(Lake Forest, Calif.) – Celebrate the fall season with OC Parks at the second annual Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill Historical Park Oct. 14-16 and 21-23. Tour the decorated historical grounds during special park hours and take your picture at a variety of fall and Halloween-themed photo opportunities. Try to find your way through the straw maze and complete a scavenger hunt for ghoulish goodies at this free, family-friendly event.

“We’re so excited to welcome the community back to celebrate the fall season at Heritage Hill Historical Park,” said Vice Chairman Donald P. Wagner, Orange County Board of Supervisors. “Fall-O-Ween offers free fun for the whole family, complete with festive activities in a charming historic setting that’s decorated for the occasion. I look forward to seeing everyone out there.” Costumes are encouraged and pets are welcome on leashes no longer than 6 feet. Be sure to grab your cameras to snap your festive photos with OC Parks this October!

Fall-O-Ween

Date: October 14-16 & 21-23

Time: 4:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Location: Heritage Hill Historical Park 

Address: 25151 Serrano Road, Lake Forest, CA 92630

Cost: Free

Parking: Free

Public Contact: (949) 923-2230 

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OC Parks

OC Parks manages nearly 60,000 acres of parks, historical and coastal facilities and open space for the County of Orange as part of OC Community Resources. http://www.ocparks.com

Orange County, Calif. – Join OC Parks on Saturday, Oct. 1, to celebrate Irvine Regional Park’s 125th anniversary. This free, family-friendly event will showcase the park’s historical significance while highlighting its continued importance in the community.

The Irvine family gifted the land that is now Irvine Regional Park to the County in 1897, creating California’s first regional park. The park’s 125th anniversary celebration will highlight moments of times past through several historical activities and demonstrations. Enjoy Shakespeare and dance performances as well as zoo demos, naturalist chats and more. Bring your blankets and chairs to enjoy free concerts on the Acorn Stage starting at 2:30 p.m. with performances by Flashback Heart Attack and Analog Jukebox.

“The whole community is invited to celebrate Irvine Regional Park’s 125th anniversary, one of Orange County’s premier natural spaces for family recreation and educational opportunities,” said Vice Chairman Donald P. Wagner, Orange County Board of Supervisors. “The anniversary presents the perfect opportunity to enjoy planned activities for the whole family, including entertaining performances that share the park’s history and traditions.”

The 125th anniversary celebration will take place from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The event will offer a self-guided historical tour, interactive booths and demonstrations such as Adobe brick-making, basket-weaving, candle-making, blacksmith demos, commemorative giveaways and much more. A variety of food options will be available for purchase. 

Parking is $5 per vehicle at Irvine Regional Park. Offsite parking is also available for $5 at Santiago Canyon College Lots 1 and 2 with free shuttle service to and from the event. Please enter the college off of Newport Boulevard.

Irvine Regional Park has something for everyone with fishing, picnic areas, the OC Zoo and the Irvine Park Railroad.

October 1 - Irvine Regional’s 125th Anniversary Celebration

Time: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Location: Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Rd., Orange, CA 92869

Cost and Parking: Free Event, Parking is $5 per vehicle at Irvine Regional Park. Offsite parking will also be available for $5 at Santiago Canyon College, 8045 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92869.

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OC Parks

OC Parks manages nearly 60,000 acres of parks, historical and coastal facilities and open space for the County of Orange as part of OC Community Resources. http://www.ocparks.com

*This project has been completed as of 9/29/2023. All areas are open to the public.*

OC Parks in collaboration with OC Public Works will complete repairs of three Santa Ana River Trail bridges. Work consists of removal and replacement of bridge decks and handrailing.

Bridge #1 in the City of Anaheim is closest to Imperial Highway bridge crossing over the Santa Ana River.

Bridge #2 in the City of Santa Ana is closest to 17th Street bridge crossing over the Santa Ana River.

Bridge #3 in the City of Costa Mesa is closest to Adams Avenue bridge crossing over the Santa Ana River. 

Bridge #1 repair work requires full bridge closure and detour will be set up. Remaining accessible, Bridges #2 & #3 railing replacement only require partial closure. Area motorists and other road users may experience delays when traveling through the project area during working hours. Traffic control measures, such as construction and detour signage and flag personnel will be present.

When:

Anticipated Construction Duration:

• Bridge #3 (4th Rail) May 30, 2023 – June 20, 2023
• Bridge #2 (4th Rail) June 21, 2023 – July 05, 2023
• Bridge #1 August 14, 2023 – October  20, 2023 

Working Days/Hours:

• Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where:

• Bridge #1 - City of Anaheim closest to Imperial Hwy bridge crossing over the Santa Ana River
• Bridge #2 - City of Santa Ana closest to 17th Street bridge crossing over the Santa Ana  River
• Bridge #3 - City of Costa Mesa closest to Adams Avenue bridge crossing over the Santa Ana River

Contact Information:

Michael Estrada (714) 719-1679

Austin Dabasinskas (714) 719-1731

CONSTRUCTION NOTICE

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is adding a pollinator garden with native plants near the Nix Nature Center.

