For those looking to get some exercise after the holidays, Orange County has hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, with many wilderness areas to enjoy after a few weeks of holiday meals shared with loved ones.

This month, there are several self-guided access days to nature preserves across OC, like the exploration event this Saturday at Mesa Loop that offers scenic views of Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve and Cleveland National Forest. 

You can also visit trails and parks that are open year-long, like Irvine’s Bommer Canyon, or the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve.

Yousfa Janjua, 40 (right) and her son Haadi Kahlid, 10 (left) cross a creek in Black Star Canyon on Saturday, August 3, 2024. Credit: MAXIMO SANTANA, Voice of OC

Residents can explore trails in the Black Star Canyon during a scheduled access day happening this Saturday, Jan. 3. 

Black Star Canyon is the gateway to the backcountry of the Cleveland National Forest and the northern Santa Ana Mountains.

Yousfa Janjua (right) with her family in Black Star Canyon on Saturday, August 3, 2024. Credit: MAXIMO SANTANA, Voice of OC

Address: 13333 Black Star Canyon Rd., Silverado, CA 92676

Hours: Scheduled access only, access day is from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Parking: Parking is available along the roadside next to the trailhead located at 13333 Black Star Canyon Rd.

[Read: Discovering Orange County’s Black Star Canyon Wilderness Park]

Nature enthusiasts hike at Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. Credit: CARISSA NELSON, Voice of OC

The Mesa Loop within Black Star Canyon Wilderness Park is a 2.5 miles of trail through shaded oak woodlands that climbs to an expansive overlook of Limestone Canyon and the surrounding foothills.

Hikers can access this trail during the upcoming exploration day this Saturday, Jan. 3. 

Address: Scheduled access only, 7531E. Santiago Canyon Rd., Silverado, CA 92676

Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Parking: Free on a first-come, first-served at the Library of the Canyons parking lot located at 7531 E. Santiago Canyon Rd.

A cyclist rides past part of the Bommer Canyon restoration site on Feb. 19, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

The Irvine Open Space Preserve, including Bommer Canyon, contains nearly 30 miles of trails.

Trails inside the Bommer Canyon Preserve in Irvine are open daily from 7:00 a.m. until sunset.

The entirety of the Bommer Canyon Wilderness will be open to the public on the Jan. 17 access day, including the Shady Canyon and Bommer Canyon trails that are typically reserved for guided activities only.

The area has also been the site of restoration events that the public can participate in through OC Parks.

Address: 11 Bommer Canyon Rd., Irvine, CA 92603

Hours: 7:00 a.m. to sunset.

Parking: Free on a first-come, first-served basis at the Bommer Canyon Cattle Camp. Parking hours are 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily

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Gypsum Canyon Wilderness provides 6 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Credit: FASHION CASTILLO, Voice of OC

Located within the Irvine Ranch Open Space in the City of Anaheim, the Gypsum Canyon Wilderness features about 6 miles of trails that weave through canyons and foothills. The wilderness area can only be accessed on scheduled days.

The next scheduled access day will fall on Saturday, Jan. 10,  allowing for trail access from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Registration is not required, but access to the trails is first come, first served until the parking capacity is reached.

Clearly marked trails lead visitors onto the correct paths at the Gypsum Canyon Wilderness in September 2024. Credit: FASHION CASTILLO, Voice of OC

Address: 390 South Gypsum Canyon Rd., Anaheim, CA.

Hours: Scheduled access only, access day is from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Parking: Free on a first-come, first-served basis.

[Read: 500 Acres of Sweeping Views in the Gypsum Canyon Wilderness]

A hiker passes bikers on an uphill slope on the Wood Canyon Trail in the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in Aliso Viejo, Calif. on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. The trail is open to both hikers and bikers, and is especially popular on weekend mornings.

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park spans roughly 4,500 acres of coastal canyons, riparian woodlands, and grasslands and contains more than 30 miles of trails.

For those interested in volunteering outdoors, the Laguna Canyon Foundation is allowing the public to participate in stewardship activities like removing weeds in the park this upcoming Saturday, Jan. 3, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Registration for the event is required.

