This regional park contains an expansive trail network with difficulty levels appropriate for all…read morewalks of life! Having (embarrassingly) not been as active lately as we used to be on hikes, my friend and I came with our dogs and set out on the creek trail, which is about a 2 mile loop. The trail is well-maintained and wide, making it an ideal warm-up for more experienced hikers and great for outdoorsy families. The day we came, someone was even taking their graduation photos there! As of mid-May 2026, there wasn't very much water on the creek/dam trail, but it's nicely shaded and home to many vining plants and bird species. We ended up moseying through parts of different trails like Bobcat and Meadow, but signage is excellent and very clear (distance, easy/moderate/difficult). You could also rent the event space towards the entrance for weddings and other celebrations; the facilities are clean, and they clearly take care of the grounds. Parking is $5 at the kiosk, but well worth it in my opinion! There's a paved parking lot to the right past the kiosk and you can pick up a map on your way in.

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!!

Had a good time hiking at this spot. Nice trail located right off of Cannon street. Great place to…read moreexercise outside in an urban setting. Several paths to walk through so the hike can vary in length. It's relatively steep to get to the top, but not more than a few hundred meters. Once on top it's pretty flat and easy. Lots of cactus . Best part is you can take dogs.

A 3.25 to a high of 3.75 star rating. Around 4 major entry points- no true parking lot - seek…read moreparking in local neighborhoods and or local school parking spaces. Pathways are thorny and filled brush and loose rocks and steep pathways lined with jagged large boulders. Made for walkers hikers and joggers. Not for quick running and pets must be on a leash. Lack of a visitor center, lack of trails benches, lack of bathrooms . The trails are moderate to hard - care must be taken- rocks are loose and can cause injuries . No trash cans - bring your junk and take your junk. Overall trail can from a rountrip can be around 3.5 miles to around 4.5 miles. Great scenic shots and lots of cactus

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.

This is such a gorgeous pocket of nature to get away from life for a while! There's so many places…read moreto go explore, people are really respectful for the most part so there's not trash on the trails, even people who bring their kids don't let them run around screaming like in some places. Nature is very much respected. It's also absolutely gorgeous! There's little Creeks, tiny waterfalls, the nature preserve itself is stunning, they have an area set up just for little birds to come visit that is beyond adorable, the birds you can come up to you! Well at least they did with us. I've also been to several weddings here, it's a really nice venue. Especially if people put lights up and have a dusk wedding OMG Parking is free, cheaper than therapy, wonderful break from the rat race. This is by far my favorite place in Orange County to just unplug.

Amazing hikes with the whole family…read more Very fun and chill hikes that cross a nice little steam in several areas.

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.

The trail, as a whole is very nice: Excellent for bikers, cyclists, runners, hikers and walkers…read more Some of the views are quite majestic, depending on the time of the day. You can see some of the most beautiful sunsets from here. However, as a woman walking by myself most of the time, I do not feel safe. Every so often you see questionable individuals who walk the trail or bike the trail. Even today, I saw a homeless man sleeping under the bridge. I really wish the police and public officials are aggressive in keeping the homeless out of this trail. There is a small homeless encampment by the Katella railway bridge. I don't walk that path anymore because I fear my safety. If you are a woman and you're walking alone, carry protective devices with you such as pepper sprays, stun guns, etc. Be alert and Vigilant. Please do not play on your phone.

This trail has so many great parks and a little bathroom…read moreAlong the route. Very safe and clear. Be careful of bikers but there are trails for runners. Go earlier if you're a runner. The bikers come after 7am. Highly recommend if you're in the area. Fun for all ages

I love being able to make a short drive to this cute little park to walk/run/ride/bird the trail…read more There's a lot of shade on the trail which I love. I hate being out under the sun so I can use alllll the shade! There are several entrances to this place depending on what you want to do. The South St side is a better one for birding. There's parking on one end and residential on another end. Great place to have your leisure walks by yourself or with your dog.

Amazing nature! Nice walks! Right off Lincoln close to the…read morefreeway! So many connected walking if you want to wonder off!

My family and I met several of my daughter's high school classmates at this park to take photos…read morebefore they departed for their prom. The big deal here is to take photos adjacent to the large water fountain. This is an extremely popular photo location, as over 100 students here in formal wear from various high schools. The park itself was very clean and well-maintained, with numerous areas for visitors to take photos. Parking is available in one of the numerous parking lots surrounding the park.

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.

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.

Poison Hemlock lines trail leading to the redwoods. The redwoods are beautiful and worth the walk…read more Avoid touching the Poison Hemlock which can cause welts on skin or death if eaten. Purple and green stems on white flowers are indicating this is poison hemlock. Water on a small area near end of trail is near poison hemlock and should also be avoided. The Redwoods are gorgeous! Many lovely birds. Just beware even among them some small sprouts of poison hemlock is growing. The signage explaining the redwoods is fascinating. It is lovely. Stay safe and warm kids because there is no signage indicating the danger explicitly.

Review 36/365 Day Challenge…read more This is a pretty big regional park with a big Lake. Seen guest fishing at the lake. Have a few playgrounds along w some gazebo available with picnic tables under the gazebo. It's a pretty nice clean park. With lots of trees, shadings and a great walking cemented sidewalk. You can walk from Carbon Canyon Park to go see the beautiful Redwoods. Lots of tennis courts available at this park. There is a parking fee since it's a regional park.