Please be aware this is a fitness hike and not for beginners; the pace is approximately a 19-minute mile. 

Raise your heart rate and your spirits on this difficult, strenuous and fast-paced, 7.2-mile hike over steep and uneven terrain with 1,050 feet of elevation gain. Please wear closed-toe shoes, sun protection and bring water.

The program will begin at the Nix Nature Center parking lot. 

Advanced registration required. Learn more and register here.

Participants must be 16 or older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian.

The program is free and parking is $3 per vehicle. 

Rain or heat advisory will cancel the program.

*This program begins at Laguna Canyon Foundation Headquarters, 10 Phillips Street, Laguna Beach, CA 92651*

Join OC Parks and Laguna Canyon Foundation at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park as we learn and work together to create a healthier habitat for the native plants and wildlife that call the canyon their home. 

Depending on the time of year, volunteers will assist with various stewardship activities, including removal of non-native plants, hand watering, seed collection, and/or planting of native plants. No experience is necessary and all tools will be provided. Please wear long pants, closed-toe shoes and sun protection, and bring water. Come out and join the team to help restore the wild lands we all enjoy! 

Advanced registration required. Learn more and register here. 

Participants must be 16 or older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. 

The program and parking are free for volunteers. 

Rain or heat advisory conditions may cancel this program.

Join OC Parks and Laguna Canyon Foundation for a walk through nature using the camera that’s always with you – your smartphone! 

As we walk the park’s trails, you’ll be encouraged to slow down, engage your senses and really “see” with your own unique vision. You will learn photographic composition and visual tips, camera settings and explore some amazing shooting and editing applications. You’ll leave with new ideas and artistic tools to create unique photographs and a deeper connection with nature. 

Please wear closed-toe shoes, sun protection and bring water. This walk is approximately 1.5 miles long and is on mostly flat terrain.

This program will meet at the Nix Nature Center amphitheater. 

Advance registration required. Learn more and register here.

This program is designed for ages 12 and older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian.

The program is free and parking is $3 per vehicle. 

Rain or heat advisory will cancel the program.

OC Parks invites you to story time at Mile Square Regional Park! Join us as we read several nature-themed stories and enjoy the outdoors Saturday, October 19 from 10 to 11 a.m.

Please bring blankets, pillows, chairs and anything you need to be comfortable. We will meet in the grass by the ranger station at the Euclid Street entrance to the park.

Registration is recommended but not required. Learn more and register here.

This program is free and parking is $5 per vehicle.

For questions please call (657) 735-3596 or email averil.lough@ocparks.com.

Inclement weather may cancel the program.

Discover the joys of nature journaling with a short and slow guided hike at Mile Square Regional Park - no experience necessary! 

Nature journaling can be practiced in almost any space and combines observations with insights, questions and connections with the environment around us. It allows us to pay attention to details that might otherwise be overlooked and meditate on their forms and place within the natural world.

This program will begin with an introduction to the basic techniques for beginning and maintaining your nature journal, followed by a warmup activity, then a walk in the park to find a comfortable journaling space. Bring a sketch pad or journal and your own art materials such as pencils, pens or watercolors. A portable chair is recommended along with sun protection, water and snacks.

We will meet at parking lot H in front of the Nature Area. Be prepared to move along the trail a short distance and sit to document the beauty around you.

Advance registration is recommended but not required. Learn more and register here.

This program is free and parking is $5 per vehicle.

For questions call (657) 735-3596 or email averil.lough@ocparks.com

Inclement weather may cancel this program. 

Drop by the nature area at Mile Square Regional Park for chess, checkers, art and fun!

A limited amount of chess and checkers sets will be available for free play as well as an array of art supplies including colored pencils, coloring pages, paper and watercolors. Feel free to bring your own materials! 

We will be stationed on the south side of the nature area at the picnic tables. If entering from the overflow lot, we will be to the left of the entrance.

Advance registration is recommended but not required. Learn more and register here.

This program is free and parking is $5 per vehicle.

For questions please call (657) 735-3596 or email averil.lough@ocparks.com.

Inclement weather may cancel this program.

Deepen your connection with nature on this gentle and meditative walk through Mile Square Regional Park. Inspired by the Japanese practice of "shinrin-yoku," or "forest bathing," you will discover the healing power of nature for yourself. 

This slow-paced walk will begin with a guided meditation to help you tune in with your senses, followed by a series of invitations focusing on sense-based explorations. Throughout the program, will be encouraged to deepen your connection with nature, a proven process to help reduce stress and leave you feeling recharged.

Participants are encouraged to bring a yoga mat or other comfortable seating and their favorite tea or water for the closing tea ceremony. Please note this program involves drinking tea from sustainably sourced native plants. Wear closed-toe shoes, sun protection and bring water. 

We will meet at the entrance to the Nature Area near parking lot H.

Advance registration required. Learn more and register here. 

This program is recommended for ages 16 and older. Minors under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. 

This program is free and parking is $3 per vehicle. Please arrive on time to experience the full sequence of the program. 

For questions, please call (657) 735-3596 or email averil.lough@ocparks.com.

Join OC Park naturalists for story time and a short hike at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park! Bring your little ones as we explore Mary’s Trail and search for evidence of spooky animals. Please wear closed-toe shoes, sun protection and bring water.

Advance registration required. Please register all participants, including children. Learn more and register here.

This program is geared towards ages 3-6, but all ages are welcome. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. 

The program is free and parking is $3 per vehicle. 

Rain or heat advisory will cancel the program.

For questions, please email shelbi.richardson@ocparks.com.

​​​​​​*This program begins at the James Dilley Preserve, 350 Artisan Dr., Laguna Beach, CA 92651*

Please be aware this is a fitness hike and not for beginners; pace is approximately a 19-minute mile. Raise your heart rate and your spirits on this strenuous, fast-paced, 4.8 mile hike over steep and uneven terrain with 650 feet of elevation gain. Please wear closed-toe shoes, sun protection and bring water.

Advance registration required. Learn more and register here.

Participants must be 16 or older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian.

The program is free and parking is $3 per vehicle.

Rain or heat advisory will cancel the program.

Join a naturalist on a guided nature meditation walk through Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Unplug and relax outdoors, allowing your natural sense of wonder to engage in playful activities, deepening connections with the outside world and ourselves. This program will begin on the patio of Nix Nature Center and will include a brief walk and tea ceremony of reciprocity. Please note this activity involves making and drinking tea from sustainably sourced native plants and participants are asked to notify park staff upon arrival of any food allergies or sensitivities. Please wear closed-toe shoes, sun protection and bring water. 

This program will begin on the patio of Nix Nature Center. 

Advance registration required. Learn more and register here.

This program is for ages 10 and older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian.

The program is free and parking is $3 per vehicle. 

Rain or heat advisory will cancel this program.