Marjorie Rhodes (left), Laguna Canyon Foundation Restoration Project Manager, shows volunteers, Jordan Bennett (middle) and Ryan Gladych (right), how to harvest native plant seeds on Oct. 5, 2024 in Laguna Beach, Calif. Join Laguna Canyon Foundation and OC Parks in tending to the land within the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park this Saturday. Credit: FASHION CASTILLO, Voice of OC

Address: 28373 Alicia Pkwy., Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

Hours: Sunday through Saturday, 7:00 am to sunset. 

Parking: Free parking is available for stewardship volunteers. Parking is limited, and carpooling is encouraged. Otherwise, parking fees are $3 per vehicle.

The Agua Chinon restoration site on Dec. 2, 2023. The project was sponsored by Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) with funding from the Renewed Measure M Freeway Environmental Mitigation Program. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

Agua Chinon Canyon, located in the Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve, is a 1,200-acre canyon of oak and sage habitats, 

This area serves as a gateway to iconic areas in the nature preserve, including “The Sinks,” a geological formation consisting of exposed and layered sandstone cliffs.

Hikers and bikers can explore Agua Chinon on a self-guided access day on Saturday, Jan. 17, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Cacti within the Agua Chinon restoration site on Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

Address: Portola Stagina Area, Irvine, CA 92606

Hours: Scheduled access only, access day is from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Jan. 17.

Parking: Free at the Portola Staging Area

Emma Arago, an OC Parks employee, leads the group on an age-appropriate hike around the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center in Newport Beach, Calif.

Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve and Ecological Reserve spans nearly 1,000 acres of coastal wetlands and bluff trails. Hikers can explore gentle paths around the bay and stop at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center while observing a number of bird species native to the preserve.

Dog owners are invited to bring their pet on a 3-mile hike in the back bay this Saturday, Jan. 3. Space is limited and advance registration is recommended.

Caption: A bird walks along the Upper Newport Bay on Oct. 12, 2024, OC Park-led event in Newport Beach. Credit: DYLAN NICHOLS, Voice of OC

Address: 2301 University Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Hours: Open Daily, Sunday- Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to sunset.

Parking: Free but limited. The parking lot is at the corner of University and Irvine Ave.

An OC Parks volunteer looking out on the Red Rock Wilderness open space on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Credit: MAXIMO SANTANA, Voice of OC

Red Rock Wilderness in OC Parks’ Irvine Ranch Open Space offers more than 8 miles of scenic hiking trails across rock formations, with views of surrounding canyons and the Santa Ana Mountains. 

Access is available through scheduled programs that allow self-guided or guided hikes. The trails will be open for self-guided use during the scheduled access day on Jan. 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

A trail leading off into a rock outcropping at the Red Rock Wilderness open space on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Credit: MAXIMO SANTANA, Voice of OC

Address: 5524 Santiago Canyon Rd., Silverado, CA

Hours: Scheduled access only,

Parking: Parking for Red Rock Wilderness is located at the Augustine Staging Area, 5524 Santiago Canyon Rd.

[Read: OC Parks Unveils Red Rock Wilderness For Public Access]

People cross paths at one of the intersections of the newly opened trails at Saddleback Wilderness, part of OC Parks’ Irvine Ranch Open Space in Orange, Calif. on Saturday, April 8, 2023. The trails feature multiple switchbacks, and all intersect with one another. Credit: JACK SUNDBLAD, Voice of OC

Saddleback Wilderness provides hikers with over 3 miles of trails across rolling hills, with views to the sea on clear days.

The first public exploration day of the area of the year will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Costa Mesa resident Clint Gubich, 52, biking on the newly opened trails at Saddleback Wilderness, part of OC Parks’ Irvine Ranch Open Space in Orange, Calif. on Saturday, April 8, 2023. The trails are open to hiking, biking and equestrian use. Credit: JACK SUNDBLAD, Voice of OC

Address: 3081 Santiago Canyon Rd., Orange, CA 92869

Hours: Scheduled access only, access day is 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Parking: Parking for Saddleback Wilderness is located at the Saddleback Staging Area, 3081 Santiago Canyon Rd.

[Read:Local Lens: Orange County Debuts New Wilderness Trail]

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