The newly planted garden replaces invasive plants that had settled in the area. A group of student volunteers from Stanbridge University worked with park staff for more than a year to protect and nurture the developing garden.

“Park staff is dedicated to protecting these last invaluable remnants of increasingly rare plants and animals,” OC Parks Resource Specialist Laura Cohen said. “We can’t do it alone, and we are grateful to the staff and students of Stanbridge University for their help creating a garden – a native plant garden that serves our pollinators - and all of the plants and animals that depend on them.” 

The area around the Nix Nature Center was once used for cattle-grazing, and invasive plant species had overtaken many natives that help support healthy habitat and wildlife. Park staff has worked hard to restore native gardens at the Nix Nature Center since it opened 15 years ago, removing non-native plants, like mustard, that keep native plants from thriving.

Wild tarragon plants started overtaking the area and invading other parts of the park, crowding out other plants.  Plant diversity is essential for supporting native animals in the park’s natural coastal foothills, some of the last remaining in California. 

The pollinator garden will serve more wildlife and create a more attractive landscape by the nature center.  This involved planting and temporarily caring for local flowering plants used by our native pollinators – and enjoyed by park visitors.

Native plants typically take three to five years fully grow and become established. With the help of the 159 students weeding and watering every week, the new plants will have a much better and quicker chance of survival. 

Come and observe the gardening progress the next time you visit the Nix Nature Center at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. You can find it in the center of the parking area.

If you are interested in volunteering at OC Parks including Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, visit our volunteer page or register for one of our scheduled Keep It Wild Stewardship events.

What:

This project is located at the northwest end of the lake at Ted Craig Regional Park. The current corrugated metal pipe (CMP) culverts have deteriorated beyond repair and the sidewalk is now undermined and, in some areas, has detached from the structure. This project is to demo the sidewalk over the culverts, demo what is left of the CMP, remove riprap and replace with precast or cast-in-place concrete box with two new 18-inch diameter corrugated metal pipes over a marine mattress, riprap reinforcement, and replacement of concrete sidewalk.

When:

Anticipated Construction Duration:
July 2022 through September 2022
Working Days/Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact Information:

OCPW Supervising Construction Inspector Mario Garcia: (714) 599-0681
OCPW Senior Construction InspectorPaul Weaver: (714) 719-1742

Project Summary:

OC Parks, in collaboration with OC Public Works, will enhance the park visitor experience by improving the entryway, providing an accessible path of travel into the park and fixing drainage issues. Work consists of: removing existing deteriorated asphalt pavement and replacing with a combination of regular and permeable asphalt to alleviate drainage issues while improving the quality of stormwater runoff; removing and replacing the damaged curb and gutter and adding of ADA-compliant curb ramps; removing and replacing landscape and irrigation within the roundabout and medians to include drought-tolerant and low-water-consumption plants; adding lighting to the roundabout; adding a raised crosswalk and wayfinding signs; striping pavement to enhance the bike trail crossing and assist vehicular traffic more efficiently and safely navigate the entrance. The park entrance will remain open at all times during construction; however, partial lane closures, sidewalk and exit detours will be required. Traffic control measures, such as construction signage and detour signs will be present.

What:

Work consists of entry driveway and roadway enhancements and providing an ADA-compliant path of travel into the park and fixing drainage issues.

When:

Anticipated Construction Duration:

July 25, 2022 to November 25, 2022.

Working Days/Hours:

Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact Information

Name: Ceasar Grijalva Jr.

Phone Number: 714-559-1918

Email: Ceasar.GrijalvaJr@ocpw.ocgov.com

It's official! After more than 1,200 votes in the online poll, the new sister mountain lion cubs at the OC Zoo have officially been named! Watch the video below for the reveal!

The two orphaned sister mountain lion cubs made their debut with the opening of the OC Zoo’s new large mammal exhibit.

The two cubs, now approximately seven months old, were found as very young kittens, apparently abandoned or orphaned near a Thousand Oaks, Calif. office park in November of 2021. The zoo treated the female cubs’ malnutrition and nursed them back to health.

Mountain lions typically stay with their mothers and learn to hunt for approximately one to two years. Due to their extremely young ages, the cubs would likely not survive in the wild and will remain at the OC Zoo.

More than 1,500 name suggestions were submitted in person at the zoo during the first two weekends the new exhibit was open. Animal keepers helped narrow the list down to their five favorite name combinations.

Thank you to everyone who voted and participated in the naming contest. Now watch to reveal the winning names!

The OC Zoo is inside Irvine Regional Park. It is open 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends.

