Likes: + The BMX Dirt Trails are a fun sight to behold. If you're lucky, you'll catch skilled bikers doing awesome tricks off the curves and ramps. + Located right by the Santa Ana River Trail. If you're biking this trail between Corona city and Huntington Beach, Talbert Park as well as Fairview Park may serve as a couple pleasant detours. + Peaceful ambience in some parts of this park. Non-likes: - Limited parking. The parking & pedestrian access options from Sea Bluff Dr & Sea Cove Ln section is limited. You'll prob wanna park around the Discovery Dr & Balboa Blvd intersection. read more

Love this regional park. Please keep it clean and just the way it is. So nice to have a bit of nature close by, to escape to. Love seeing the birds, wildflowers, little paths through nature - not a fake manicured park, regional parks are my personal favorites. read more

Great park for biking, jogging and hiking. Multiple trails offers a fun filled day for adventurous people and their families. read more

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I needed a change of scenery from my normal stomping grounds, and decided to check out the Talbert Nature Preserve. Despite driving by it countless times, I wasn't sure where to park - ended up at the Fairview Community Park with plenty of grass, parking and entrances to multiple trails. With that said, there are a lot of paths you can take - it was overwhelming being on a "choose your own adventure" walk for my first time here. There were paved paths, dirt roads, and even some hills - all of which help walkers, joggers, runners and bikers keep it interesting on their morning outings. I brought my dog and appreciated the amount of poop bags and trash cans, along with a water fountain that had a doggy bowl spout. My pup and I had fun exploring, even though we veered significantly from the path that Alltrails recommended. With that said, I look forward to meandering around the park in the future - if you're short on time and have never been here, be mindful that you may end up taking you on the scenic route. See you on the trail(s)! read more

Your walk may depend on what side you are on. If you are on the Talbert side leading to Fairview, it is a mellow walk. On the other side, closer to Canyon Park, there is nothing particularly cool to see, but just nice to walk leisurely. (if the trails allow because it can get very muddy.) Be careful of the bikes that seem to fly by and the people that have moved in with tents in secluded spaces.. Also saw a coyote once and heard one another time. read more

Oh boy. Talbert Regional Park is better suited for a murder mystery movie set than a nice morning stroll. We were in the area and wanted to go on a little hike or walk, and decided to check out Talbert. It looked huge and pretty from the maps. It started out really green and nice, then quickly turned into pure mud and trash. There looked to be some fun dirt jumps built for kids to ride bikes on, but other than that this park was pretty post-apocalyptic. We had to turn back and go around several times because the road/trail was totally washed out with 6-inch deep water and sticky mud. It hadn't even rained recently, it was just stagnant dirty water. There was also trash EVERYWHERE. Some was just loose, but some was in bags and thrown off to the side, like some public employees had forgotten to drag out the bags. Overall this needs a lot of cleanup but has potential. Until then, I really wouldn't feel comfortable walking alone here even during the day. read more

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First, some definitions. I'm going to call Talbert Nature Preserve the same at Talbert Regional Park: the area bounded by the Santa Ana River to the west, and Fairview Park to the east (northern section) and Canyon Park to the east (southern section). Keep in mind that a lot of the reviews here seem to confuse all of these parks, or just concentrate on one half of the preserve. Refer to their website for further explanation. You'll also find valuable information on the website such as - They have no onsite parking. You have to park at Fairview, Canyon, or ride your bike (the park is accessible via the Santa Ana River Trail). - The park has six different environmental zones based upon the terrain and the unique biological habitats. - It closes at sunset (unlike what the Yelp profile indicates). - Please don't pick any wildflowers (I can't believe that they even have to mention this). - Watch out for rattlesnakes! In the northern section, there is a secluded area for picnics with bathrooms that always seem to be locked. In the southern section, there is an area for BMX's. None of the hiking trails are particularly challenging, but they are great if you want to peacefully relax in a nature setting. You'll see far fewer people on the trails than you will at Fairview and Canyon Parks. Please treat all of the flora and fauna with respect. If you're lucky, you may see a coyote! read more

Such a beautiful and peaceful park! Love that you can only get to the Nature Center by foot or bike. It's not called Squirrel Park for no reason. Keep your food airtight or you lose lunch and possibly a finger! read more

