PLEASE NOTE: This is a Fitness Hike; pace is approximately a 19 minute mile. Please arrive 15 minutes early.

Raise your heart rate and your spirits on this difficult, strenuous and fast-paced, 4.8-mile hike (400-ft. elevation gain) over very steep, uneven terrain with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers. Ages 18 and up. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center (west side of Laguna Canyon Road/SR-133, approximately 3.5 miles south of I-5/405). Online reservations required: www.lagunacanyon.org/activities. For questions, call 949-497-8324 Mon-Fri or 949-923-2235 Sat/Sun. Parking: $3/vehicle.

Imagine your fingers as twigs, arms as branches, your hair as leaves and body as the trunk …your body closely resembles that of a tree!  Discover what makes a tree so mighty as you explore our tall, leafy friends up close. We will create our little silhouettes into tree posters to hang at home; then, hike to explore the local trees in Bommer Canyon.

This program is perfect for wee little ones, ages 2 – 6 years of age. We will spend the first half of the program enjoying our program’s topic, possibly making a craft or listening to a story, and then we will explore the trails in an easy paced walk, suitable for off-road strollers and carrying packs. Parent or guardian must register and attend along with their child.

Enjoy an evening fitness hike through stunning rock formations and fragrant native plants as you listen to the sounds of nature. This hike is done at your own pace as a walk, jog, or run (speed range typically 2.5 to 3.5 mph), so is suitable for beginners who are just starting their fitness program as well as more experienced hikers who are looking for a workout. This out-and-back program travels the 3.5 mile route to scenic Loma Ridge (450′ elevation gain) and back down, with most participants completing the route in about 1.5 hours. The hike is family-friendly, but children must be closely supervised by an adult and able to hike with the group, or be safely carried by a strong adult or secured in a jogging stroller. This activity originates in the City of Irvine and travels into OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-3 activity on the land.

Come out and enjoy the evening with us on the Orchard Hills loop trail. This trail meanders around an avocado orchard on the edge of the open space preserve and provides fantastic ridge-top views of Irvine and the Pacific coastline.

The three-mile loop has several very steep climbs, but the hike is done at a moderate pace. The effort is rewarded with a beautiful, unobstructed view to the west. Please bring water and wear sturdy shoes. This hike is not suitable for children under 12.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-3 activity on the land

Join us on this epic hike from the bottom of Fremont Canyon to the bold, sandstone outcrops marking the ridgeline locally known as “Mini Moab.” This extremely challenging out-and-back hike is for experienced, physically fit distance hikers. We climb steeply along ranch roads past an abandoned coal mine, the Fremont Weather Station, remnants of a rare stand of Tecate cypress, and Lizard Rock. Less than a mile after entering the Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve, we reach our destination. The view from Mini Moab is nothing short of spectacular! After a break for snacks and to enjoy the view, we’ll retrace our steps back to the Fremont Staging Area.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-5 activity on the land.

There is no shade on this route. Each participant must carry their own sturdy day pack and water and must be comfortable maintaining an average moving pace of 3 miles per hour including uphill for the duration of this difficult hike. Under-prepared participants may be denied access to the program.

Please review our Trail Tips page and FAQ page to prepare for this hike

Volunteers will be stocking and checking supplies at all North Ranch Staging Areas

Enjoy the relaxation of riding in the wilderness on empty trails and join us on this docent led mountain bike ride through Limestone Canyon. We will first visit Dripping Springs which is a fern covered, year-round source of water for the local wildlife. The ride will then continue on past the Sinks to our turn-around point at the old ranch water tank on Mustard Road;  this point offers panoramic views of the entire Sinks geological formation, the Agua Chinon watershed, Orange County and the Santa Ana Mountains.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-4 activity on the land. Electric Mountain Bikes of any class or type are not permitted.

Join us for a strenuous, extremely challenging, fast-paced, early morning cardio hike in Fremont Canyon.  This is a 16 mile cardio AND RUN hike, completed in 4 1/2 hours, includes a 3500+ foot elevation change. This hike is for experienced, physically fit hikers who enjoy the challenge of multiple steep climbs and descents.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-5 activity on the land.