Placentia, Calif. – Chairman Doug Chaffee from the Orange County Board of Supervisors cut the ribbon on a brand-new, ADA-accessible fishing platform at Tri-City Regional Park in Placentia on May 31.

“This new platform will open additional opportunities for more people to enjoy the wonderful sport of fishing,” Chairman Chaffee said. “I am excited to open this new feature and thank OC Parks for providing these amenities to our community.”

The new, large platform is made from recycled plastic decking material for its durability and low cost of maintenance. The project also added shoreline reinforcement and an accessible pathway from the platform to nearby restrooms.

The lake is stocked seasonally with trout and catfish. A California Fishing License is required for all anglers ages 16 and up. The closest access and accessible parking are available from the Rolling Hills Drive entrance.

OC Parks stocks nine fishing lakes throughout the County. For more information, including stocking schedules, please visit our website at https://www.ocparks.com/. 

Two orphaned sister mountain lion cubs made their debut this month with the opening of the OC Zoo’s new large mammal exhibit.

Now, you have the chance to help pick their names!

*Voting has concluded. Check back soon for the name announcement!* 

More than 1,500 name suggestions were submitted in person at the zoo during the first two weekends the new exhibit was open. Animal keepers helped narrow the list down to their five favorite name combinations. The winning name pair will be announced after voting concludes. Follow us on Facebook @orangecountyparks and Instagram @OCParks for updates.

The two cubs, now approximately seven months old, were found as very young kittens, apparently abandoned or orphaned near a Thousand Oaks, Calif. office park in November of 2021. The zoo treated the female cubs’ malnutrition and nursed them back to health.

Mountain lions typically stay with their mothers and learn to hunt for approximately one to two years. Due to their extremely young ages, the cubs would likely not survive in the wild and will remain at the OC Zoo.

The new large mammal exhibit at the OC Zoo in Irvine Regional Park opened May 13. The 2-acre habitat represents the largest expansion project in the zoo’s history. In addition to the sister cubs, it houses an adult mountain lion, a male orphaned mountain lion cub and an adult jaguar.

(Orange, Calif.) – A new large mammal exhibit at the OC Zoo in Irvine Regional Park will open to the public May 13 and will mark the debut of four new animals.

The new, 2-acre habitat represents the largest expansion project in the zoo’s history. It will house an adult mountain lion, three orphaned mountain lion cubs and an adult jaguar.

“The OC Zoo has enriched our community for many years,” said Donald P. Wagner, Orange County Supervisor of the Third District. “At only $2 admission per person, visitors can view outdoor habitats and learn about local wildlife from past to present. The current expansion features new rescue animals, something people of all ages can enjoy —I look forward to visiting the exhibit with my family this spring."

The expansion, part of the Zoo’s 2013 General Development Plan, is designed to give patrons an up-close look at the animals living inside, while creating a comfortable and natural-looking environment for the large cats. The area includes artificial rock walls, climbing platforms, a waterfall and a bridge for the cats to cross overhead.

Animals that will call the new habitat home include an adult mountain lion that came to the zoo as a young orphan in 2011. Three new mountain lion cubs are also in the flexible space, which can be configured into four separate or connected areas.

Two of the cubs, a pair of sisters, were found as very young kittens, apparently abandoned or orphaned near a Thousand Oaks, Calif. office park in November of 2021. Another cub, a male approximately 8 months old now, was found after being hit by a car near Monterey, Calif., also in November of 2021.

The zoo treated the male cub’s serious injuries and the female cubs’ malnutrition. Mountain lions typically stay with their mothers and learn to hunt for approximately one to two years. Due to their extremely young ages, the three cubs would likely not survive in the wild and will remain at the OC Zoo.

A new black jaguar, approximately two years old, is also making its debut in the habitat. Considered endangered by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, jaguars’ range includes the southwest of Arizona and New Mexico, south to Argentina and northeastern Brazil. The jaguar comes to the OC Zoo from the World Wildlife Zoo in Arizona.

The OC Zoo will celebrate the new habitat and welcome its new residents on May 13 from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and May 14 from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Throughout the opening weekend, special entertainment, activities and animal ambassadors will be available at the zoo. The zoo will also be taking name suggestions in person for the sibling pair of female mountain lion cubs who arrived to the OC Zoo without names. Animal keepers will narrow the suggestions and the public can vote on their favorites in the weeks to come. Details will be posted on OCParks.com and OC Parks social media channels.

The OC Zoo traces its roots back to 1905 when red foxes were introduced in Irvine Regional Park, and a small collection of animals was added in 1920. The current, modern zoo officially opened in 1985. In late 2019, the zoo debuted a new entry plaza and restroom building, the first improvement outlined in the General Development Plan.

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About OC Parks

OC Parks manages nearly 60,000 acres of parks, historical and coastal facilities and open space for the County of Orange as part of OC Community Resources. http://www.ocparks.com