Talbert Regional Park - Parks Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

sheep hills is the best part of talbert regional park and everyone that leaves pictures or reviews that say sheep hills is ruining wildlife are mad that their old ahh can't have fun anymore. read more

Not easy to find. Still can't figure out how to get to other sections of the preserve. I found the area that flows from Canyon Park. Very secluded and wasn't sure if it was safe when a group of sketchy looking guys on bikes came through. Saw things on the ground that looked like homeless belongings and two needles Was very peaceful and quiet, but I had no cell phone coverage with T Mobile, so could not stream music or radio read more

I live near this place and let me tell you, it's a dump. OC Parks & Rec do NOT do their job! I've tried and tried to get them out there to repair the fences, clean up graffiti, etc and they ignored me every single time. They only bothered to respond when I took my complaints to Facebook. Besides the homeless people who cause wildfires all the time, the BMXers are completely destroying it with the Sheephills, which needs to be flattened out. And there are people illegally fishing in Victoria Pond! And OC Parks & Rec REFUSE to take these complaints seriously! As someone who fishes myself it's not the fishing that bothers me, it's the fact it's ILLEGAL to fish there! If fishing was legal there I'd be down there all the time. In fact, considering that so many cities charge to do any freshwater fishing in their lakes and ponds, OC Parks & Rec are losing out on a lot of money by not making fishing legal there. Yes, the pond would have to be stocked, but make the fishing free and just put in a bait & snack shop that also sells fishing licenses or charge but a LOT less than other places (like say $10 as opposed to the $27 other places charge) they could be making a lot of money. Plus the fact that this would mean a lot more people down there would drive out the homeless as they'd know the area was more heavily patrolled. It's becoming clear to me that the reason OC P&R doesn't care for this area is because my neighborhood is not rich enough for them. Since they can't do their job, they should give control and ownership of the land to Costa Mesa. If you compare TNP to Canyon Park, you'd see Costa Mesa P&R does a FAR superior job. They actually care! read more

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When I was looking for Talbert I totally passed it the first time. It looked just like a bike trail next to a long, dried canal (the Santa Ana river). I was slightly disappointed after hearing it was a 91.5 acre reserve with 6 zones of differing wildlife. I parked in a the small park's parking lot (where Victoria St and Pacific Ave intersected) and walked downhill towards the canal onto the bike path. After walking 5 minutes up the canal path, I took the walking / biking / equestrian riding detour to the right and the sound of cars started fading away and it started looking more and more pretty. There are 6 different zones (i.e. wetlands, sand dunes, woodlands), which was quite nice to see (though the contrast wasn't that great). Following the path there were lush bushes, grasses and trees behind a roped pathway (weird, but I guess for plant reservation). After walking for a mile off a smaller pathway, I started hearing only the chirping of birds, the constant breeze, the rustling leaves from lizards and the occasional biker. Rabbits, birds, lizards and squirrels were common as there weren't many people around. I'd rank Talbert slightly above average. It was a pretty and peaceful respite right close to home. read more

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Sometimes I'll take my breaks here whether it be to take my lunch and enjoy the picnic area or take a nature walk for some exercise. They have random signs of what that specific area of the "preserve" is suppose to be, but they're not. It would be useful information if the land was setup like that but, without maintenance it's just a mess. I did read there are homeless people there but they usually keep to themselves. Of course my visits are during the day so it's not as scary at night. The picnic area is pleasent. Its shaded and has tables where I am currently writing this review. You can enjoy "squirrel fight club". Those little flea infested, plague hosting bastards throw down! Who'd think such cute little rodents can be so violent? Well I knew but did you? Now you do! I really just use this "nature preserve" as a pathway to get to the real gem: Fairview Park and Wetlands! read more

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Okay so LOVED this reserve. However, the name in google is misleading. If you were to type in "Talbert Regional Park" And it will take you in circles around the park to no specific parking area none of which you can park at. You have to type in "Talbert Nature Reserve" which will take you into a neighborhood with a small parking lot and entrance into the side of the reserve. I'm would highly recommend checking this place out as it is a nice dog friendly location to spend a few hours in. If you have a stroller, note that parts of the trail are silly sandy and you may get trapped however is over an easy walk. read more

