Really cool place to take a stroll at. They offer free tours so you can go inside four of the…read morebuildings. We did the 11 am tour on a Saturday and our guide Victor was terrific. The tour lasted a little over an hour. Even my teen said it was a lot more fun than she had anticipated. Definitely worth a stop.

My family moved to Orange County in the late 70s, I used to…read moresee this Historical Landmark Church down by the railroad tracks off El Toro Rd. Does anybody else remember this ? So happy I get to see it transferred here. Happy to see that they put a diorama here too, great educational tool. (See pic) This is the place to go to enjoy ac Candlelight, walk-through during the Christmas Holidays. In October, they have the non-scary family harvest activities. In Springtime they do the Easter Bunny egg hunt etc. Used to know a couple that were married here as well. Wondering if they still do that? My favorite thing to do here, is visit one of the nearby restaurants, take the food to go, and enjoy a picnic Table with benches. A beautiful thing to do here at Heritage Hill Park.

I took my children to the wildlife sanctuary yesterday and saw a big sign in front of the welcome…read morecenter about a kids summer camp. The welcome center had a large sign out front advertising it and a big sign saying "open! Visitors welcome"... I was "welcomed", and I use this term loosely, by Barbara. I asked for information about the summer camp and she was very rude to me from the start and very unhelpful. She pointed to a wall with pamphlets and said "maybe there's information there", and then after about 30 seconds began making rude comments to my children because one of them asked to hold my hand "and it was much too loud". He was not being loud... he is 4 and spoke at a normal volume. I tried to quickly look for a pamphlet so we could leave since our presence was clearly not welcome... and when he asked if we could go outside I was again met with more rude comments from Barbara about my children. This is the first time an adult has ever spoken to my children in such a rude way - I was honestly so offended I will never go back there. I was in the visitor center less than 2 minutes but it was long enough to make a last impression and keep me away. I guess I'll look for summer camps else where.

You know, if we hadn't gotten stuck in the wrong lane on our way back to our hotel, we might not…read morehave ever discovered the San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary. Without knowing what it is, I would've guessed this was just an open green space in the middle of Irvine. Little did I know, this place is a whole lot more interesting than that...and a beautiful gem, too! While there are multiples ways in and out of the sanctuary, the main entrance and parking lot is on Riparian right off of Campus Drive (there is a second, smaller lot on the Michelson end of the same street, but the stretch in between is gated off). Regardless of which way you get in, though, among the first things you'll probably notice is how big this place is and how peaceful and tranquil it feels. Walking along the dirt paths through their 300+ acres of foliage and ponds/marshes, it doesn't take long before you start to feel far removed from all of the nearby office complexes, strip malls, and housing communities. As much as we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon walking around, it could've been so much better if we had been better prepared. For one, we parked and entered by that smaller lot, so we missed out on checking out the learning center, Audubon house, visitor center, and the Duck Club. What's more, we also missed out on the butterfly garden and didn't see many birds or wildlife. Part of that could've just been due to the time of year we were here, but it probably would've helped if we had gotten ourselves informed as to what to keep an eye out for! As awesome as the San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary obviously is, perhaps the most impressive thing about it is how it was actually built to act as a water filter, but disguised as a nature preserve. Quite an accomplishment to build something to serve an infrastructural, urban need while still benefiting nature! Even more of a reason to come back on my next trip to spend more time exploring the rest of the preserve, learning center, birds, and butterflies!

Possibilities are endless here at Jeffrey Open Space Trail. When they say "open space trail", they…read morereally mean it. It's a beautiful trail. Clean. Well maintained. Scenic and peaceful. And it seems to literally stretch forever. The trail is mostly pavement, with little sections of dirt trail. I used to train for a marathon out here, and I never reached the end of the trail. Mostly turned around out of fear of getting lost (and sometimes I did end up getting lost lol). But whether you are walking, biking, jogging or training for a run, this trail is the perfect trail for it all. Parking is easy, I park at the Cypress City Park. There is a bathroom right before you enter the trail, and I remember seeing another one along the trail. It is never too crowded, a perfect place to get lost in your thoughts and get some cardio in.

A little crazy how well maintained this place is. It's a 5 mile out and back trail. There's like…read morethree restrooms in 2.5 miles (including the one at Cypress Park), which is flabbergasting but amazing. Restrooms are unlocked by 7ish and are really clean all things considered. Couple bugs given it's outdoors, but pretty comfortable to be in, and it's well stocked!

