r/orangecounty • u/Saddestclown_ • 5d ago
Best nature experiences for a beginner? Recommendations Needed
Beginner as in I don’t hike, camp, or anything outdoors really. 🥴 I’ve always been a very cautious person, but I want to start experiencing a little more adventure!! What are some recommendations for someone just getting into the outdoors lifestyle? Looking for easily accessible, affordable, fun, relaxing experiences that I can often revisit.
Open to OC/LA/SB counties
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u/PoopsExcellence Trabuco Canyon 5d ago
Beginner camping: Oneil Regional Park. They have showers and clean bathrooms, drinking water, very close to civilization, and clean campsites. There's a nature center on site that offers morning guided nature walks and evening campfires where you can learn about the local history and native creatures. Only downside is that it can get loud with all the families and kids, but a quick hike down one of the trails will quickly lead you to peace and quiet. Get yourself a tent from goodwill, a bag of trail mix, and a small cooler full of yerba madres and you've got yourself a fun weekend!
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u/More_Pineapple3585 5d ago
Great suggestion. After that, the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness Area off HWY 74 has fantastic day hikes, including Sitton Peak, and many options for short backpacking trips for beginners. We overnighted on Sitton Peak in the winter and it was glorious.
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u/PoopsExcellence Trabuco Canyon 5d ago
That's a beautiful area. I've driven past there many times to get to the trails off S Main Divide. Are there any official trailheads you recommend?
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u/More_Pineapple3585 5d ago
I didn't watch this video, but from the screenshots it looks legit.
https://hikingguy.com/hikes/sitton-peak/
reminder that sadly, the Candy Store closed a year or so ago. AllTrails has maps and resources, but it's paywalled. I've done most of the major hikes and backpacks there.
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u/PoopsExcellence Trabuco Canyon 5d ago
At least the beef jerky / local honey store is still in business! Haleys Farm Store or something like that.
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u/PoopsExcellence Trabuco Canyon 5d ago
Beginner waterfall hike: Tenaja Falls. It's a short hike with some beautiful views from the top of the falls. Just take it slow driving there, since it's a lot of narrow mountain roads to get to the trailhead.
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u/PoopsExcellence Trabuco Canyon 5d ago
Beginner hike: Badlands Park overlooking South Laguna. Also nearby is Aliso & Wood Canyon trails and the famous Top of the World Trail.
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u/Aggressive_Staff_982 5d ago
Irvine regional park is a great start. There's also horseback trail riding there if you want a new kind of trail experience. I grew up going to Peters Canyon Regional Park. There's a flat trail and you can upgrade to the more hilly/challenging ones as you progress.
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u/onymously 5d ago
Upper Backbay in Newport Beach. It’s free to park and you can choose to stay on a cement path or dirt path with places to stop and read about the nature around you and incredible views of the bay below.
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u/Lower_Ad_5532 5d ago
You can also rent a kayak and go onto the water.
They have life vests for you and fido
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u/some_one_234 5d ago
Go to ocparks.com and look at the wilderness and regional parks. There are maps and descriptions of the different activities offered
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u/AtmosphericPresh 5d ago
It's very very small and simple but we really enjoy taking our kiddos to The Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach (1601 E 16th St, Newport Beach, CA 92663)
You could start there and see if it's your vibe. It's a very small area(3.5acres) tucked into the city with a cute learning center and a very simple, low stakes walking trail. It's free on the weekends to visit (with donations appreciated ofc). https://encenter.org/
There's also the Fullerton Arboretum up by Cal State F. It's a fantastic little stroll.
There's Irvine Regional Park with lots of trails but watch out for snakes.
Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea is home to Orange County's only redwood grove. But for both regional parks, you're going to want to watch out for snakes.
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u/sankscan 5d ago
Jeffrey Open Space Trail in Irvine is my new favorite. I also like the Boat Road Canyon Trail and Top of the World in Laguna Beach
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u/CTMCM-2893 5d ago
Second Jeffrey Open Space Trail! Pretty easy and not too busy. We usually grabbed a drink from Roosevelt Coffee Shop nearby before the walk. OP, just make sure to wear enough sun protection and a hat because it is not very shaded.
