Hiking is a wonderful way to exercise while enjoying beautiful views and nature. There are multiple benefits of hiking, such as a lower chance of heart disease, improved blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, a strengthening of the core, and a boost of mood (webmd.com). Since we live in Southern California, there are various sceneries that hikes around this area will entail, such as beaches, forests, and much more.  In Orange County, there are multiple excellent hiking areas you can visit.

In Yorba Linda, there are plenty of hikes you can visit that are very close to Yorba Linda High School. The Rimcrest Trail is a wonderful hike where you can see views of the entire city of Yorba Linda, encounter a variety of different flowers, and see some wildlife. It is located on Rimcrest Drive in Yorba Linda, around five to ten minutes away from the high school. In addition, the Carbon Canyon Regional Park contains multiple different hikes and views. It is located “upstream of the Carbon Canyon Dam” in Brea, around ten to fifteen minutes away from the high school, and it contains three acres of coastal redwoods called Redwood Grove (ocparks.com). Avery Avichouser (10) says that one of her favorite hikes is Redwood Grove because she “loves the Redwoods and big trees.” Also, Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim is a mile-long park that contains a trail with a view of the Santa Ana River, and this hike is around 15 minutes away from the high school.

With a less than an hour’s drive, you can enter a variety of Southern California Beaches with wonderful hikes. The Top of the World Hike is located in Laguna Beach, and it contains wonderful views “from Catalina Island to Mount Baldy” (hikingguy.com). In Dana Point, Dana Point Headlands Conservation Area contains a hike that goes through a wonderful flower trail with beautiful views of the oceans. Also, in Newport Beach, Crystal Cove State Park contains a stunning beach trail with wonderful views of the beach, and “visitors can explore tidepools and sandy coves” (parks.ca.gov). In addition, in Huntington Beach, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a three-mile hike containing various bird species, views of the oceans, and possible sightings of pelicans, leopard sharks, and jackrabbits (kcet.org).

There are also multiple hikes where you can view beautiful landscapes inland. The Sinks at Limestone Canyon in Irvine near Portola Parkway is “often referred to as Orange County’s mini-Grand Canyon” that contains a beautiful “formation of limestone” (gohikeit.com). In addition, Red Rock Canyon Trail at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is about a four-mile hike, and at the end of the hike, visitors can “see the red rock canyon area” (thatocgirl.com). To add, Roadrunner Loop Trail in Irvine Regional Park is a hilly 3.2-mile hike where you can see wonderful views of nature and animals.

Orange County has a variety of different hikes that you can visit. From ocean hikes to geological hikes, there is almost every scenic view in Southern California. As summer approaches, take your friends and family on one of these wonderful hikes.