Weekends have lots of mountain bikers and are quite busy. Only like 20 parking spaces for $3 fee. Very muddy after rain. Often you can see deer and smaller wildlife. Good variety of great trails, mountain views. Spring offers tons of wildflowers. Bring a walking stick! Dog-friendliness: No dogs allowed. Picnic area: There are a few randomly placed picnic tables and benches.
Awesome place to go hiking especially right now after the recent rain. The hiking trails are green, and the trees are green and full of life. There are great trail options for all type of hikers and bikers. We took the more difficult trail yesterday, and it was a heck of a walk up. But it was worth the trouble cause the view up top was gorgeous on a perfectly clear afternoon. This place is definitely on a short list of hiking trails we plan revisit. There are two porta potties at the parking lot, so make sure you go before heading in or else you'll need to relieve yourself in nature. Also, make sure to check in front and behind when hiking because there are plenty of bikers on these trails. Everyone we encountered was very courteous, and we had no issues. But safety first.
Whiting Ranch/ Dreaded Hill It was such a beautiful day for a hike on Saturday! It was so green. It made all the butt burning hikes worth it lol Whiting Ranch Staging Area .27901 Glenn Ranch Rd .Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679 Parking: $3 Elevation: 900 ft Tip: bring hiking poles and wear hiking boots We had such a fun time with friends and new friends!
It was a nice hike. There was a good amount of parking and it was obvious where the trail started. It was a great trail with highs, flats, and dips so we got plenty of rest between the inclines. Since it's nice and cool out the hike was perfect. We caught the sunset and it was absolutely beautiful. Worth the drive and worth the hike. We will definitely be back.
Park has good marking. Routes are clear. If your starting of with Sierra trail it’s pretty cool it, your walk begins from the wahoos. It’s pretty shaded I guess that is the whitening ranch and dreaded hill is not shaded and it challenging to hike up from dreaded hill. I chose moderate so I got to hike down the dreaded hill. Hike was pretty good.
Whiting Ranch is a hidden gem in Orange County. It is preferably visited by me when the temperatures is cooler than it is right now in the summer. There isn’t much shade especially if you are coming from the top to hike down. In the summer it’s very hot so bring a lot of water and some good hiking shoes so your feet don’t get sore. At times, there is a small creek which is cool to see because it doesn’t come around too often. Bring a hat, sunblock, water, hiking shoes and good amount of energy to come hiking here. Park closes at sunset. It gets pretty dark here so if you don’t make it back in time, a flashlight is recommended. I’ve been stalked here by a large animal coming back late from a hike a few times.
Nice short day hikes of varying intensity that mixes shaded riparian canyon areas with semi-arid chapparel. You do need to be careful of the mountain bikes on some trails but most everyone is courteous. Nice views of the Santa Ana Mountains. Bring water... There is one water stop but works intermittently based upon water pressure.
$3 parking or complimentary with OC Park Pass. I went to Dreaded Hill trail to see the yellow flowers. Trailhead also has a couple pf portajohns.
We hiked to the red rock canyon with our 4 yr old. Its a beautiful trail with lots of shade. There was never a dull moment! The trail has lot to offer. You walk through dirt road, sand, rocks with mostly steady elevation. The canyon itself is a beautiful hue of red and a great spot to take pics! Bringing water to drink is advisable. I would want to go here again and again. Can't believe there is such a lovely trail that starts near a shopping complex!
The scenery was gorgeous , The entirely trail have not have trees so there is so much direct sun light. Well maintained and many options, Beautiful hills. Lots of spots to capture great photos. There is so many options all of them with different levels. Parking was free at the shopping center.