Maybe I'll give it another try sometime, but this park felt like a big "miss" to me. As has been stated in other reviews, there is no parking on site. Why create a park with no real direct access? Seems a waste and frankly just kind of odd considering it's in the middle of a populated area. I parked on the street and headed down into the park with my dog. I quickly started to feel creeped out. I could see people who didn't look like they were out to exercise or enjoy nature up ahead of me popping across the trail. After a few minutes, I decided that I didn't want to stay because I felt unsafe. As I headed back to my car, a very unsavory looking male stood at the end of the trail I was on, directly in the middle of the path, and stared at me. He moved along after an uncomfortable period of time, but it made me feel very uneasy to walk past where he was. I was glad to have a knife along with me. Fairview Park has a much better overall feel. And to be clear, I have hiked miles and miles in many wild places alone, but this one did not sit well with me. read more

Came here yesterday afternoon and, not sure if I just picked a crappy day to come, but I thought it was just ok. A week after rains, and the trails were still really muddy -- not good for my small dogs or my 3 year old. In the middle of the "preserve" they have a designated area, where the sand has been formed to create like a skate park. Honestly, I am not quite sure what this is doing in the middle of a nature preserve? Saw a bunch of kids hanging out here, surrounded by tall grasses, no supervision. Seems like an invitation to trouble and trash -- which we saw evidence of throughout the trails. Pros: Trails are dog friendly (from the entrance I came in, I saw no baggies-- bring your own). Trails are flat, which make this easy for kids, everyone (but not after the rain, of course). Assuming its been dry, I can see a stroller coming through here with no problem. Cons: Trails are really muddy for extended periods of time after it rains. I didn't see any trail maps, or clear signs. The OC parks links aren't working right now either. While I didn't see much dog poop, we did encounter plenty of litter on the trails. Things to note: I didn't see any bathrooms here. I came in from the entrance at Victoria St, which means we parked on the street off of Valley Rd and walked down. There seems to be street parking on the southern end of the preserve, off of Balboa Blvd, that looks like a better alternative. Eh, I dunno if it was the muddy trails or the roudy skate kids, but this place just has potential. I'd much rather go down the street to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, even if I can't bring my pups. For the kids, Vista Park up the street is a small but great park-- they have a playground, bathrooms, and picnic benches at the west side of the park to check out the sunset before heading home. read more

Talbert Regional Park - Stays really muddy long after it rains. - Parks Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Nice morning at the park. Things are blooming. It's quite muddy, we ventured into mud. read more

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I didn't think this place was that bad. Then again my dog Zulu and I only walked around the outside edges of the preserve, we didn't take any of the trails through the middle of it. (Yet, though I plan on coming back). Parking was pretty easy I thought. It's right behind Fairview Park so we just parked at the lot there and then took a trail to the Talbert Nature Preserve. There seem to be quite a few trails hear though perhaps not as nice as Fairview Park itself, but still long trails. Its all flat, and I believe you can get to the Santa Ana River Bike/Trail from this park as well. Overall I liked it, it's "nature-y" though not as interesting to look at as other parks. We will be back again sometime. read more

Talbert Regional Park - Parks Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I enjoy taking my dog on walks at this park. The park and paths are not crowded. The park is clean mostly, but there are some homeless people and their stuff in the bushes. The trails are really easy. read more

Talbert Regional Park - Walking in the mud - Parks Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I assume someone was looking to to earn their "first to check in" badge when trying to reveal this little gem. Fun bike trail, nice hidden peaceful park, great hill on a bike when going to Fairview park to hit the bluffs. For the bike riders that get tired of the pedestrians on the beach path or the people that have long leashes and refuse to reel their dog in, this is a nice change of scenery. The more popular this place the more those people will show up so lets not tell too many people about here. Directions seem to be lacking so hopefully i can add to what others have. There are two entrances to the park from the wash - either 50 yards north of Victoria or about 150 yards south of Adams. The park is on the south (or east depending on how you view the world) side of the wash. If you can only be on the north side of the wash there is an awesome bridge (reminds me of an old wooden roller coaster) that can connect you to the southside half way between Adams and Victoria. If you cross over the bridge just go north about 20 yards and make a U turn and that lower path leads to a small opening to the park (it's currently fenced on both sides but it's open). If you're trying to get here by the beach path off PCH you need to think of the wash as an intersection and the entrance is on the Northeast corner. read more

Great place for a hike. Love the scenery, the hidden little gems throughout the place. Just wish the homeless problem wasn't so rampant.

