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!

Amazing sunsets! Laguna, CA is a great beach and the sunset are beautiful. Walking on the beach is…read morestress free.

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!

This urban trail, which runs along Oso Creek for a couple of miles, has several entrances along…read morethe route. We entered at the south trailhead on Marguerite Parkway next to Del Taco. The path itself was paved for the first mile or so and then became dirt/sawdust. While the trail runs behind and below shopping centers and housing, you never really see much of the structures. We walked a good chunk of the trail to the Peace Obelisk and then turned around and went back to where we parked in a shopping center, which was approximately a 4-mile round trip. It was a good walk on a Saturday afternoon. There weren't a whole lot of people to be seen on our walk; a few families, dog walkers, a couple of joggers, a couple of bicyclists. The entire path is an easy walk and mostly flat. Again, there are several entrances to the trail and there are actually 2 separate parallel trails on either side of the creek. This is a great place to spend a little time in nature while still being in the middle of Mission Viejo.

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

Right of the bat, the park scores a 4.25. Its a city park, nested in the city of lake forest. And…read morenext to it, a horse stable park is visible and can be visited. There's a small kids park and a very lengthy inner trail that surrounds the park. Such a mixture of trails - from creek running, to wooded forest running, to open trails. Great for walks, jogs, running, biking and horse riding. The park itself is lengthy , visible and ample street parking quiet but well visited. As you exit north of the park, the trail jumps the street next to Edisons PowerPlant and continues towards portola highway and towards whiting ranch or portola hills. Crossing over a few underpass and a few parks along the way. Its a gradual incline, that will meet up with mountain trails. Only thing missing would be the water stations or bathrooms... unfortunately, be prepared. Great thing, ever so often your have a picnic table and benches available along the way. This trailhead can be as short as a 3 to 4 mile round trip around the park, but the trail leading out can be definitely extended beyond 15 to 20 miles if your a cyclists- as the incline can be gradual until you meet up in the hills.

Very much enjoyable, but this hike does require conditioning in my opinion. I found the first hill…read moreto be steep and tiring. After making it to the top of the turtle rock trail most of the walking past that point was relatively downhill, sometimes steep drops. You definitely need a pair of good hiking shoes for this venture (the Nikes I had didn't grip steep slopes up or down well. Awesome sights once you reach the top.

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.

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.

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!

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).

This tiny park is a hidden gem that sits atop the Foothill Ranch community in Lake Forest. It…read moreoffers awesome views and a trail that goes down into town between two neighborhoods. In many ways, it is the perfect park for a short afternoon picnic or a hike. Going downhill, the hike is not strenuous and not too long. The trail is easy to follow and there are ways to turn to extend your journey. There is also a small playground and a decent size grass field which can be used for games of touch football, tag, a picnic, or whatever. On a clear day, the grassy area offers a perfect spot to sit and enjoy the views of Irvine, Catalina, and the Pacific Ocean. It is also quite pretty at night. Also, since this park is on top of the hill, it is a fabulous place to fly a kite! There is usually always a breeze blowing, and when it's a bit windy the conditions are perfect. Keep in mind this is in the middle of a residential neighborhood, so parking is limited and it's usually pretty quiet.