Kid-Friendly Paved Trails in Orange County
I have had a few parents reach out to me asking about easy, paved trails for younger tots or for families who are prioritizing outdoor time for their children this year and thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of some favorites in Orange County. These aren’t “in the sticks” or completely secluded, but they are great options to help jumpstart your year of outdoor adventures.
Even if you are a seasoned hiking family, this blog post can be a good resource given that OC Parks and other local trails are closed for 3+ days post-rain! Click here for updates on OC Parks. Note: Some of these trails are multi-purpose trails, meaning that bikers and runners will also be using this trail.
Oso Creek has a special place in my heart. It’s one of the first trails I did with my toddler when she was just becoming mobile, and we still go back to it. It is also one of the first locations I held a Little Explorers event at and is SO dreamy in the spring (though it’s popular year-round).
Turn left just before the Norman P. Community & Senior Center, passing the ballot box on your right. Park next to the baseball fields. Walk between the baseball fields to the trailhead, continue walking down the paved hill. At the bottom, you can turn left to check out the mosaic art before the bridge. Avoid continuing past the bridge after it has rained, the dirt trail can be VERY muddy and impassable.
If you turn to your right after the paved hill, you can continue on the paved trail until you reach the vibrant “Tunnel Vibration”. The kids love singing and hearing the echo throughout the tunnel. The City of Mission Viejo holds free concerts here as well.
If you continue through the tunnel, you will end up at Jeronimo Open Space.
Parking is free. Restrooms are available by the baseball fields.
24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
We walked part of Shady Canyon from both Turtle Rock Nature Center and the Quail Hill side. We’ve done about a mile both ways and then turned back for a total of 2 miles. To access the Shady Canyon trail from Turtle Rock Nature Center, map yourself to the Turtle Rock Nature Center, and park in the parking lot closer to Sunnyhill/Shady Canyon Drive. From the parking lot, head towards Shady Canyon (there is a sign in the parking lot) and cross Sunnyhill towards your left. When you come to the fork in the road, keep left for Shady Canyon (right is towards Bommer).
We actually walked Shady Canyon while it was raining, unintentionally as heavy rain was not in the forecast. We visited the Turtle Rock Nature Center afterwards, where the kids ate their lunch, played with puzzles and other toys before leaving. The Nature Center trails are closed when it rains.
Parking is free on both ends of the trail. Restrooms are available at Turtle Rock Nature Center and Quail Hill trailhead, depending on which starting point you choose.
1 Sunnyhill, Irvine, CA 92603 (Turtle Rock Nature Center)
Both sides of Huntington Beach Central Park have so much to offer. From the newer playground overlooking Lake Huntington on the West side to the Secret Garden and library on the East side, you can’t go wrong with either one!
Parking is free. Restrooms are available near the parking lots on both sides.
For East (Secret Garden, library side), park off of Slater and Goldenwest in the parking lot behind Armstrong Garden Centers. Coordinates are 33.70811° N, 118.00456° W. You can also park by Park Bench Café but the lot is small and fills up quickly.
For West (large newer playground, Lake Huntington, Shipley Nature Center), map yourself to Kathy May’s Lakeview Café at 6622 Lakeview Dr, Huntington Beach, CA 92648.
We did Bosque Trail with Little Explorers Club last year and the entire group loved it. Lizards and all kinds of bugs can be found along the way to the playground. After parking in the lot (coordinates below), walk towards the trailhead and turn right. You will walk through a few tunnels on your way to the playground. There are plenty of dirt trails available to wander when it’s not rainy!
Parking is free. Restrooms are available along the trail.
The parking lot can be found off of Bosque and Cultivate (from Irvine Blvd). Coordinates are 33.68791° N, 117.72804° W.
Carbon Canyon Regional Park (Brea)
Skip the grove of redwoods after rain and walk some of the 60 acres of well-maintained, paved trails instead. This park is really beautiful and perfect to visit during all seasons.
Parking is $3 Monday-Friday and $5 Saturday-Sunday, or free with your OC Parks pass. Restrooms are available throughout the park. Click here to see the park map.
4442 Carbon Canyon Rd, Brea, CA 92823
This paved trail is long, and we only do a portion of it from Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center. Park in the parking lot off of University Drive and Irvine Avenue, near the interpretive center. Walk along the trail parallel to University Drive, passing the YMCA on your left.
Bayview Park is one mile away down that path, about a 20-minute walk.
Parking is free. Restrooms are available at the interpretive center.
2301 University Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Just off of the 55 and behind the fairgrounds, TeWinkle Park is somewhat of a hidden gem. After parking, you can go up the hill on your left to walk the paved trail or head to your right for the accessible playground. We enjoy watching the ducks here and then visiting the playground afterwards.
Parking is free. Restrooms are available next to the playground.
970 Arlington Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Serrano Creek Park (Lake Forest)
Beautiful eucalyptus trees, an easy paved trail, wildlife, and a cute, well-maintained playground are some of the things you’ll find at Serrano Creek Park. We stopped by while running some errands and you can easily make it a long or short outing depending on time. The trail runs along Serrano Creek, and we saw many birds, lizards, and squirrels during our short visit.
Free street parking. Restrooms are available next to the playground.
25101 Serrano Rd, Lake Forest, CA 92630
Other options that I have not personally visited but were recommended in my research are below. I will update this blog post as I visit them.
Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail
Happy exploring! Be sure to tag Raising Little Explorers on Instagram if you visit any of these trails!
