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    Irvine Park Railroad

    3.5 (399 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Irvine Park Railroad Photos

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    Sandy B.

    What a fun n experience to ride the train. The cost is $7 per person. The round trip is about a mile and shows you varied parts of the park along with some wildlife that may happen by. We saw some geese, ducks, horses and peacocks. There is a dark tunnel you pass through on the way back to the station that only lasts about 30 seconds. Oh, and if you buy their merchandise and wear it on Wednesdays, you can enjoy the train ride for free.

    Peacocks roaming around
    Hanan R.

    Such a fun and clean park with so much to do! My toddlers got to ride horses, do a train ride, walked by the pond, played in the playground and we didn't realize there was also a mini zoo located inside the park as well! The zoo had more animals than I expected and even a little petting zoo section where the kids got to play with the goats. We loved it here and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

    Cute little houses throughout the park
    Madeline S.

    I love the Irvine Park Railroad! It's such a hidden gem. This was my first visit at Halloween, and it's just as much fun as at Christmas! And, it's fun for adults and kids too! We saw multiple peacocks on the property, horses, and then they have the railroad, activities, and plenty of photo ops! I enjoyed that our conductor gave us lots of history about the park and surroundings. I felt like I was in a fun field trip. I also love their goodies for sale, little kettle corn and pumpkin bread! This place is so cute, whimsical and a genuine good time!

    Pumpkin patch map
    Brian F.

    This review is for the pumpkin patch that happens annually from September to October. The Irvine Park Railroad is the location of the OC Zoo, farmers markets that happen every Tuesday, horse rentals, pony rides, paddle boat and bike rentals, and hiking trails. Parking costs $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends. Unlike its name might suggest it is located in Orange. At the pumpkin patch you buy tickets and use the tickets for rides and other attractions. Each ticket costs $8 and some games are always a winner. It wasn't a big place and is definitely more kid-focused. If you have kids you could spend hours here but we only spent about an hour total. We went on the train ride which went through parts of the park and only took 10 minutes. It is so packed during weekends in October that they moved to a reservations-only system where you make reservations online. I actually went one time a previous year and the line of cars going into the park was so long that we turned around and drove away. I definitely recommend going during the weekday because it wasn't nearly as busy.

    Angel loves first Halloween
    David A.

    I will preface my review by saying Halloween is our favorite holiday and we have been going to pumpkin patches with the kids for 7 years now. This place by far has been our favorite pumpkin patch and it's not even close. The pumpkin patch is attached to a ginormous park in Irvine that I didn't even know existed prior to this visit. There is so much to do here we ended up spending two hours and had to drag the kids away when it was finally time to go. Probably the two biggest cons: EXPENSIVE and crazy crowded--what isn't crowded in socal? We went on a Monday in late Sept so for us it was free to enter and no reservation needed. There are carnival style games, tractor riding, train ride, bounce house, face painting, cookie decorating, etc that all cost tickets. 1 ticket is $8. Every activity is either 1 or 2 tickets so cost adds up quick! I bought the 15 tickets for $100 "deal" and let me kids cut loose for a few hours and they had a blast. If you're trying to save money, you definitely can do so. The haunted house is free, the hay maze is free (our kids ran around in it for like 20 minutes it was their favorite thing there), and you can enter for free as long as it isn't a weekend in Oct. Weekends in Oct require reservations and costs $20 per person. Yikes. Make sure you come late Sept to avoid crowds and holes in your wallet ;) Overall, had so much fun. The train ride is awesome! Costs one ticket per person. Haunted house is tiny and very kid friendly. Hay maze was perfect for the little ones to run around and burn some energy while I could sit and give my lower back a rest. It was very hot when we went but the entire area is covered by giant trees that provide great shade to keep cool. Really enjoyed ourselves. I think this place will definitely be an annual tradition now every spooky season.

    Line at 9:45 am 10/10/25
    ThomaS T.

