Stone, R: Day Hikes Around Orange County

Orange County is more than just a suburban landscape. More than 30% of the land is preserved greenspace. The county's long, sandy coastline is backdropped by the undeveloped Santa Ana Mountains. The coast-to-mountain geography creates a diverse terrain that offers many opportunities for exploration. This essential guide describes how to get to trailheads in the Santa Ana Range, the best trails in the county's parklands, and access points to the coastline.

SANTA ANA MOUNTAINSChino Hills . Brea . Yorba LindaChino Hills State Park (Hikes 1-12)Carbon Canyon Park Entrance 1¿. Carbon Canyon Regional Park 2. Gilman Peak from North Ridge 3. Gilman Peak Loop: North Ridge-Telegraph Canyon TrailsRimcrest Park Entrance 4. South Ridge-Telegraph Canyon Loop (west end) 5. San Juan Hill from Rimcrest DriveBane Canyon Park Entrance 6. Upper Aliso Canyon 7. Upper Aliso Canyon-Raptor Ridge 8. Hills For Everyone-Four Corners-Telegraph Canyon Loop 9. San Juan Hill from Rolling M Ranch: South Ridge-Telegraph Canyon Loop (east end) 10. Water Canyon 11. Scully Ridge-Lower Aliso Canyon 12. McLean OverlookAnaheim . Anaheim Hills . Orange . TustinAnaheim Hills . Orange . North Tustin (Hikes 13-24) 13. Yorba Regional Park 14. Oak Canyon Nature CenterSantiago Oaks . Irvine Regional Parks (Hikes 15-22) 15. Santiago Creek Loop: Santiago Oaks Regional Park 16. Windes-Pacifica Loops to Rattlesnake Ridge¿: Santiago Oaks Regional Park 17. Robber's Peak from Santiago Creek: Santiago Oaks Regional Park 18. Robber's Peak Loop: Anaheim Hills Trail-Serrano Avenue¿: Santiago Oaks Regional Park 19. Weir Canyon Loop: Weir Canyon Wilderness ParkIrvine Regional Park (Hikes 20-22) 20. Puma Ridge-Horseshoe Loop: Irvine Regional Park 21. Santiago Creek-Horseshoe Loop: Irvine Regional Park 22. Roadrunner Loop: Irvine Regional Park 23. Peters Canyon Reservoir: Peters Canyon Regional Park 24. Peters Canyon-East Ridge Loop: Peters Canyon Regional ParkLake Forest . Foothill Ranch . Mission ViejoRancho Santa Margarita . Coto de CazaHighway 241 (Hikes 21-31)Limestone Canyon . Whiting Ranch (Hikes 25-27) 25. Borrego Canyon to Vista Lookout¿: Limestone Canyon-Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park 26. Borrego Canyon-Red Rock Canyon: Limestone Canyon-Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park 27. Serrano Canyon Loop to Four Corners: Limestone Canyon-Whiting Ranch Wilderness ParkO'Neill Regional Park (Hikes 28-30) 28. Live Oak Trail to Vista Point: O'Neill Regional Park 29. Edna Spaulding Nature Trail: O'Neill Regional Park 30. Arroyo Trabuco Trail: O'Neill Regional Park 31. Riley Wilderness ParkSantiago Canyon RoadSilverado . Modjeska . Trabuco CanyonSantiago Canyon Road (Hikes 32-40) 32. Black Star Canyon 33. Silverado Trail to Overlook: Silverado Canyon 34. Silverado Trail to Bedford Peak: Silverado Canyon 35. Harding Road to Santiago Canyon Viewpoint¿: Modjeska Canyon 36. Harding Road to Laurel Spring: Modjeska Canyon 37. Santiago Trail to Vulture Crags¿: Modjeska Grade-Santiago CanyonTrabuco Canyon (Hikes 38-40) 38. Holy Jim Falls: Holy Jim Canyon 39. Trabuco Canyon to West Horsethief Trail: Trabuco Canyon 40. Trabuco Canyon-West Horsethief Loop to North Main Divide Road: Trabuco CanyonOrtega Highway Corridorto Wildomar . Murrieta . TemeculaOrtega Highway . Lower Santa Ana Mountains (Hikes 41-65)Caspers Wilderness ParkCaspers Wilderness Park (Hikes 41-48)Trails of Caspers Wilderness Park 41. Juaneno Trail-San Juan Creek Loop 42. Lower East Ridge Loop 43. Lower Bell Canyon-East Ridge Loop 44. Pinhead Peak 45. Upper Bell Canyon 46. Upper Bell Canyon-East Ridge Loop 47. Bell Canyon-Oak Trail Loop 48. Bell Canyon-West Ridge LoopUpper Ortega HighwayNorth Main Divide RoadUpper Ortega Highway (Hikes 49-57) 49. San Juan Loop 50. Lower Chiquito Trail . San Juan Canyon to the Lion Canyon OverlookNorth Main Divide Road to trailheads (Hikes 51-54) 51. Upper Chiquito Trail: San Juan Trail to Lion Canyon 52. Upper Lion Canyon-Chiquito Basin Loop 53. Upper Hot Spring Canyon to Hot Spring Falls 54. Los Pinos Peak from North Main Divide Road 55. El Cariso