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Discover Seven-Day Access Trails This Labor Day Weekend

8/27/2020

For many Orange County residents, Labor Day weekend symbolizes the unofficial end to the summer season and the perfect opportunity for an outdoor adventure.

Nature lovers looking for an outdoor adventure this Labor Day can explore the Irvine Ranch Open Space Preserve through a variety of seven-day access trails for all levels. Located in the City of Irvine, the Open Space Preserve provides countless ways to connect with nature and enjoy time outdoors. Experience native plants and animals, as well as the ancient oak and sycamore groves of Bommer Canyon, or take an easy 2-mile hike on the Quail Hill Loop Trail.

Landmarks Focus: Agua Chinon Canyon

8/27/2020

Agua Chinon Canyon, located in OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve, is a 1,200-acre canyon in the San Diego Creek Watershed. It is the popular starting point for a beautiful hike to The Sinks. This unique area provides a diverse experience as hikers start in an oak riparian habitat and travel up through coastal sage scrub.

In 2013, Irvine Ranch Conservancy, in partnership with OC Waste & Recycling and OC Transportation Authority, launched a restoration project in Agua Chinon. The restoration project was created in response to the excessive amount of invasive plant species, which invaded the area after numerous fires and years of cattle grazing.

Landmarks Focus: Fremont Canyon

8/20/2020

OC Parks’ Fremont Canyon is located just on the outskirts of Irvine Regional Park in Orange and is rich in biological diversity and history. Due to its striking beauty and large granite formations, Fremont Canyon is often referred to as “the Yosemite of Orange County.”

Fremont Canyon is one of the best places in Orange County to experience a chaparral ecosystem and is home to many rare plants and animals. Visitors to the area can experience popular destinations throughout the canyon including the old coal mine which operated in the late 1800s, a large exposed sandstone formation known locally as “Mini-Moab,” and Lizard Rock, which was named for the granite spiny lizards who can often be found sunbathing there.

Wildfire Awareness: Most Common Causes of Wildfire and How to be Prepared

8/13/2020

A Fire Watch volunteer on the job

With temperatures beginning to warm up across the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, it’s never too early to start thinking about wildfire season in Orange County. Wildfires can be a serious threat to native wildlands, but we can all do our part through awareness and knowledge of proper safety guidelines during Red Flag Warning Days.

According to Cal Fire, the fire season in California is starting earlier and ending later each year due to warmer spring and summer temperatures creating a longer and more intense dry season. Since the wildlands in Orange County go without any rainfall through the hot summer months, vegetation becomes extremely dry and susceptible to fire.

Landmarks Focus: Shady Canyon

8/6/2020

A view in Shady Canyon

The City of Irvine’s Open Space Preserve is home to a variety of historically rich landmarks, providing countless ways for visitors to connect and enjoy local outdoor adventures. Making up the central portion of the Irvine Open Space Preserve is Shady Canyon.

Home to some of the most pristine and mature coastal sage scrub in the Irvine Ranch Preserve, Shady Canyon is the perfect place to forget suburban life is just minutes away. Accessible through guided activities or on Wilderness Access Days, the trails of Shady Canyon are well maintained and filled with great views, fantastic geological formations and quiet valley meadows. Those same trails are also some of the most challenging trails on the Landmarks, with steep, rocky climbs and descents. Visitors to Shady Canyon may come across some native wildlife including brush rabbits, red-tailed hawks, gopher snakes, southern Pacific rattlesnakes, darkling beetles and turkey vultures.

Discover Seven-Day Access Trails This Labor Day Weekend

Landmarks Focus: Agua Chinon Canyon

Landmarks Focus: Fremont Canyon

Wildfire Awareness: Most Common Causes of Wildfire and How to be Prepared

Landmarks Focus: Shady Canyon

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