    My first pumpkin patch here. It's nice and very open. Pumpkins aren't cheap here and we bought one for the fun of it. Clean park. One thing I didn't like was the schools that visited got a separate line where they immediately went on the train ride; while we waited in line twice. Do they know that kids attention span is less than a minute of time? It needs to change to where there is no line and they tell everyone to come back whenever the train is ready because there was a ton of mad moms in line with me. Imagine waiting for 3 train rides before we went. We were already in lien and have waited and we paid. $8 per ticket per any event. I would come again at a later time. There was already people lined up even before they opened. Was very busy after 11am. $3 to enter the park on weekdays

    Menu
    Manoj B.

    We paid $42 per person for "Christmas train ride" and honestly... never again!! For that price, you'd expect at least 'something' be included. Nope. The train ride itself lasts about six minutes, drops you off, and you're in a line to take a picture with Santa. That's the main event. After that, you get back on the train for another short ride back to the starting point. Total ride time is maybe 12 minutes and you pass through a tiny tunnel at the end. That's it. Once you're off the train, there are stalls for coffee, hot cocoa, popcorn, and activities ... all extra. None of it is included in the ticket price. At $42 per person, that was pretty shocking. Train by itself would maybe make sense at $10-15 since lightning was nice but at this price point, it feels wildly overpriced. You also pay 5$ to park in the park. Also, it was sold out so clearly there are plenty of people like us who were curious and gave it a try. Lesson learned. For the same money, we could've taken our kids somewhere that gives us way more time, way more fun and a much better experience overall. Cute idea. Terrible value.

    TRAIN OF THE LIGHTS TICKETS
    Edward D.

    This is specifically for the train of the lights photos and taking pictures with Santa. All I can say is this is a rip off on the photos they take. You pay for tickets, and they charge you an arm and a leg for a few photos they take which should be included as part of the ticket purchase. They ended up messing up and provided us the wrong QR code and password and it came up with someone else's pictures. I had to call multiple times and got email addresses that didn't work in which they had to forward to the photography booth. The photos they took on your personal phone were horrible and I think that's done on purpose so that you buy their expensive shots.

    Elizabeth M.

    Family Tradition So adorable and fun for families of young ones. Free weekdays parking is a few bucks.

    Train decoration
    Eliseo R.

    Drove for almost 2 hours to come here as per a friend recommendation-- and my girlfriend and I enjoyed visiting Irvine Railroad! Once you step through the smell of pony manure and get deeper in through the park, it really feels like I had stepped into Santa's Village! The area itself was super charming, with beautiful lights and decorations that really added to the festive spirit. Finding parking was a bit of a challenge since it's in a pretty dark area with dim lighting, but luckily we managed to find free parking without any issue. The gate staff were friendly too--they let us in even though they initially said it was $5 for entry, which was a little odd but totally fine with us! Anyways, the whole place was bustling with activity, and it had that magical, cozy holiday atmosphere that made me feel excited. Kids were running around everywhere and everyone was in holiday get-up. The snack shack selling food was nice with really reasonable prices. I tried their seasonal pumpkin spice bread for just $6 and it was delicious!! I had it the next day and it was super good. We also grabbed a hot cocoa and a churro--both being perfect for staying warm on a cool evening. The photo spots here are not bad--the trees beautifully decorated with lights and some backdrops make for some great pictures! I was also initially hoping to ride the train while we were there, but unfortunately, they were fully booked for rides up to three months in advance. Wild! Still, there are plenty of other activities to explore if you purchase tickets, things like ice fishing and other themed activities. This place is super family-friendly and a great way to spend a couple of hours, especially during the holiday season. We got here around 6pm, and it was magical at that time with the lights and festive energy walking in. Even though I missed out on the train ride, the whole experience was still fantastic, and I'd absolutely recommend it if you're in the area or looking for a fun holiday outing!! P.S. The area around the park once again is super dark so just a FYI!

    Digger Boy
    Erik G.