Nature Trail¿ . El Cariso Fire Station and Visitor CenterSan Mateo Canyon WildernessSan Mateo Canyon Wilderness (Hikes 56-60)San Mateo Canyon Wilderness and Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve (Hikes 56-65) 56. Bear Canyon-Bear Ridge Loop 57. Morgan Trail-Morrell Canyon: South Main Divide Road to Ortega Highway 58. Tenaja Falls 59. Upper San Mateo Canyon: San Mateo Creek-Fisherman's Camp Loop 60. Tenaja Canyon: Tenaja Trail-Fisherman's Camp LoopSanta Rosa PlateauSanta Rosa Plateau (Hikes 61-65) 61. Tovashal Trail-Sylvan Meadows Loop 62. Granite-Vista Grande-Waterline Loop 63. Wiashal Trail to Cole Canyon 64. Coyote Trail-Oak Tree Loop 65. Vernal Pools and Historic Adobes LoopTHE COASTLINEPalos Verdes PeninsulaTorrance to Long BeachPalos Verdes Peninsula to Corona Del Mar (Hikes 66-80)Palos Verdes Peninsula (Hikes 66-70) 66. Point Vicente Fishing Access Trail 67. Abalone Cove and Portuguese Point 68. Portuguese Bend Overlook: Crenshaw Extension Trail from Del Cerro Park 69. South Coast Botanic Garden 70. White Point and Point Fermin Park 71. Long Beach Oceanfront Trail to Belmont Pier: Long Beach City Beach 72. Belmont Pier to Alamitos Peninsula and Bay: Long Beach City Beach 73. El Dorado Nature Center: El Dorado ParkSeal Beach to Newport BayHuntington Beach 74. Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve 75. Huntington Beach . Bluff Top Park¿ . Bolsa Chica State Beach to Huntington Pier 76. Newport Beach . Balboa Peninsula . Newport Pier to West Jetty View ParkNewport Beach 77. Corona Del Mar State Beac 78. Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve: North Corridor from Interpretive Center 79. Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve 80. Back Bay Drive¿: Upper Newport Bay Ecological ReserveSouth Coast Wilderness AreaNewport Beach to San Clemente (Hikes 81-112)San Juaquin Hills¿ . South Coast Wilderness Park (Hikes 81-100) 81. Crystal Cove Oceanfront Bluffs: Crystal Cove State Park 82. West Wall of El Moro Canyon: Crystal Cove State Park 83. El Moro Canyon to Bommer Ridge¿: Crystal Cove State Park 84. Emerald Bay Overlook: Crystal Cove State Park 85. El Moro Canyon-Moro Ridge Loop¿: Crystal Cove State Park 86. Bommer Ridge-Laguna Ridge Loop from Laguna Canyon¿: Laguna Coast Wilderness Park 87. Emerald Canyon-Bommer Ridge Loop: Laguna Coast Wilderness Park 88. Laurel Canyon-Willow Canyon Loop¿: Laguna Coast Wilderness Park 89. Barbara's Lake¿: James Dilley Greenbelt Preserve . Laguna Coast Wilderness Park 90. Laguna Beach Bluffs and Heisler Park: Crescent Bay Point Park to Main Beach 91. Top of the World from Temple Hill: Carolyn Wood View Knoll 92. Lower West Ridge-Wood Canyon-Mathis Canyon Loop: Laguna Coast . Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Parks 93. Upper West Ridge-Upper Wood Canyon Loop: Laguna Coast . Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Parks 94. Aliso Canyon and Wood Canyon¿: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park 95. Sulphur Creek Reservoir¿: Laguna Niguel Regional Park 96. Aliso Summit Trail¿: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park 97. Aliso Peak from Seaview Park: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park 98. Seaview Trail from Badlands Park¿: Badlands Park . Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park 99. Aliso Peak from South Laguna Ridge Trail¿: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park 100. Aliso Peak from Valido Trail¿: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness ParkDana Point Headlands to San Mateo PointDana Point . San Juan Capistrano . San Clemente 101. Salt Creek Beach Park 102. Salt Creek Trail from Salt Creek Beach Park 103. Dana Point Harbor 104. Blufftops of Dana Harbor¿: Ken Sampson Overview Park-Hide Trail 105. Heritage Park 106. Lantern Bay Park 107. Doheny State Beach to Capistrano Beach Park 108. Pines Park 109. Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail 110. San Clemente State Beach to San Mateo Point 111. Trestles Beach at San Mateo Point¿ . San Onofre State Beach North 112. San Onofre Bluffs: San Onofre State Beach SouthCompanion GuidesIndex