Not sure how I feel about this one. North Lake Park is beautiful, that's for sure. But is it a…read morepark? Trail? Open to public? Or private property? After taking a confused stroll around, I am still unsure. I've driven by here many times and always wanted to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised to find more info here on Yelp, as well as All Trails. So I figured it was a public accessible trail. Many people of all ages were walking, jogging, and riding e-bikes. But there was no specific way to enter or even a specific loop. Just got to walk around a beautiful lake, then turned around because I had no idea where I was going. Regardless, beautiful and serene.

A great lake for a walk and for fishing. The only minus is…read morethat the lake is private so you need a Woodbridge ID or you can be a guest of a person who has an ID.

Quail Hill Trailhead ended up being such a refreshing and unexpectedly enjoyable place to visit,…read moreand I did not realize how much there was to appreciate until I actually stepped onto the trail. Even though it is a hiking area, the atmosphere feels peaceful and energizing at the same time, and I saw a lot of teenagers there enjoying the open space. Teens would love the atmosphere because it feels safe, open, and full of freedom. The wide views, the fresh air, and the long stretches of trail make it feel like a place where teens can explore, take pictures, and enjoy being outdoors without feeling restricted or watched. It has this natural beauty that makes you want to walk a little farther just to see what is around the next corner. The service aspect at a trailhead is different from a restaurant, but the experience still feels organized and teen friendly. The signs are clear, the paths are clean, and the entire area feels well maintained. Teens appreciate when a place is easy to navigate without confusion, and Quail Hill makes that possible. The posted information about wildlife and safety feels helpful rather than intimidating, and it gives teens the confidence to explore the trail while staying aware of their surroundings. The value at Quail Hill is something teenagers would appreciate immediately because it is completely free. Teens love places where they can hang out without spending money, and Quail Hill gives them a full experience without costing anything at all. They can walk, jog, bike, take pictures, talk with friends, or simply enjoy the scenery. It is the kind of place where teens can spend an hour or an entire afternoon and feel like they got something meaningful out of it without paying a single dollar. The quality of the environment is another thing that stands out. The trail is clean, the views are beautiful, and the whole area feels peaceful in a way that teenagers would find refreshing. Teens who love taking pictures would have a great time here because the scenery looks almost unreal at certain points, with bright skies, rolling hills, and natural lighting that makes every photo look good. The environment feels like a perfect backdrop for creative pictures, and teens love places that make their photos look amazing without any effort. The selection at Quail Hill comes from the different ways you can enjoy the space. Teens can walk, jog, bike, bring pets, take pictures, or simply sit and enjoy the view. It is not a place where you are limited to one activity. Instead, it gives teens the freedom to choose the pace and style that fits their mood. That kind of flexibility is something teens really appreciate because it lets them shape the experience however they want. This was my first time visiting Quail Hill Trailhead before writing this review, and it ended up being one of the most enjoyable outdoor places I have been to in a long time. I would highly recommend that teenagers go there because the atmosphere is peaceful and energizing, the organization makes it easy to enjoy, the value is unbeatable, the quality of the scenery is beautiful, and the selection of activities gives teens a chance to feel creative and free. It is a perfect spot for teens who want something fun, refreshing, and memorable.

Went for a nice stroll this morning, and thought it'd be a perfect time to update some pictures…read more This is my favorite trail loop. I usually run this loop, and it is a lot of fun! Mostly easy running, with a little incline challenge at the end of the circle. There is a parking lot and bathroom right outside the trail, which is nice if you plan to do multi loops. I find this trail very peaceful, and look forward to coming back no matter how many times I return. Loops circles about 1.8 miles total.

A strong 4.0 to 4.25 stars for this trailhead. Walking jogging running and biking... pet friendly-…read morea straight trail from west to east. Either pavement or dirt access. Along the waythat has great scenic attributes and side short routes. Other trails nearby would be jeffery trail and the Cypress trail . The trail has a cumulative round trip of aroud 2 to 3 miles... along the way, you'll cross under a few street tunnels, run along interactive dirt trails and a few rest stops and the scenery is filled with manicured lawns clean pathways. This would be the south side entrance

growing up in this area, i've gone on this trail way too many times for me to count. it never gets…read moreold!!! there's both concrete or dirt pathways and depending on how long you want to walk for, the trail extends pretty far. if you're looking for restrooms, there's one at the hicks canyon park, citrusglen park, or eastwood (if you take that route). there's lights at night, and lots of people walk on it all the time so you feel very safe. it's very peaceful and i'm always so mentally refreshed afterwards

