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.

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.

The Oso Creek Trail is a classic "Yuppie Nature" trail: mostly paved or manicured paths, and…read morenothing too challenging or dangerous. Exactly the kind of "outdoor" experience my wife loves! But seriously, it's a wonderful place to stretch your legs right in the heart of Mission Viejo. The trail runs along both sides of Oso Creek, hence the name, and each side of the trail is a bit different. One side is paved and the other is dirt or bark covered, for a more "natural" feel. There are also some fun points of interest along the way, including a hedgerow maze, various bear statues, and a park adjacent to the Norman P. Murray Community & Senior Center. It's great for families with small kids or strollers to push, as well as solo joggers, dog walkers, or even bikers. It's long enough and stretches at least a couple miles to get some good exercise in. If you're in the area, it's well worth a visit to enjoy. Five stars!

I met a couple friends here and we had a great time talking and walking. We had a great time and…read moreconversation. Loved all the artist's installations. We are looking forward to returning in the future.

Lovely park, unassuming in a residential area. Superb location for taking photos. Nice playground…read moreand great for just walking. Ok, bye.

This park is so peaceful - I love how you can explore the trees quietly. Even though it's next to a…read morestreet, the trees do a pretty good job at insulating against the noise. Plus, you might see a horse or two (or maybe their poop)! You never know what else you might find - we saw a few human-made enclosures made up of larger branches and bark set up along some of the bigger trees. My toddlers were on a bear hunt and were fascinated by them If you're not into walking on dirt, there's plenty of paved trails around the area as well. Several dog walkers, a few bikers, but mainly nice people who are just enjoying the fresh air. There's also a bathroom and a playground. But with the toddler-led bear hunt, we didn't check the playground out this time. Next time! As for parking - plenty of street parking.

This is one of my first trails. When I used to be a UCI student during COVID-19, this was a great…read moreplace to escape into nature near campus and overlook the Irvine landscape. However, I don't visit it these days for the following reasons: - It's overall short. - There is no designated parking for the trail. I think you could park in the elementary school during the weekends. There is also some street/residential parking. - It is inaccessible. It starts as a cement paved path and stairs which are all VERY steep. You could stop there, as there is a bench with the same view. However, hill you have to climb up to get to the top is very sharp, jagged, and steep. - I saw some big, black, chunky spiders at the top. - It is very scary and slippery to come down the rocks, and there is no alternate route.

Great trail to do a sunset hike. We did a leisurely 6-mile…read moreLoop. Great views out to the ocean. Please come and create your own adventure

My friends and I have been into hiking lately, and decided to hike here when it was nice and sunny…read morea few weeks ago. We did the serrano road and line shack loop, which was about 3.4 miles total. We arrived at around 8am, and spent about 1.5 hours on the hike, walking a moderate pace. I really liked that how this trail was easily marked and flat. There was also plenty of shade, on the trail, so even as the sun came up, it was still pretty cool. There's some elevation on the trail, but overall, I'd say it was pretty easy to causally walk and talk. When you get to the peak of the trail, you can oversee the Foothill Ranch area, and it looks gorgeous! We followed the parking instructions on AllTrails, which led us to a church parking lot, which connects right to the trail. I did see that this park has other more difficult hikes, so I'd definitely go back for another one!

Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is located in Lake Forest and spans 2,500 acres. There is a very…read moresmall parking where it costs $3 for a day pass (they take both $1 bills and credit card). Beware of parking at the adjacent parking lots because they are pretty strict about not parking there for hikers. There are a variety of trails at differing difficulty levels and there are select trails that are multi-use where cycling is allowed. We went on the Borrego Canyon Trail and the Red Rock Canyon trail that was a total of two miles one way. There was some shade from the tall trees but some parts were in direct sunlight. There was a good amount of flat land and didn't have too much of an incline. When you get to an intersection with multiple directions just keep going straight and follow the signs for Red Rock Canyon. You will know when you're at the end when you see signs and rocks all around you. The red rocks really reminded me of the hikes that I went to in Arizona and it was cool to see that in California. Overall it took about one hour one way to get from the parking lot through Borrego Canyon Trail and to the end of Red Rock Canyon. Overall it was an easy and enjoyable hike.

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.

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

Borrego Canyon Overlook Park is a mini neighborhood park nestled in a residential area, overlooking…read morethe Borrego Canyon. It is basically a patch of greenfield with a small playground. The park is so small that the walkway is only on one side of the park. The paved road ended at the far end of the park. Anyone feeling adventurous can follow the dirt trail all the way to the Whiting Ranch park entrance I was told. This quaint park is clearly intended for neighbors' use only as it does not have a public restroom on-site. The best asset of this park is its gorgeous view of the canyon. Clearly the Bond Fire got too close to the park when you see the wooden fence been replaced by iron stakes covered with a orange mesh, and the charred remain of trees on the other side of the fence. As small as it may be, it has more visitors than the other, larger, Borrego Park, about a mile down the hill. It seems to be very popular with dog owners walking their dog(s).

Small little park that has a great view of parts of Lake Forest and Foothill Ranch. Parking is on…read morethe street, but I've never had any problems finding a spot. There are benches and tables for a nice picnic, and a small playground for kids. I think the best view is actually away from the city and looking down into the canyon. I've never seen people there, but there are trails - I wonder if that's open to the public? Anyway, very peaceful place. I love coming here!

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.