Trail Silverado
Black Star Canyon Trail
A rugged 10-mile canyon hike in the Santa Ana Mountains with a seasonal waterfall, homestead ruins, and rare solitude — one of OC's most atmospheric trails.
hard 10 mi
Hiking Trails
From easy coastal walks to strenuous canyon climbs, Orange County has more trails than most people realize. Here are the ones worth driving to.
Trail Irvine
Bommer Canyon
A wide, fire-road canyon cut through the Irvine Ranch Open Space — miles of shaded trail, seasonal creek, and surprising wildness within the city limits.
moderate
Trail Newport Coast
Crystal Cove — El Moro Canyon
Crystal Cove's inland canyon — a cool, creek-fed gorge with a ridge loop option that earns sweeping views of the Pacific from the chaparral above.
moderate
Trail Orange
Peters Canyon Regional Park Loop
A 4-mile loop through oak woodland and coastal sage scrub with a seasonal lake and ridge views — OC's best accessible urban trail.
moderate 4 mi
Trail Irvine
Quail Hill Loop
A compact loop through oak-studded hills above Irvine with panoramic views of the coast and Saddleback — one of south OC's most rewarding easy hikes.
easy
Trail Orange
Santiago Oaks Regional Park
An oak-and-sycamore woodland along Santiago Creek in Orange — easy trails, excellent birding, and a calm green escape from the surrounding suburbs.
easy
Trail Laguna Beach
Top of the World — Laguna Coast Wilderness Trails
The Alta Laguna ridgeline trailhead drops into miles of Laguna Coast Wilderness — coastal sage, canyon views, and trails that connect south to Crystal Cove.
moderate