The 26-facility county parks system includes the Irvine Ranch Open Space, comprising Limestone Canyon, Weir Canyon and Fremont Canyon nature preserves, as well as Black Star Canyon Wilderness Park.
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Description
The Irvine Ranch Open Space spans nearly 25,000 acres in the Eastern Foothills of Orange County and consists of protected wildlands, including six nature preserves. Named a State and National Natural Landmark, OC Parks stewards these special lands in close coordination with the Irvine Ranch Conservancy as a land management contractor and The Nature Conservancy, a conservation organization. Various educational and recreational opportunities are available through regularly scheduled programs only. When the County received the property, it did so with strict environmental protections already in place to safeguard its rare and precious natural resources. OC Parks continues to uphold the conservation obligations inherited with the property and balances environmental stewardship efforts with robust scheduled access opportunities.
Hiking, biking and equestrian activities within Irvine Ranch Open Space are accessible through monthly self-guided Wilderness Access Days or scheduled activities. Wilderness Access Days allow for self-guided exploration at your own pace. Docent-led guided access takes place in small group tours with engaging interpretation of site features.
The Irvine Ranch Open Space is made up of multiple Wilderness Areas. This includes Limestone Canyon, Black Star Canyon, Fremont Canyon, Weir Canyon, Gypsum Canyon, Saddleback Wilderness and Red Rock Wilderness.
History
On June 29, 2010, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a donation of 20,000 acres from the Irvine Company to the County for preservation and guided recreation. Additional acreage was donated in late 2014. The historic Irvine Ranch’s origins date back to the 1830s as a Mexican Land Grant to Don Jose Andres Sepulveda. In 1876, James Irvine bought out his partners on the land. During this time, he successfully fought to secure the ranch from squatters and the Southern Pacific Railroad.
From 1876 to 2010, the historic Irvine Ranch was used for ranching and mining operations, and evidence of this can still be observed. Based on evaluations and the recommendations of the Science Advisory Committee of the National Park Service, the National Park Service Advisory Board, and the National Park Service director, the Secretary of the Interior designated the Irvine Ranch National Natural Landmark in 2006. A similar review led to the designation as a California Natural Landmark on Earth Day 2008 by the California State Parks director.