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.

Had a good time hiking at this spot. Nice trail located right off of Cannon street. Great place to…read moreexercise outside in an urban setting. Several paths to walk through so the hike can vary in length. It's relatively steep to get to the top, but not more than a few hundred meters. Once on top it's pretty flat and easy. Lots of cactus . Best part is you can take dogs.

A 3.25 to a high of 3.75 star rating. Around 4 major entry points- no true parking lot - seek…read moreparking in local neighborhoods and or local school parking spaces. Pathways are thorny and filled brush and loose rocks and steep pathways lined with jagged large boulders. Made for walkers hikers and joggers. Not for quick running and pets must be on a leash. Lack of a visitor center, lack of trails benches, lack of bathrooms . The trails are moderate to hard - care must be taken- rocks are loose and can cause injuries . No trash cans - bring your junk and take your junk. Overall trail can from a rountrip can be around 3.5 miles to around 4.5 miles. Great scenic shots and lots of cactus

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.

This is one of the better hiking trails I've hiked in OC. We went on a nice overcast day several…read moredays after it rained. Dogs are allowed and be careful of poison oak. It's about a 2-3 hour round trip hike and worth it because there's a waterfall at end of hike. It's my go to hiking trail when I am back home in the OC and want to get a dose of vitamin d and nature. I'd recommend hiking early in the morning as it gets hot during peak sunny hours of the day. I'd rate this as intermediate level trail since there's rocky riverbed trail you have to hike and there's some elevation and big boulders to scale. The journey to waterfall is dynamic and you'll see nature and some interesting man made abandoned structures along the way. Hike is a good combo of fun and an adventurous exploration.

Oaks canyons nature center Super cute spot! It's located in…read moreAnaheim Hills area. There's a good amount of parking around. There's a nature center and there's boards around the park with a ton of informative facts about the different insects and animals there. There's a ton of different trails that all connect together. We went to a few different ones and circles around. Really beautiful spot for a nice stroll. There were some stairs around the area but overall easy trial.

This is such a gorgeous pocket of nature to get away from life for a while! There's so many places…read moreto go explore, people are really respectful for the most part so there's not trash on the trails, even people who bring their kids don't let them run around screaming like in some places. Nature is very much respected. It's also absolutely gorgeous! There's little Creeks, tiny waterfalls, the nature preserve itself is stunning, they have an area set up just for little birds to come visit that is beyond adorable, the birds you can come up to you! Well at least they did with us. I've also been to several weddings here, it's a really nice venue. Especially if people put lights up and have a dusk wedding OMG Parking is free, cheaper than therapy, wonderful break from the rat race. This is by far my favorite place in Orange County to just unplug.

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.

I've been biking on this trail everyday now. Personally, I'm getting more and more fond of it. It's…read moretrying to be part of my lifestyle these days. The trail is relatively safe. I don't see as many homeless people as I used to which is a very nice and refreshing. Some of the landscapes along the trail are just too beautiful. Who needs a gym when you have the Santa Ana River Trail!

This trail has so many great parks and a little bathroom…read moreAlong the route. Very safe and clear. Be careful of bikers but there are trails for runners. Go earlier if you're a runner. The bikers come after 7am. Highly recommend if you're in the area. Fun for all ages

Recently found this trail and so happy we did…read more Easily accessible from both sides, with restrooms. Clean well kept. Has markers along the way to indicate the miles. Benches for seating. Biking and dogs allowed. Unfortunately not a lot of shade, but a hat and some sun screen and you are golden. Perfect spot to start or end your day to get your movement in!

I love being able to make a short drive to this cute little park to walk/run/ride/bird the trail…read more There's a lot of shade on the trail which I love. I hate being out under the sun so I can use alllll the shade! There are several entrances to this place depending on what you want to do. The South St side is a better one for birding. There's parking on one end and residential on another end. Great place to have your leisure walks by yourself or with your dog.

My family and I met several of my daughter's high school classmates at this park to take photos…read morebefore they departed for their prom. The big deal here is to take photos adjacent to the large water fountain. This is an extremely popular photo location, as over 100 students here in formal wear from various high schools. The park itself was very clean and well-maintained, with numerous areas for visitors to take photos. Parking is available in one of the numerous parking lots surrounding the park.

Love this place for a great walk , there's uphill , stairs benches , grass and a basketball field…read more They have some Zumba and dance classes, also DJ sometimes . Great place to chill

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.

Overall a wonderful park - lots of PLAYGROUNDS for all ages, TENNIS COURTS, nice walking paths, big…read moregrass areas, and public RESTROOMS throughout the park. The playgrounds are so much fun for our kids and it is also a great space for picnics too. There is a lot of parking here and it's never too busy. Only downside is that you have to pay $3 to $5 to get in but it is well worth it. Definitely one of our top favorite parks to bring the family.

I looked for walking spots in the Brea area and this park popped up. There was a bit of a line to…read moreget in on Memorial Day and the cost for parking on a holiday was $7. The display also showed $5 for weekends and $3 midweek. We wanted to do the Redwood trail and were directed to parking lot A. The park is big and beautifully landscaped with a pond and various picnic areas that can be rented in advance. There is enough space to set up all kinds of games. We brought a picnic lunch and sat on a bench that was perfectly situated alone amongst the desert plants. After lunch, we followed the signs for the Redwood Grove Trail which was labeled as easy and is a 1.5 miles dirt trail to the Redwood trees. When you arrive you'll see a small Redwood forest with the history of the trees displayed before you enter. A really beautiful and peaceful spot to relax for a bit. On our way back we decided to take the Creek Trail to see where it would lead us. I was hoping to see water at the end of this trail. But, we only saw a bunch of rocks at one point that may be filled with water if it rains. The end of this trail did lead us to a beautiful butterfly garden and the opposite end of the park. We made the walk back and stopped at the pond. There appeared to be other trails surrounding the park and a trail that leads to the Carbon Canyon Dam.