednesday afternoon w Powee Dowee 2.04.26

    Peters Canyon Hike - Beautiful Wednesday afternoon w Powee Dowee 2.04.26

    Beautiful Wednesday afternoon w Powee Dowee 2.04.26

    Peters Canyon Hike - Family memories

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    Family memories

    Hillcrest Park - Sunset view overlooking Hillcrest Park stairs and city lights

    Hillcrest Park

    4.4(163 reviews)
    6.5 mi

    Hillcrest Park in Fullerton--specifically the stairs--is no joke, but that's exactly why we love…read moreit. We went early in the morning around 7:00 AM, and it was already packed. Parking was very limited at that time, so plan ahead if you're going early. Clearly, a lot of people know this is the spot for a serious workout. The stairs themselves are brutal in the best way possible. After about three rounds, my legs were completely done--but it's such an effective workout. This place really gets your cardio in fast, and you feel accomplished every time you finish a round. The views along the way make it even more worth it. We also came back later in the day around 5:30 PM. It starts to get a bit dark around that time, so that's something to keep in mind, but it's still a great experience and totally worth it. Overall, if you're looking for a challenging, fun, and effective outdoor workout, Hillcrest Park stairs deliver every time. Just be ready for sore legs and limited parking during peak hours.

    I recently discovered the "Hillcrest Stairs" just in time to start the New Year 2026! The stairs…read moreare not easy for people who, like me, are not used to climbing them. There are 400+ steps to climb up and down. The steps are made of timber but could be wet and slippery from early morning dew, so I feel that a late morning trek is better when the stairs are dry. On my second visit, I went around 6 PM. Although the stairs are well lit, I just did not feel safe. I found myself alone at one point and looking behind me, checking if someone is coming out of the dark bushes. Maybe it's just me... But overall, if you would like to hit your 10K steps and/or your target heart rate, this is a fun way to go!

    Photos
    Hillcrest Park - My daughter (center) and a few of her friends are ready for the prom

    My daughter (center) and a few of her friends are ready for the prom

    Hillcrest Park - First maternity photo shoot

    First maternity photo shoot

    Hillcrest Park - Great location for pictures!!

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    Great location for pictures!!

    Santa Ana River Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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