Being not much of a hiker, I only came here to overlook the city and I appreciate the sight. There's a bench and if you come during the middle of the day it's a nice place to reflect, meditate, think about all the mistakes you made in life, etc. It's incredibly tranquil to just sit there alone and see the city stretched out beneath you. In the evening, could be a nice place to take a date. I am a lazy person who appreciates a great view and the less I have to walk or climb to get to it, the better. And if it's free, who cares if it disappoints? What are you going to do, ask nature for your money back? The easiest way to get to the lookout point with the bench is to park in the Bonita Canyon elementary school parking lot, or in one of the residential areas near it and from the school there is a very short trail that leads up into the hill. You have to climb a set of stairs and then you're there. read more

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Easy hike for beginners like us and our puppy! Great view and breezy all the way up. Wasn't crowded on a Sunday morning so we had the trail all to ourselves. Parking is hard to find and didn't want to have my car towed so we parked in the residential area behind the school. read more

Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail - Hiking Near Me

Great view. Easy to climb because there are stairs. There's a higher point you can climb up to. No stairs to that one. From here you can see Turtle Rock, Newport Beach, and Irvine. read more

First of all, it is kind of hard to find this spot because there is no direct parking lot for the Chaparral park where the entrance is. This means you can either risk parking at the school lot next door or the neighborhood across the street from the park on Turtle Rock drive. This isn't much of a hike at all but the views are really nice. You just go up maybe 40 stairs and you are at the top of the hill. You can opt to go up the dirt path which leads to the "turtle rock" which may be difficult for some to climb up. The views at the top shows Turtle Rock community and the other side is central Irvine. The trail total takes about 15-20 minutes to go all the way up. Overall, really nice as a quick getaway and I can also see how it can be somewhat dangerous at night since there is no lighting there and rugged rocks. read more

This place is one of my favorite places to be when all the mustard flowers are blooming. So dreamy! Also there's a hiking group that hikes these hills (they have several different levels) throughout the week. It's a real good workout! Some spots have a really nice overview of the city and it feels so good to be up there with the light wind and take in the view after you've lost your breath getting up there. I also take our dog up there but beware there are definitely rattle snakes around and if your dog is as dumb as mine and think rattle snake is another toy animal then make sure to never let them off leash! There are also the occasional bobcats and hyenas around. read more

Beautiful place to go. I love it , so, Do you too ? Easy to hike, best photo shoots at morning for sunrise or at late afternoon for sunset. Check it out read more

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Just Breathe Taking!!!! The view of Irvine is too die for. Park at the school and go up the steps it will lead you right to the mountain. read more

Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail - Hiking Near Me

Beautiful viewpoint. The second half of the hike was not super easy, and I was pretty nervous going down.. but if you take your time and be careful, you should be just fine! It's very sweet and romantic at the top. read more

Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail - Sunset - beautiful and romantic - Hiking Near Me

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Found this place when we were searching for some hiking trails with a nice viewpoint. Honestly, this is not a hike. You park by the elementary school and you take the stairs. Like real stairs made of cement! If you think you'll see a rugged climb like the one in Culver City, NOPE. Plus this is literally a hill right in the middle of the Irvine suburbs. We kind of got lost on our way there but make sure to search for Bonita Elementary School and that will take you exactly at the beginning of the "trail." One you reach the top, there's a lil bit of rocky area then bam, there's your end destination. We got here before sunset so we saw a little bit of the lights and they were somewhat decent. I would maybe go back here if I wanna look at some city view and not feel like driving far. I'm giving it a 3 since this is not a real hiking trail, very short, and the views are just okay. read more

Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail - Right after sunset - Hiking Near Me

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Great view but hard to find a place to park and also the "trail" is very short. There is a long set of stairs to go up and a small hill to climb up until you get to see a great view of Orange County. Nice to come for a casual view but not if you're looking for a good hike. read more

Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail - Hiking Near Me

So, FIRST AND FOREMOST... HOW DO YOU GET THERE: ** I went to three different places from addresses and articles that advised where to go until I finally found it, so let me help you! :P Chaparral Park (or if you have a funky GPS and need an actual address, you can enter 2 Silver Crescent, Irvine, CA 92603) will take you right there. Well... Sort of. :P If Chaparral Park is on your left when you approach it, make an immediate left after you pass it onto Sundance, or if it is coming up on your right, make a right on Sundance which is the last street before the park. I personally parked in the neighborhood to the right, however some people say that it is acceptable to park in the school parking lot which will be on your left. Yay, you made it! Now what the heck do you do!?!? Walk through the school via the left of the main entrance, and follow the main path... Not far at all you will find stairs to your right. That's the trailhead! Now you won't be walking up the hills of the neighborhood aimlessly like I was! ** Now for the review lol. Keep in mind that I lived in South Florida for 7 years where the tallest hill is a speed bump, so my hiking standards are quite low at the moment. I went at night which was fantastic. The park hours are 6 am - 10 pm so you can go when it's super dark out which I think is really fun. It starts out with stairs so your behind is already getting kicked, as well as starting out with a mini-view almost immediately. I was there on a week night and almost NO one was there. But just enough people to make you feel safe. ;) The top of the hill part is a VERY short walk, but it's rocky/steep enough for it to be a fun climb. I personally walked back after I got to the highest peak, but it looks like if you continue to walk the more flat paths it goes on for a decent while. :) All in all, it's a great place to relax your mind, get a little bit of cardio, or converse with friends, but it's nowhere near a serious/challenging or long hike. More of a cute landmark that's worth taking a look at! :) read more

I've been here so many times! And I never get tired of it. Very peaceful, and beautiful views and clean paths. Close to the 405 freeway which comes in handy for those who live in the far side of Irvine. Very lucky I live 10 min away from this amazing trail. read more

Nice view, with a few hills. Great beginners hike..A little hard to find so here are some directions. There's also a way to get in through a park, but I couldn't find it. After getting on turtle rock coming from campus drive, make a right on Seacrest then once u see Deep Creek street the trail will be there shortly after on the right. U can park on the street. read more

Update: Don't park at the school or walk through the school grounds to return to your vehicle. You could be cited for trespassing. Apparently this local neighborhood hike has gotten way too much attention from the dreaded Social Media and the atmosphere has changed. This isn't really a hike, it's more of a local neighborhood walk. Please be respectful of the surrounding neighborhood. read more

Amazing fresh air. Good hike with nice pavement steps. Feel safe and secured. Has a bench on top for sitting. I love to go here with friends at night read more

I swear this hill magically adds like 50 bonus points to your game. Back in college, I wrapped up more first-dates here than I'd like to admit. What can I say...the view was strategically designed for facilitating make-out sessions. You'll also find many other uses for this hill aside from wooing. Hiking, late-night boozing with amigos, picnics, it's just such a versatile little hill. And best thing is that it doesn't usually get crowded because of the lack of an "official" entrance and the difficulty of scaling the initial hill. Just be sure to wear good shoes. I had a friend who had to cut his date short when he accidentally slipped and tumbled down the hill. I don't think their relationship worked out. read more

Not much of a hike but you definitely get a good work out. First of all I had a little bit of difficulty finding the place since the entrance is literally at a school. You can park at the school at night and walk into the grass field and go towards the right where you will find stairs. And you go all the way up until you hit the dirt road. And you climb up a little hill that isn't too steep. At the top you can see all the city lights and it's pretty quiet and peaceful. Make sure you were shoes you don't mind getting dirty. There's a lot of dusty sand. Good for a quick work out. read more

it's all in what you're looking for, if you're looking for a long hike with a good workout then this place is NOT for you. the hike is very short but you do get a cool view from the top. I did this "hike" (if you can even call it a hike) with a polo, jeans, and walking shoes so that sort of gives you an idea how easy it is. we parked in the neighborhood and walked through the park and got to the trail, once you get closer to the top the trail does get a bit more steep but 3 of my friends got up to the top no problem in flip flops, so if you're looking for something to kill some time or are truly a fatass novice hiker, this is the place for you read more

I love finding new look out point/city views, and this is one of the best ones that I know! First off, if you are going for the first time, parking might be a bit confusing. Luckily, the first time I went, I was with someone who totally knew what they were doing. Park across the major street in the neighborhood at the little playground park. Then, cross the street to find the trail head. Although this claims to be a hike, I wouldn't really label it as such, maybe for very small portion of it though. This walk is very short, but it is steep. In the first part of this hike, you are walking up several flights of stairs that bring you up to quite a large elevation. Then, you get to the more "hikey" part of this "hike". This part is dirt and rock, and can actually get so steep at some points that you have to climb. BE CAREFUL at this point, especially on the way back down because it can get very slippery. Once you make it to the top...WOW! This is one of the best lookout points that I know of, and it's so beautiful all throughout the day. The first time I can here, it was nighttime, so we got an awesome view of the city lights for miles and miles. The next time I came, it was late afternoon/sunset and we got an amazing view of the sunset. Oh man, I wish I lived closer to Turtle Rock - I would be here way more! Do yourself a favor and check this place out. read more

First of all, this is hardly a hike :) It has a very small and quick climb and you're to the top. I clocked the mileage and it was less than 2 miles back and forth. If you're looking for a hike/workout go somewhere else. +Awesome place to walk your dog, nice pretty park and amazing view. +Fun place to take a date, minimal work for a million dollar view Like the advice other yelpers gave, I parked at the school next to the park. There was no street parking. read more

