COUNTYWIDE : County Parks Offer Variety of Activities

Orange County is home to more than 20 regional parks. Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm are not among them.

Most of these regional parks are off the beaten track, at the end of a meandering, tree-lined road, or deep inside a dusty and deserted canyon.

You won’t find Mickey Mouse, jars of fruit jam or roller coasters in these places. But if you look hard enough, you might run across peacocks, perhaps a coyote or a grove of pristine redwood trees rustling in the wind.

The regional parks span the county. They offer dramatically different views of the local landscape, from the dry brush and chaparral of Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea to ocean breezes and marine vistas of Sunset Harbor Aquatic Park in Sunset Beach.

Many parks offer developed picnic and recreation areas as well as undeveloped land where visitors can hike and explore.

Among the more popular facilities in the county system are:

* IRVINE REGIONAL PARK: Off Chapman Avenue just east of Orange, the 477-acre park is within view of approaching housing tracts. But once you enter Orange County’s oldest park, the sights and sounds of the city vanish amid the rows of oak and California sycamore trees. The Orange County Zoo is here, as are picnic tables, hiking trails, bike paths and a recreation area.

* MILE SQUARE REGIONAL PARK: This multiuse park is an island of open space, surrounded by suburban development. Once a Navy training base, the site was converted into a park in the late 1960s. It offers golf courses, picnic areas, an archery range, two fishing lakes, four softball fields, soccer fields and playgrounds. The park also boasts of a hobby area where remote-control airplanes and cars can be used. A land-sailing area also exists. The park is bounded by Edinger and Warner avenues and Brookhurst and Euclid streets.

* YORBA REGIONAL PARK: This onetime cattle ranch is sandwiched between La Palma Avenue and the Santa Ana River. It includes a fishing lake and stream, equestrian trails, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts and a 10-station exercise course. The 150-plus-acre facility is on La Palma Avenue between Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard.

* ALISO AND WOOD CANYONS REGIONAL PARK: Much of this 3,400-acre park is undeveloped, allowing visitors to roam around scenic canyons untouched by man’s heavy hand. Unusual rock formation, oak woodlands and lush creek beds are among the attractions of the park, which is off Alicia Parkway near Laguna Niguel. Trails can be used for hiking, biking and equestrian activities. And with about 80 species of birds in the area, bird watching is also popular.

* CARBON CANYON REGIONAL PARK: Situated amid the oil wells north of Brea, the park is located where a century ago the town of Olinda rose. The park includes a nature trail more than a mile long, leading to a picturesque grove of coastal redwood trees. The park offers vistas of dry inland hills and a narrow green valley. Also in the park are a fishing lake, picnic tables, tennis courts and baseball diamonds. The park is off Carbon Canyon Road.

Most regional parks are open only during the day and charge an entry fee.