    Located inside Irvine Regional Park. It costs $5 per a car on the weekend to enter the park. Irvine Park Railroad has something for everyone! Free admission to come inside! They have some free activities like a child friendly "haunted house" and a maze. The rest of the activities will cost tickets. One ticket cost $8 and you can purchase 15 tickets for $100. You can save $20 this way. Must activities cost 1 ticket. Some will require 2 tickets. There's plenty of instagram-worthy photo-ops. They got you covered in that regard. If you want your child to play some carnival games. They got that too! Take a ride on the Choo-choo train! This was a fun activity for the whole family. Our son really enjoyed the bouncy house. They have bouncy houses for different age groups which was a really good idea. They also limit the amount of child playing in the bouncy house at one time to 6 children. The children could jump non-stop for 10 minutes. It was really cute seeing parents trying to get their young children exit the bouncy house. We've all been there! We all enjoyed panning for gold. It was a fun activity to do as a family. They give you a bag to put all of your gold nuggets. Our son had a fun time decorating the cookie! The John Deere Racer and Mini Diggers were also a lot of fun. The mini diggers required the longest wait time of almost 40 minutes. Prepare yourself for that! All in all, there were so many different types of activities for everyone! I was very pleased with this pumpkin patch. I wasn't a fan of anyone who plays a carnival game gets a prize. This is not a good lesson to teach children. You need children to understand that in life. You don't always win! This is an important life skill. This is my only complaint. They had a variety of different types of food available for purchase. Standard carnival fare like cotton candy, nachos, pretzels and other snacks. They also had several delicious farm stand types of bread available for purchase like pumpkin breads and cinnamon pull apart sweet bread. I really liked the chocolate chip pumpkin bread. I highly recommend coming here with your family. It was a fun pumpkin patch to explore! Looking forward to coming here for Christmas!

    Inside pumpkin patch

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    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - Irvine Park Railroad

    Is santa going to there tomorrow Saturday 12-09-23?

    Jorge. You cannot meet Santa at Irvine Park unless you ride the Holiday Train. All the tickets for the train are sold out for the year. There are other holiday activities that you can buy tickets for BUT they do not include a visit to Santa. Check… 

    Are there clean bathrooms, or is it a portable potty?

    They have portable potties but also actual restrooms altho those are also a tad stinky

    Do they really close the gate when the parking lot is full? Did anyone experience that this year for Pumpkin Patch?

    When we came it was a 30 minute wait to get into the parking. People were cutting in like crazy. The definitely need some sort of parking assistance out there. The sign said parking full but we had waited so long we decided to continue. When we… 

    Are the Christmas train rides sold out?

    They are sold out for the entire season. You can visit Santa's village there with games you can buy tickets to play. It's pretty and festive.

    Do we need to reserve a spot or buy tickets to enter?

    First come first served, no reservations. It's less busy during the week and the parking $3 instead of $5 on weekends.

    How many restrooms are there during the pumpkin patch event?

    I don't know the exact number, but there were plenty available.

    Are dogs allowed at the pumpkin patch?

    Hello! We do not allow dogs inside of the Pumpkin Patch. Thank you for your question!

    Parking for train?

    Parking details can be found here: https://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/plan-your-visit/… 

    Are they regulations for photography? TY!

    Irvine Park Railroad does not allow professional photography. Please visit the OC Park website for information on photography inside of the park. Thank you.

    What activities is there to do for pumpkin patch?

    Here is a link for information about this year's Pumpkin Patch: https://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/events/pumpkin-patch/… 

    Are they open?

    Kindly visit our web site for information: www.irvineparkrailroad.com. Thank you.

    Is parking at Irvine Railroad Park cash only, or they also take cards?

    Per previous yelpers, IPR takes CC

    Suitable for babies too or just toddlers 2 and up? T.I.A!

    Yes.

    Can you bring some snacks to the pumpkin patch?

    There are two, full-service snack bars located inside of the park, one near to the pumpkin patch. You may also bring your own snacks.

    Do you have to reserve space for birthday? Even if it's not a pavillon. Like the tables by the kids play area. Can you take your own BBQ?

    Please visit our web site for information, www.IrvineParkRailroad.com.

    How much to rent horses?

    Irvine Park Railroad does not rent the horses, this is a separately owned business. Please contact Country Trails directly for pricing. Thank you.

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    Review Highlights - Irvine Park Railroad

    Food areas, plenty of grass and trees for play time, a train ride, peacocks roaming the walkways, pony rides and more.