Join us for a challenging docent-led mountain bike ride for very experienced off-road riders in excellent cardio shape. Climb challenging State Spur to Cathedral Rock, and then descend into Fremont Canyon while passing some of Orange County’s most spectacular geological formations. The ride continues out to Mini-Moab and then over to Sierra Peak, passing the Tecate Cypress forest, then past Sierra Peak, and over to the last descent down through historic Black Star Canyon.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-5 activity on the land. Electric Mountain Bikes of any class or type are not permitted.

This slower-paced interpretive hike in Limestone Canyon is 7 miles and included some hills trekking to Dripping Springs; a fern-covered rock face dripping with life-giving water creating an essential watering hole for wildlife in the canyon.

Are you a nature lover, hiker, gardener, or just need to get outside to refresh yourself? Does the idea of adopting a canyon interest you? Please come help Irvine Ranch Conservancy restore local habitat, native plants, and wildlife so they may thrive in the canyon of Agua Chinon. No experience is necessary other than a desire to explore and care for our open space. Participants may engage in plant identification, removal of invasive weeds, and planting native plants.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-3 activity on the land.

Come and explore the entire Buck Gully Reserve trail system. Beginning from the Oasis Senior Center, we’ll hike up through the almost 3-mile length of the canyon, then along San Joaquin Hills Road for a bit, stopping at Canyon Watch Park where we will take in the panoramic view of the reserve and the Pacific coastline before descending back into the canyon along the Bobcat Trail. Please bring water, a light trail snack, sturdy closed-toe shoes and supplies to keep you safe during the journey. Sunscreen and a hat are highly recommended. This activity is conducted at a walking pace, approximately 3 miles per hour.

PLEASE NOTE: Poison oak grows in abundance throughout the entire Buck Gully Reserve trail system.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-3 activity on the land.

The title says it all. This is your chance to venture deep in the Irvine backcountry. Join us for a challenging and beautiful adventure.

Hiking distance is up to 14 miles and is designed for advanced hikers. Participants must be physically fit and have distance hiking experience. Singletrack trails, steep climbs and descents are numerous on this route, with over 2,400 feet of accumulated climbing elevation.

Most months, the route stays in the Irvine Open Space Preserve for its entirety, but will occasionally feature hiking to the sea and back: beginning in Bommer, the hike will head into Crystal Cove State Park, then pass through Laguna Coast Wilderness Park before returning to the Irvine preserve.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-5 activity on the land.

Join us for a challenging and beautiful adventure as we hike to the Hangman’s Tree Monument on Loma Ridge. Hike distance is 6 miles and affords fantastic views along the way, spanning the Pacific coastline, San Gabriel peaks and the Santa Ana Mountains. Several very steep climbs and descents are part of this route. We’ll accumulate almost 1800 feet of climbing elevation along this route.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-4 activity on the land.

Join Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers in beautiful Laguna Coast Wilderness Park at our native plant nursery as we care for native plants from their seed stage to their mature, ready-to-be planted stage. Volunteers may collect seeds, sow seeds in flats, bump plants up, plant at restoration sites, sterilize plant containers, and/or help maintain the facilities for the plants. Gain hands-on experience with habitat restoration while working alongside other zany and interesting plant lovers! Wear close toed shoes, layered clothing and sun protection. Bring water. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Willow Canyon Staging Area (west side of Laguna Canyon Rd/SR-133, just south of El Toro Road). Park and walk up the gravel trail 100 yards to get to the small native plant nursery, just before the trailers. Free parking passes will be provided for you at the nursery. Youth ages 16 and 17 are eligible to volunteer with parent permission. A form is required to be signed by their parent or guardian prior to starting the volunteer activities. Youth under the age of 16 are not eligible to volunteer unless accompanied by an adult or guardian. On line reservations required: lagunacanyon.org/activities Forms available on this webpage as well. For questions, call 949-497-8324 Mon-Fri or 949-923-2235 Sat/Sun.