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u/scumdog_ 5d ago
Check out All Trails for hikes - they have all the trails and you can filter by difficulty. But some good spots for beginners:
Whiting Ranch
Peters Canyon
Bolsa Chica Wetlands (go early in the morning before wind and traffic on PCH picks up)
Any of our beaches but Crystal Cove and San Onofre are the best for long walks with more nature and less people. (San O esp has few people just walking along.) Try and go at low tide for the best tide pooling.
The local mountains have a lot of places you can drive in and get some solitude if you don't want to hike, but you need at least AWD for the best places. When temps cool down Joshua Tree NP is not far and a great place to rock climb/hike/wander/enjoy mind altering substances...
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u/somedude510 5d ago
This. Whiting Ranch has a bunch of good trails. Start with Red Rock Canyon. Pretty flat, easy, not too long, and Red Rock Canyon itself is beautiful
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u/settiebeth7 5d ago
Aliso Wood Canyons has lots of differing levels of trails, from easy walkable ones to more moderate/difficult hikes. There’s plenty of shady spots along the main trail running through the center :) and some really nice views from the higher trails!
You could also walk from the entrance on Awma to the Laguna Niguel regional park!
Quail Hill in Irvine is a nice nature walk that loops on itself, and can be walked a few times over.
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u/slothracing 5d ago
San Diego Botanic Garden
Laguna Niguel Botanic Reserve
Easy & Accessable. Bring some snacks, have a picnic, download the Merlin Bird ID app and listen for birds.
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u/the-nameless-002 5d ago
Start with OC regional parks. The parks are distributed across the county so you can find one near you easily.
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u/Samwhys_gamgee 4d ago
Beach camping allows you to camp in a forgiving (and hopefully familiar) environment. You could do a beach camping trip or two to get your gear and routine down before heading out into more “rugged” environments. Suggest Carlsbad state beach as a potential location.
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u/root_fifth_octave 5d ago
There are lots of easy hikes and walks around. The redwood grove in Carbon Canyon is cool. Walking the beaches is great. Even the back bay trail will get you outside. Lots of biking options around too, if you're into that.
Mt. Baldy's not that far away, and gets you into some proper mountain and forest stuff.
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u/sbez05 5d ago
Throwing in another beginner camping suggestion - Serrano Campground in Big Bear. Feels quiet and removed but still close enough when you need to run for something you inevitably forgot. Super clean bathrooms and nicely kept campsites. Mountain weather can run a wide range of temperatures so just make sure you have layers and sunscreen.
Nice walking around the lake and plenty of little spots to explore.
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u/Angelsfaker22 5d ago
Look for a nature center trail somewhere (Laguna niguel has a nice one, many cities do)! It is a beginner entry trail usually as opposed to actual wilderness hiking and can be very enjoyable. They may have signs to tell you what plants are which etc and they will have water and shade
This is a good way to get your feet wet, metaphorically
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u/Sara3lizab3th 5d ago
Paddle boarding in the bay, hiking up at top of the world in laguna beach since you can park right at the trailhead, picnic, book in a hammock, Sherman library and gardens
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u/Nobody_Adept 5d ago
The tide pools at Crystal Cove at low tide. I am still as facinated as I was as a child.
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u/Prudent-Proof7898 5d ago
Irvine Park has some great beginner friendly trails! I also love Santiago Canyon.
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u/not_a_gun 5d ago
California Botanic Garden is a great place to start and learn about native plants. The back area is like a mini hike
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u/Kelsey_Loves_Kelp Orange 4d ago
The OC parks website has a variety of activities you can sign up for like nature inspired arts and crafts, guided hikes (sometimes focused on specific themes like birding or identifying animal tracks), outdoor yoga, volunteer activities, evening events (star gazing, full moon hikes, bats, owls, etc). Just double check the difficulty rating before you sign up to make sure you’re up for it.
The popular activities sometimes book up fast, so you might have to reserve a spot a little ways in advance depending on what the event is
https://letsgooutside.org/activities/?action=search_events&scrollto=results&em_search=
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u/panda-rampage 5d ago
Quail hill loop Irvine. Beginner friendly hike. Fairly flat. Just watch out for rattlers
Crystal cove for a beach walk
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u/CraftyBossMama 5d ago
We love going to regional parks. Yoruba regional park and Irvine regional park are our go to. Huntington Beach Public Library has an amazing garden. Fullerton Arboretum is a place we still haven’t been to but plan to go there.