    Mentioned in 46 reviews

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    Santiago Oaks Regional Park - Tarantula on deer

    Santiago Oaks Regional Park

    4.6(357 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    You'd have to come really early to find parking and it'll be paid parking if you park at the park…read more I came around 8ish AM and the parking lot was already full, so I had to park residential. Parking at residential isn't bad, it's just a slightly longer walk back to your car. There are multiple trails you can go to and some trails have shade, most don't. The trails are great and definitely a workout if you do difficult trails. Tip(s): - Come really early to find a spot to park, otherwise, the parking lot can get full and you'd have to park residential - Pay to park at the park or free to park at residential

    Santiago Oaks is definitely only of the best and most expansive places to hike in OC. Also it is…read moredog friendly on all trails! Parking is $5 on weekends and the parking lot is quite small and fills up quickly... I recommend leveraging the few other access points in other parts of the park where there is free neighborhood parking. You can look up these access points on AllTrails but the two most popular ones are: 1) Parking at Anaheim Hills Elementary School (you can park here on the weekends). From here you can access a plethora of trails. 2) Also parking at Anaheim Hills Riding and Walking Trail (look it up on Google Maps). From here, most people do the Weir Canyon Trail loop. There are so many interconnecting trails you can explore this place over multiple visits. There are also a lot of mountain bikers (many of which go very fast) so be aware of your surroundings and don't assume they will slow down for you. Especially if you have a dog, watch out for your leash or bikers zooming past you. Overall the views here are incredible and I never feel like it gets overly crowded. It is a very immersive park. There are a wide variety of trails ranging from very challenging to easy.

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    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.

    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)
    3.0 mi

    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.

    One of my favorite hikes that I've been doing since I was in high school! This past weekend, I…read morewent on a hike at Peters Canyon, and specific did the Peter Canyon Trail to East Ridge View Trail to Eucalyptus Spur Trail, totally about 4ish miles. This trail had a few hills that weren't too steep. It's a busier hike, so even though we arrived at 8am, there were tons of people already and it's dog-friendly, so you'll see plenty of furry friends along the way! One of my favorite things about this hike is how well-marked everything is. Our hike started by the South entrance, which really only offers limited street parking, and looped towards the lake and back before hitting the lake. It was fairly shaded, and gets really sunny when you begin climbing the hills. It took us about 2ish hours to complete the whole hike, and overall it was enjoyable! There are bathrooms at the south entrance, so definitely use it before hiking because there won't be any other for a while.

    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

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    Peters Canyon Hike - Family memories

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    Red Rock Canyon

    Red Rock Canyon

    4.7(135 reviews)
    8.9 mi

    Red Rock Canyon is located in the City of Lake Forest. Who knew one could view glimpses of red rock…read moreformations and plateaus in Orange County? When we arrived around 8:30 on a Saturday morning, the paid parking lot was already full. There are very few parking spaces overall in the paid $3 lot. We ended up as Ralph's customers that morning and found a couple of last-minute items that we needed before starting our hike. It was a nice and cool morning with a slight breeze, which was perfect to kick off our hike. We opted to take the easy trail, Borrego Canyon Trail. There is a lot of soft sand through out parts of the trail, similar to a beach like sensation for your walking pleasure. It also felt like a magical forest during some areas with trickling streams. We also experienced some parts full of various sized rocks. This is NOT a child- friendly trail for little ones. As we approached parts that were more desert like, we got closer to the red rocks. There was much anticipation to the end and the trail concludes with what feels like a small dead end as you gaze into the view of the towering red rocks. Going downhill was much quicker and fun. It was an easy trail with some sections that forced me to go slower as I didn't want to slip on some small rocks. There was so much positivity coming from other hikers and bicyclists. So many good mornings shared, it was contagious. Bicyclists are one-way so they are only coming from behind you and so many were thankful for us moving out of their way. I've never experienced such polite and friendly trail enthusiasts. I'd love to return to experience this beautiful trail again.

    What a great hike! The shade was wonderful, and everyone on the trail was so respectful of space…read more(thank you, bikers). It gets a little narrow as you get closer to the rock formations, but still highly recommend either way.

    Photos
    Red Rock Canyon - I'm definitely on Mars!

    I'm definitely on Mars!

    Red Rock Canyon
    Red Rock Canyon

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    Irvine Park Railroad - amusementparks - Updated September 2026

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