A Professional Dog Walkers list of trails in Orange County, CA.

As a professional dog walker in South Orange County, I have had the pleasure of enjoying several of these great dog walking & hiking trails with some of my canine companions. Before heading out to explore your favorite trail, have a look at my 3 best tips for making it an enjoyable experience for all:

1.   First of all, always bring water. My favorite watering apparatus is the Gulpy because it easily clips onto the waist of your shorts so you can water your dog while on the hike, which is vitally important.

2. Also, always bring your own poop bags. Some trails may have a poop bag station but you shouldn’t rely on that, bring your own. And lastly,

3.   Be sure to hike in the cool parts of the day. Because lots of these trails have little to no shade, we don’t want our furry friends to get overheated so please be mindful of the weather conditions. Furthermore, we want to keep our 4-legged friends happy, healthy and around for a long time to enjoy exploring some of these trails together.

These trails are listed in no particular order

Badlands Hiking Trail

31671 Isle Vista, Laguna Niguel

Scenic ocean views of Laguna Beach and Dana Point.  Ideal for short walks with your dog.

Easy

1 – 2.5 miles (round trip)

 

Newport Coast Hiking Trail

Rolling dirt trails overlook Crystal Cove, Newport Coast and Pacific Ocean.

Moderate-challenging

4-6 miles (round trip)

 

Back Bay Loop Trail

600 Shellmaker Road, Newport Beach

Flat dirt terrain on east side and paved on west side.  Both sections offer scenic views of the water and Back Bay.

Easy

1 – 2.5 miles (round trip)

 

Carbon Canyon Regional Park

4442 Carbon Canyon Road, Brea

Dogs must be leashed.

 

Clark Regional Park

8800 Rosecrans Ave, Buena Park

Open grass to sandstone cliffs and hiking trails. 

 

Mile Square Regional Park

16801 Euclid, Fountain Valley

Wilderness areas surrounding hiking trails.

 

Craig Regional Park

3300 State College Blvd, Fullerton

Hilly loop of 3.5 miles.

 

Laguna Niguel Regional Park

28241 La Paz Rd, Laguna Niguel

Hiking trails surrounding 44-acre lake.  Mix of dirt, black top and grass. Some shade. Mostly flat trails.

 

Quail Hill Preserve

34 Shady Canyon Dr, Irvine

7 am – 6 pm daily

714-508-4757

Wilderness trail is 2-mile natural surface trail at foot of Quail Hill.

 

Alta Laguna Park/Top of The World Trail

3000 Alta Laguna Boulevard, Laguna Beach

Entrance also in Aliso Viejo, top of Hollyleaf.  Great view of Pacific Ocean.   

Moderate

4-mile (round trip).  Very little shade so plan to go early morning or late afternoon. Restroom on Laguna Beach side.

 

Peter’s Canyon

8548 Canyon View Avenue, Orange

714-973-6611

7 am to sunset – $3 parking fee

2.6 mile loop

Easy and partly shaded.  Lake View Trail has views of 55-acre reservoir and Ease Ridge View Trail has great views of Orange County. 

 

Fairview Park – Santa Ana River Path

2501 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa

714-754-5300

Placentia and Fairview Park, Costa Mesa

 

Oso Creek Trail

24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo

Other entrances on La Paz & Marguerite Parkway.

949-470-3061

5.5 miles of creekside trails.  Paved and shaded.

 

William R. Mason Regional Park

18712 University Drive, Irvine

Hiking and walking trails surround 9-acre lake.  Restrooms.

 

Niguel Botanical Preserve

29751 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel

949-425-5100

Crown Valley Parkway, behind YMCA

18-acres above amphitheater and children’s playground in Crown Valley Park.

 

Salt Creek Trail

31535 Street of the Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel

5 mile (round trip) asphalt, concrete, crushed stone.

Parking & other entrances: 

Chapparosa Community Park – 25191 Chapparosa Park Road, Laguna Niguel– free

Laguna Niguel Regional Park – 28241 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel – fee

Salt Creek Beach Park – 33333 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point – fee

 

Colinas Bluff Trail

Marina Hills Drive & Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel

4-7 mile (round trip) hike with ocean views on clear days.  Some shade for dogs. Park in shopping center across street from entrance.

 

Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve

2301 University Drive, Newport Beach

7 am – Sunset

Approximately 135-acres with dirt trails in one direction and asphalt in the other.  Free parking in dirt parking lot or along public streets.

 

Aliso Summit Trail

30775 Aliso Summit Trail, Laguna Niguel

7-mile (round trip)  moderate.  Dogs must be leashed.  Limited shade. Park along Pacific Island Drive.

 

Las Ramblas Trail Head

Camino Las Ramblas, San Juan Capistrano

Dogs must be leashed.  Watch out for mountain bikes.  Ocean views.

No shade.

 

As you can see there are lots of trails to choose from in our area. So I hope you can get out and enjoy some of these dog friendly hiking trails with your furry family member because there is nothing better then being outdoors with your best 4-legged friend. While I am sure there are other trails you are aware of, I would love to hear about them so please feel free to post the information here.

 

Thank you.