Not a very big park. I've taken my dog here and roamed around. It was a little creepy. Looks like some homeless might frequent the park. I don't think some people would feel safe walking around here by themselves. read more

Beautiful nature preserve. You can take a nice long walk and hit many beautiful flowers and wildlife.

Like most people said, this place was hard to find. I ended up parking at Victoria Vista Park, then walked down the Victoria St. hill a bit until I got to the opening for the river trail and took that to the other side of the street. You then have to walk back up to the street to find a small path that leads in the preserve. You COULD also just jaywalk across. ;) This is a good place to take a nice walk, but wait a few days after it rains. The paths get extremely slimy and muddy. I can't wait to see what this place looks like during the spring! read more

I really enjoyed this park. The trails are lined with informational boards that give some interesting information about the vernal pools and the endangered shrimp that live here. The park is 3.5 acres with lots of trails! Perfect for mountain bikes, jogging, and walking. Place is filled with many individuals trying to get a good workout. I have read some of the reviews about this place being a "dump" or filled with homeless people. I didn't experience any of that as far as homeless people go but as far as the park itself it's not gorgeous but I still enjoyed it. There is a few ponds filled with ducks but unfortunately not many good views of them since they are covered by brush or barricaded due to it being protected. Looking for a casual walk or something slightly more intense but not wanting anything intimidating? Come here. Have a picnic too. Also there's an airplane flying group that gathers here. Pretty cool to see the planes flying around doing stunts. read more

Love taking morning walks here. The sunsets are amazing! We are lucky to have a place with so much nature in the middle of a city. Many different birds and animal can been seen easily each day. Leads directly to the beach. read more

Its right next to the Fairview park which makes it easy for me to get to by going right thru both parks. Quite a beautiful trail for a nice walk, jog/run. There's a restroom area with fountains which is nice since the park and Fairview park together are a walk. read more

There is no access to the reserve at 1298 Victoria as of November 2010. There is a very small sign at that address and a gate across the driveway. I was willing to give up at that point but my friend made four or five calls to the county. To get to the park from there, go up Victoria. Do a left on Placentia. Estancia School will eventually show up on the left. Drive past the school and turn left into the Fairview Park lot. There are no signs to guide you to the preserve. Leave the parking lot heading towards 2:00. You are on a bluff. There are stairs and a paved road down to the preserve but you have to stumble across them. Once you get below the bluff, there is a fenced area you wander along to find an opening. This is the preserve (finally a sign confirms it.) There is a nice tree shaded lawn (how "natural" that is I won't debate.) For the other 5 habitats, you need to be a botanist or birder to appreciate them. Was all this trouble worth it? If you're a runner or bicyclist and just need miles to roll on, this is probably great. (We kept having to move out of the way to let bikes by.) For other people, there are many other parks with trees and lawn that are far easier to get to in Costa Mesa and the county. There were lots of dogs off the leash, including a pit bull. read more

It was my first time at this nature preserve yesterday. I ate the asphalt after falling off my skateboard at Vista Park but still made it to Talbert. The walk into the wild was pretty interesting at first until I saw the fence. Didn't know there was an opening to the other side so I hopped it with my injured knee. Saw the huge pond and took several pictures. Walked back out and took another trail. This trail led me deeper into the "wilderness". Had to dodge the big branches and shrubs to continue on with my exploration. There I saw a BUNCH of trash laid out on the ground...which really disturbs me. I feel like there's homeless people who camped out here not too long ago. There were these dugouts that look like trenches, had me thinking about Trench Warfare! What caught my attention was these huts made of sticks and leaves, kinda had me thinking that there were still Indians around today HAHA. I got lost after walking to the middle of the preserve. Low battery on my phone too, so I had to choose my paths wisely. In the end I had loads of fun exploring nature of this place while getting lost and finding my way back. Definitely coming back again, maybe with some friends so we can play hide and seek! lol read more