Parks & Recreation - Parks And Beaches
Orange County is a recreational haven that can be enjoyed year-round. Set against a backdrop of mountains and seascapes, you can explore and play at one of the many city or regional parks, wildlife preserves, or cemented skate parks where you can do your best Tony Hawk impersonation.
Of course, Orange County is known for its pristine beaches where surfers gather at sunrise to hang ten and active residents are seen jogging, bicycling, and skating before they hit the 9 to 5 grind. The beaches, both those run by the city and those managed by the state, provide all the conveniences needed to enjoy a day under the sun: clean restrooms and concession stands for purchasing food and beverages, as well as rental equipment, fee-based parking areas, and lifeguards. Many Orange County beaches also have cement fire rings for nighttime bonfires, a favorite OC pastime.
Orange County’s parks are also well maintained and are weekend destinations for families to gather for afternoon picnics, leisurely bike rides, or hikes on wooded trails. Many might be surprised that Orange County, a well-developed region caught somewhere between urban and suburban, has rural areas for fishing, boating, and bird watching, as well as sanctuaries for wildlife, flora-filled trails for hiking, and old-fashioned fun such tossing horseshoes into a sandy pit. There are even equestrian trails for those who enjoy a trot.
Even in the most populated of areas, Orange County included, nature is present if you just bother to look. Mere feet from a busy highway are migrating birds oblivious to their city surroundings. Plant life, abundant with blooms, thrives in the shadows of high-rise buildings and residential complexes, proving that nature is sometimes found in the most unnatural of settings.
Parks & Recreation - Recreation
With 42 miles of coastline stretching from the Los Angeles County border down to the San Diego County line, coupled with what many consider the idyllic climate, 328 days of magnificent sunshine, and an average temperature that hovers around 73 degrees, is it any wonder that people spend the bulk of their time outdoors? Tennis, golf, cycling, and boating are just a few things to do in your free time. And, if the weather proves to be less than perfect, there are also places where you can still feel active such as indoor rock gyms, yoga and Pilates studios, and ice skating rinks. Of course a trip to a day spa, where you can be pampered from head to toe, is enjoyed rain or shine and is often well deserved.
1. Seal Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: This quiet beach doesn’t get the big crowds like some of Orange County’s other beaches, but it has all the conveniences needed including a fee-based parking lot or metered parking along the street, a pier with a Ruby’s Diner at the end, a fenced playground, and a location that is in close proximity to Old Town Seal Beach where additional restaurants and conveniences can be found.
2. Surfside Beach And Sunset Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Spanning more than 3 miles is a pair of beaches that, for the most part, could be considered one long stretch of sand. Big, multi-level homes line the strand. This beach is also quiet, not really known to tourists, and close to restaurants along Pacific Coast Highway. Metered parking is available.
3. Bolsa Chica State Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Bolsa Chica is as popular by night as it is by day, and that’s because of the fleet of cement fire rings scattered along the sand and used for after-dark bonfires. Stretching some 3 miles, the beach gets its share of sunbathers and surfers all year long. There are clean restrooms, concession stands, and paid parking. The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve parallels the beach from across Pacific Coast Highway, and a few miles up the road is the Dog Beach. California State Parks Lifeguard Service patrols the beach year-round, with the lifeguard towers staffed during the summer months only.
4. Huntington City Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Huntington City Beach is a 3.5-mile stretch of glistening coastline and is sandwiched between a pair of state beaches, Bolsa Chica and Huntington. Dubbed Surf City and home to many surfing competitions, this beach has an elongated municipal pier, fire pits for roasting marshmallows after dark, several restrooms and concession stands for food and beach rentals, plus a ribbon of pavement for bike riding and roller skating. Lots of parking, but the lot fills up quickly during the summer months.
5. Huntington State Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: With Wi-Fi service now available at Huntington State Beach, you can multitask by surfing the Web from your beach chair. Huntington State Beach and the city beach blend into one long stretch of shoreline, making it hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. A nesting sanctuary for many flocks of birds, Huntington State Beach is also popular with surfers and anglers. With a fleet of fire rings, nighttime bonfires are popular here, too.
