​From open space to regional parks, the extensive trail network across the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks allows the public to get out and experience the beauty of nature. Irvine Ranch Conservancy, on behalf of OC Parks, City of Irvine, and the City of Newport Beach, work diligently to maintain the Landmarks through restoration projects, wildlife monitoring, trail maintenance and much more. 
 
In order to properly maintain restoration projects and protect habitat on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, visitors should always remain on designated trails when hiking, biking or riding through the Landmarks. For nature enthusiasts, creating their own trail might seem like an adventure, but this can be harmful to the environment. Creating your own path or “shortcut,” using unmarked trails or creating switchbacks can cause erosion, damage wildlife habitat and enable illegal trespassing. It is better for our local environment, and more enjoyable, to take your time and stay on the trail.  

​Help Irvine Ranch Conservancy celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1! Occurring annually on the first Saturday in June, National Trails Day was created by the American Hiking Society to encourage outdoor enthusiasts to pledge to improve trails around the world. The pledge can involve anything from collecting trash along trails to partaking in stewardship activities to support the health and beauty of trailside habitat. Celebrate National Trails Day by taking in the breath-taking views and lush landscape on local trails throughout the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.
 
Irvine Ranch Conservancy has collaborated with local landowners, partner organizations and volunteers to develop stewardship programs that provide an array of options for the public to take part in improving the quality of the trails while enjoying the outdoors. From the Second Sundays Restoration Program offered every month at Upper Newport Bay to Collecting Wildflower Seeds at the Native Seed Farm, there are numerous opportunities to volunteer on the Landmarks.

​Built into the Shady Canyon trail network in the City of Irvine’s Open Space Preserve, Rabbit Run trail is well known among mountain biking and hiking enthusiasts for its technical challenges and natural beauty.  However, over the years erosion has taken its toll, leaving certain portions of the trail with deep ruts caused by water runoff.  In some sections, these ruts were bordered by sharply slanting rocks, making the trail difficult to negotiate for both hikers and bikers.

Following trail etiquette helps everyone stay safe and enjoy the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. 

With summer in full swing, explorers are discovering the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks by foot, bike, and horseback. As visitors take advantage of the warm weather on the open spaces and nature preserves, it’s important to remember most of the trails on the Landmarks are multi-use trails and enjoyed by mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians. Learning and practicing proper trail etiquette can help all explorers stay safe and enjoy the trails this summer and beyond.
 
Some visitors may have seen the “Yield Triangle” sign while adventuring through the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. This sign is a graphic representation of the base trail etiquette rule: bikers yield to equestrians and hikers and hikers yield to equestrians. 

Staying on designated trails is important to protecting the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

It can happen quickly. One person or group walks off a designated trail, tramples native grasses and vegetation, and leaves an informal path that others are more likely to follow.
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“It’s a compounding problem,” says Jill Sprance, Field Operations Manager at the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. “Unmarked or social trails are bad because they fragment habitat, kill plants, and get worse as more people use them.”

Additionally, social trails are often formed in direct lines up or down hillsides—instead of the typical switchback pattern of designated trails—which allows water to run straight downhill and cause harmful rutting and erosion. With the help of Trail Crew volunteers, the Irvine Ranch Conservancy Field Operations Team uses a range of tactics to remove unauthorized trails including planting cactus, shrubs, and grasses to cover the trail and roping off unauthorized trails. Recent trail rehabilitation efforts have been completed in the City of Irvine’s Bommer Canyon in the Irvine Open Space Preserve, and Changala’s Pass along Loma Ridge, which is part of the City of Irvine Open Space Preserve too.
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One key to making sure you’re on a designated trail is to look for signs. “If you think you’re on a trail, but there’s no sign designating it as a trail, it’s not a trail,” Sprance says. “No sign equals no trail.”

​There are many opportunities for members of the public to volunteer on social trail restoration efforts this fall and winter. For more information on upcoming stewardship programs, visit www.LetsGoOutside.org/activities.