This cute, little historic landmark is conquistadorable. The first adobe bricks got laid here in…read more1820 back when California was Spanish. It originally served as a station between the San Juan Capistrano and San Gabriel missions. The Diego Sepulveda Adobe is the second oldest building in Orange County, and that seemed like a pretty good reason to check it out. Volunteers from The Costa Mesa Historical Society open the building to the public on the first and third Saturdays of every month from noon until four. You can see the outside of the building anytime you feel like visiting Estancia Park, but timing your visit to coincide with the open hours is worth it. My docent Kathy was a fount of historical knowledge and shared lots of fun facts with the other guests and me. It's free to visit, but you can make a donation if you're a good person. (Do it. You can go on to describe yourself as a philanthropist. That's totally worth throwing a buck in a jar. Right?) The three room adobe is filled with relics and displays that reflect the different eras of California history. I'd like it if there were more informative displays on the Spanish and Mexican periods, but the early American period is well represented and there's a nice display about local Native American history. If you just want to take a look around and see some cool old stuff, you'll only need ten minutes to check out this quirky little museum. If you get a kick out of reading plaques and maps (like me), you'll enjoy spending half an hour here on a Saturday afternoon. Much of the building has been restored, but the original adobe walls have withstood floods, earthquakes, and nearly two hundred years of Orange County history. She's a brick house... mighty, mighty.

From a historical standpoint this building is just mediocre. They didn't restore it correctly. the…read moreterra cotta shingles are clearly not original. Also The paint looks to be too brand new covering up the original adobe look entirely. As a historical site enthusiast, I was not too enthusiastic about the upkeep of this building. Glad it's still here however, that's a big positive.

It's a great experience for young and older folks. Lots of Memories in this Area. When once was a…read moreBase here. But to some of use that came to Air Shows, picked up loves one who Serviced or still service in the Marines it's always a great memory. They have a park as well and a recreational center . Great for all family.

I can't even begin to explain how awesome it was to see this amazing and historical Marine Corps…read moreAir Station (MCAS) North Hanger #1 in Tustin. As I walked through the gigantic door I felt the presence of those Marines who had served here back in the WWII era. There are two hangers here. The first, North Hanger #1 was built between October 1942 and July 1943. The South Hanger #2 was built between December 1942 and September 1943. They were built to house LTA (Lighter-than-air) helium blimps during WWII to protect the Pacific coastline. Later they would become the primary training facility for Marine Corps helicopters. These hangers are two of the largest wooden structures in the world. They are 17 stories high, 300 feet wide, over 1,000 feet long and cover 5 acres inside. As of May 2013, the South Hanger #2 is owned by the City of Tustin and was slated for demolishing. But the Orange County officials told us tonight that the City of Tustin was considering saving the South hanger. I hope they do, it would be a shame to destroy this historical site. Building #28, the North Hanger #1 is owned by the County of Orange. Tonight, May 22, 2013 was the second of three workshop meetings held with the public, inside the hanger, to discuss how to turn this 85 acre parcel of land into a Regional Park, with a budget between 50 and 70 million dollars. The third workshop meeting will also be held inside the hanger in August 2013. If you would like to attend to that meeting, go to: http://ocparks.com/about/projects/tbh and RSVP a spot. The primary entrance to the hanger is from Red Hill to Valencia Ave. to Armstrong Ave. The hangers have no real address, but the coordinates are 33.70951 Latitude & -117.825588 Longitude. They are located near the Tustin District. To view a 20 minute video on the history of the MCAS Tustin hanger go to: http://www.tustinca.org/videos/TheTustinHangars/TheTustinHangars.html In the meeting on May 22, 2013, Todd Spitzer, the supervisor of the County of Orange and the developers discussed the 'Regional Park at Former MCAS Tustin' project. Ground breaking should start mid 2014, with the park opening in the early part of 2016, taking about 18 months to complete. Some of their objectives are to complete the Mountains to Sea / Peters Canyon Regional Trail and to preserve and rehabilitate the North Hanger. To the north of the hanger, along Valencia Avenue, where there is a residential zone, they plan on an ecological zone. This will include a 15 acre lawn with Oak, Walnut, Sycamore and Cottonwood trees. Here there will be community events held, picnicking and possible blimp landings. To the south of the hanger is where the majority of the parking will be. Along with possible concerts and outdoor movies displayed on the gigantic hanger doors. Sports fields, water pools and an ice rink are also in the plans for this area. To the east of the hanger, along Armstrong Avenue, will be the 'Historical Core'. This will include a Veterans Memorial, a museum and a three quarter mile Historical Walk. There will also be a 1.5 mile jogging track around the outer park perimeter. They plan to turn the old control tower into a café and place military helicopters there for display. The hanger itself will be open for multiple public uses such as: assemblies, trade shows, weddings, farmer's markets, basketball and model airplane flying. For the meetings official presentation held on May 22, 2013 go to: http://ocparks.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=26916