EASY HIKE! This hike is good enough for a beginner to catch some great views and to get your blood pumping. In order to get there, I would park at Bonita Canyon Elementary School and walk to the back and up the stairs. I recommend bringing good sneakers with a grip on them so you don't slip down the hill to your demise, lol. The stairs going up is probably the worst part of the hike (in my opinion) but if you can make it up to the rocks and climb up even higher you will be rewarded with a GORGEOUS view of the surrounding area and homes! If you walk to the bench at nighttime you can probably catch the Disneyland fireworks going off not too far away. The breeze during the day is so nice and it's definitely a reward for getting to the top! read more

I did a photoshoot here and things went great (except for the hike up with me carrying 30lbs of gear and going as fast as I could as the other guy who was filming just kept eyeballing me until I made it up the hill and out of his shot). The view uptop was very nice as it was a perfect clear day. The best thing was the other people walking the trails didn't give me any crap about shooting up there, which is usually the case when I shoot somewhere. Even the guys on bikes were cool and didn't act like they are the guardians of public land like other places. Nice hike, nice view, nice place to chill. read more

Such a great view! Not a far "hike" (it's not a hike). But that the walk was a little workout lol. Best view I've seen in Irvine by far. Nice that they even have a bench at the end of the pathway too. I love it! read more

Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail - I love it! - Hiking Near Me

More like turtle hill. Probably one of the worse hikes I've done. My friends and I hiked to the top and all we saw where neighborhoods, rich ones at that. There isn't much to see other than houses and the city of Irvine .Just hilly , very very hilly and that's it. I know there are events here at night once in a while and apparently this place is a nice make out spot at night but overall if your looking for a hike hike it's best to go somewhere else. read more

This place was poppin! It was my first time here and we arrived around 8ish. Just know that the park closes at 10pm and that there may be some other people on top the hill. Also make sure to bring a flashlight or ensure your phone is fully charged :) You can see the beautiful UCI campus as well as the Irvine city lights. Shoutout to ICA and Him for making my night hiking 100x better #BlessUp #NinjazOnly read more

It's a nice hike. It's a good trail for beginners. You can see all of Irvine from the top of the hill. I turned on Sierra Bravo Rd, which is right across from Chaparral Park, and then parked on the street. When you go up Chaparral Park, you'll see a flight of stairs and you can take that up to the top of the hill. read more

Probably an easy and somewhat effective hike. Probably takes you 20 mins to get to the bench and maybe an hour to go all around the hill itself. This place is also known as Suicide Hill for some odd reason. View is beautiful just like how everyone said. Some stairs and those rocks are horrible to go down on especially if you're off balanced like me. Park at either the elementary school if you can find it. We parked in a residential area across the Chaparral Park. If you're going at night, make sure to bring your phone and/or a flashlight because it's super dark. read more

really nice scenery but its too developed for me to consider it a decent hike as I prefer non-manicured trails. If you are looking for a close, easy hike or bike ride with nice scenery and some grades, this is a good path. You feel safe from wildlife because a large portion of the trail passes by gated communities with nice houses. You'll also pass by a golf course, a few creeks covered by bridges and open fields with brush. May be considered to long and difficult for young toddlers to walk themselves. bringing a Jogger is highly recommended. read more

Technically, this should be labeled "Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail." That's what it's called on Google Maps. For runners, this is a good "add-on" trail to throw in some elevation and a bit of dirt. Start from Turtle Rock Drive and Chaparral Park, and follow the concrete path up the hill. There's a few staircases, roughly 100 steps total before you hit the first landing, after that you have to scramble up a few rocks on your right to see the view. The main trail continues North with a few rolling hills over half a mile or so. There are some side loops off the main trail but if you want to make a 30 minute workout here, you'll be running around in constant 3-4 minute circles. For everyone else, it's just okay. The view is beautiful but not spectacular, and getting there may be a little too steep for casual walkers/hikers. Regular hikers will most likely prefer longer / better trails. The one benefit of being small is that since this is fairly secluded and not a giant circus (Peters Canyon), you will most likely be alone to enjoy this little snippet of nature. read more

We parked by the Turtle Rock preschool, on the street. The first part of this trail is opposite the school and steep to start. The rest is rather easy and short. I think we hiked for an hour and saw a great view of the suburban sprawl and the lake. read more

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I saw reviews before coming here and was anticipating a semi-intense hike but when I got here, I climbed up few stairs and I was basically already at the top! I ain't going to complain though hahahaha The view was quite beautiful. You can overlook the view of the city one side of the hill and the other you can view the mountain backdrop. I love how the mountains were in the shadow this morning to give it blue hue. I was literally in awe of the beauty of nature... I'm glad I came to check this place out before I leave to go back to the flat land of Texas tomorrow.... read more