6. Newport Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Often touted as “Zooport” because of the constant crowds that flock here whenever the sun is out, Newport Beach stretches several miles from the Huntington Beach/Newport Beach city line all the way to the Balboa Peninsula. Swimming and surfing are good up and down the beach with fewer crowds in the blocks between 40th and 50th streets. Newport Pier, which is located near shops, services, and pubs, is located between 20th and 21st streets. Parking can be a nightmare during the summer, so allow plenty of time to locate a space.
7. Balboa Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Located near the end of the peninsula, Balboa Beach isn’t the easiest to reach unless you live here or are staying nearby. The Balboa Pier, home to the original Ruby’s Diner, has metered parking and there are shops and conveniences close by. Street parking is at a premium.
8. West Jetty View Park
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Experienced surfers and bodysurfers are passionate about the Wedge, a slice of daring surf that is a result of the rock jetty located on the north side of the Newport Harbor entrance. There have been fatalities among the most experienced surfers, so keep in mind that this is no place for a beginner. The waves can break at a brisk pace and the Wedge is often hazardous for swimmers due to an unpredictable undertow. Lifeguards are on duty.
9. Corona Del Mar State Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Skin divers, swimmers, fishermen, and even surfers commingle in the waters of this state beach. Easy to reach with a grassy area, clean restrooms, picnic spots, beach rentals, and lifeguards on duty, Corona del Mar State Beach offers a half-mile of platinum sand cradled between sheer cliffs and a jetty.
10. Little Corona Del Mar State Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Little Corona is a haven for bodysurfers, snorkelers, and skin divers, but it’s the tide pools teeming with sea urchins that attract throngs of naturalists. A footpath wanders down to the first tide pools where, by law, nothing can be disturbed. You can rock hop to neighboring tide pools to view the marine life. Arch Rock, a natural wonder with its window-like opening to the sea, makes for a great photo opportunity.
11. Crystal Cove State Park
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: With more than 3 miles of beaches and some 2,400 acres of glorious woodlands, Crystal Cove State Park is a bastion and lone survivor of undeveloped Orange County coastline. Offshore the waters are designated an underwater park and, while the beach is extremely popular with swimmers and surfers, there is so much more to discover with tide pools, hidden coves, a web of trails for biking and horseback riding, and sea kayaking. There is a pair of campsites here, too, which requires a bit of a hike to reach. Access to the beach is at Reef Point, Pelican Point, or Los Trancos—all feature parking lots and relatively easy access to the shoreline with limited restroom facilities and outdoor showers.
12. The Coves: Shaw’S, Fisherman’S, And Diver’S
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: A staircase trails down to the beach some 35 feet below where these hidden inlets are located. Concealed from the public, locals enjoy the privacy the Coves offer with pouches of tide pools, pounding surf, diving, and, thankfully, on-duty lifeguards. Some of the area is a marine preserve, so if you wander out onto the reef you could likely spot octopus, lobster, and maybe some crabs, but everything must remain undisturbed with fishing and trapping prohibited. There are no real conveniences nearby, so it’s wise to pack a cooler of edibles and water if you plan on staying for any length of time.
13. Main Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Main Beach is always bustling with groups playing a friendly game of hoops, swimmers splashing in the water, bicyclists whizzing by, and volleyball players knocking the ball back and forth across a net. Main Beach is also in the heart of Laguna Beach with plenty of places to grab a quick bite to eat and convenience stores stocked with sunscreen and beverages. Further south are the Street Beaches, which are shielded from Coast Highway and in the shadow of some opulent homes. Continuing south is Arch Cove, with more cliffside manses, swatches of sand, and pounding surf. These beaches have lifeguards on duty and are less crowded than Main Beach.
14. Aliso Creek County Beach
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: A contemporary fishing pier defines this simple stretch of coastline, which is known for its bodysurfing and swimming. To the south is a hidden cove for those who want a bit more privacy and less sand. There are also picnic areas, volleyball, and lifeguards on duty.
15. Thousand Steps
City: Orange County, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: A popular beach whose name is derived from the approximate number of steps needed to reach the sand, so just getting to and from the beach is a great workout. There really aren’t 1,000 steps, but the steep staircase certainly feels like a thousand and counting. Thousand Steps is ideal for surfing, playing volleyball, sunbathing, and bodysurfing. The beach has a restroom and shower.