This hike is alright. Pretty steep on some areas. However there's no parking at all. You have to park at CHAPARRAL PARK to start the hike. read more

Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail - Hiking Near Me

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This hike trail was quite boring. Not very scenic. The climb up the rocks was a little scary, but everything else after that was easy. The trails are clean. No poo or trash lying around. Make sure to spray bug repellent. I think I might have eat a few of those bugs flying everywhere. Yuck. read more

This isn't much of a hike, but more of a walking trail. We came 2 1/2 years ago thinking it was a hike, but it wasn't. The good thing was that we did get to see the sunset and the cities below us. That was nice. We parked by the school at that time and had to climb a rocks, which I wasn't prepared for, but luckily my worn-down shoes still got me back down safely. We came here most recently a few weeks ago to see the lunar eclipse. We parked somewhere else that time around, so we didn't have to climb the rocks. It was a spontaneous trip there, and we were wearing flip flops. We weren't the only crazy ones though; I saw some others with flip flops and wedges also. At least we made it back safely. The view was pretty nice, except it wasn't as clear as I had hoped due to the cloud-cover. Overall, I would really recommend this area to see the sunset, sunrise, or any other eclipses. I'd definitely come back again for a special occasion. I have yet to see fireworks up there, so that's something I'd want to see at one point in time. read more

I did my first ever hike here. It was approximately 4.5 miles. I finished it in 1hr 20 minutes, and my boyfriend champed it in a little under an hour. This was not his first hike, but it was his first hike in quite a while. Some things that I liked about this trail are that it looks like many different types of terrain. At the end of the route we took, there were beautiful stalks of grass that were taller than me, I felt at home. There are also wild mustard greens, that, when I chewed them, tasted like wasabi! I will be going here again, I loved it! read more

For a local hike in a residential area and pretty easy to access, this was a good easy hike. If u want more of a workout, go up and down some of the steeper portions. To access the top of the hill, take the staircase up at chaparral park. I saw the ocean today from the top. Beware There is no shade. If u want to go to a park w shade drive down the street to Sunnyhill less than 1 mile aeay. U can also access the longer Shady Cyn Trail from there but there is no shade. Turtle rock is Dog friendly. read more

This was a great and easy hike with some scrambling on rock moments. I didn't wear hiking shoes so there were moments where I felt like I needed help because there was some sliding. I thought it would be a great idea to go during sunset and I wasn't disappointed. It was a great moment when I got to the highest point and I saw people brought small kids too. I'm thinking they carried them. Next time I would still park at the school, wear better shoes and and bring a really good camera. The stair climb feels good and then the hike is fun. The climb down is way faster. A really cool little spot in Orange County. Don't expect privacy for making out hahah. At the very top there was like 20 people. There is another hill as well and there were people on there too. read more

Turtle Rock Viewpoint Trail - Hiking Near Me

We parked across the street in the neighborhood. I wouldn't call this a hike. We didn't make our way up the dirt path though because I was wearing sandals, so maybe next time when I'm more prepared. We only made our way up the stairs, which was a tiny workout, and led to the bench with the beautiful view. This was my first time here and no one was around when we came, so it was a pretty romantic view with the sun about to set. I'd come back for the view but not for the fake workout, lol. read more

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This hike is pretty nice.. You definitely get the most, in terms of the view, out of the small amount of time it takes to make the climb! There are essentially two parts to this hike.. The first portion is composed of a somewhat steep stairway climb leading out to a cement walkway that ends at a large platform with a long metal bench and some random trashcans. This climb will take anyone all of a good 5-10 minutes, so its actually really short. This first climb actually ends in a pretty nice view that overlooks the Irvine area and is ideal for those who might not want to get dirty considering that this whole first portion is on cement. (However, the bench here is usually taken up by a couple and that is the only thing that really makes this hike worthwhile) The second portion of this hike turns off the course of the cement walkway.. and up a large and steep hill that can prove to be somewhat of a climb. The view from the top is very nice but be wary because without a flashlight at night.. the climb down can be quite the challenge... Tip: Park across the street from the Elementary School/Small Jungle Gym in the residential area and just walk over.. read more

Not really a hike. Maybe like a 15min walk and a 5 minute climb up some rocks if you want to get to the top. What we did to find the trail was we parked in the neighborhood by the front of the park (by the sign that says Chaparral park) and then walk in towards the school, following the path. You'll find some stairs that you follow up. Make the climb to the top it's pretty worth it! The view was nice. My boyfriend and I actually saw parts of the meteor shower that night. read more