Parking Places

Looking for an Orange County park that fits your needs? There’s a little something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a day hike or a weekend away from home.

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

1. Crystal Cove State Park, 8471 Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach; (714) 494-3539. Eighteen miles of trails and 3 miles of coastline. Hours: 6 a.m. to sunset. Parking $5.

2. Chino Hills State Park, off Carbon Canyon Road near Valencia Ave., Brea; (909) 780-6222. Enter on the Orange County side by parking at Carbon Canyon Regional Park and walking down a path. Has 60 miles of trails. Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset.

Parking at Carbon Canyon Regional Park, $2 (weekdays), $4 (weekends), $5 (holidays).

COUNTY OF ORANGE REGIONAL PARKS

Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Costs: Parking $2 (weekdays), $4 (weekends), $5 (holidays).

3. Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park, Aliso Creek Road and Alicia Parkway, Laguna Niguel; (714) 831-2791. Contains 3,879 acres.

4. Carbon Canyon Regional Park, 4442 Carbon Canyon Road, Brea; (714) 996-5252. A 124-acre recreational park and a 1.1-mile dirt nature trail.

5. Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park, 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano; (714) 728-0235 from South County area or 831-2174 from North County. Minors (under 18) are prohibited in the park. Contains 7,600 acres of wilderness.

6. Ted Craig Regional Park, 3300 North State College Boulevard, Fullerton; (714) 990-0271.

7. Featherly Regional Park, 24001 Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim; (714) 637-0210. Surrounded by Santa Ana Canyon.

8. Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange; (714) 633-8072. This 477-acre recreational park has a zoo ($1 per person), picnic tables and barbecues, playgrounds, bicycle rentals ($10 per hour), pony rides ($2.50 per child), miniature train rides ($2 per person) and two lakes with paddle-boat rentals ($7 per hour).

9. Laguna Niguel Regional Park, 28241 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel; (714) 831-2790, 65 acres interspersed with eucalyptus and sycamore trees.

10. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach; (714) 854-7108 or (714) 832-7478 for reservations. All access to the park’s 3,200 acres is by reservation and permits only. There is a 3-mile guided hike Saturday mornings ($2 per person).

11. Mile Square Regional Park, 16801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley; (714) 962-5549. Four softball fields, two baseball fields, two lakes for fishing, an archery range, three soccer fields, three playgrounds and a large hobby area for model planes and cars.

12. O’Neill Regional Park, 30892 Trabuco Canyon Road, Trabuco Canyon; (714) 858-9365. Contains 1,700 acres. Camping areas available.

13. Peters Canyon Regional Park, Canyon View Ave. near Jamboree Road, Orange; (714) 538-4400. 354 acres of coastal sage scrub, freshwater marsh and grasslands. Trails for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians.

14. Ralph B. Clark Regional Park, 8800 Rosecrans Ave. Buena Park; (714) 670-8045. This 105-acre park is the site of two fossil beds.

15. Santiago Oaks Regional Park, 2145 North Windes Drive, Orange (714) 538-4400. Trails for hikers and equestrians.

16. Talbert Nature Preserve, Corner of Victoria St. and Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa; (714) 567-6206. Natural wetlands.

17. Upper Newport Bay Regional Park, Corner of University Drive and Irvine Ave., Newport Beach; (714) 640-1751. Great sites for bird-watching.

18. General Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park, 30952 Oso Parkway, Coto de Caza; (714) 459-1687. Five miles of trails for hikers, equestrians and bikers.

19. Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, Portola Parkway near Bake Parkway, Trabuco Canyon; (714) 589-4729 or (714) 858-9365. 1,500 acres of canyons, woodlands and rock formations.

20. William R. Mason Regional Park, 18712 University Drive, Irvine; (714) 854-2491. Picnic areas and barbecues. Nine-acre, non-swimming lake.

21. Yorba Regional Park, 7600 East La Palma Ave., Anaheim; (714) 970-1460. 175 acres.

SPECIAL PLACES FOR CAMPING

A. Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park: 42 campsites, 10 overflow sites, 30 equestrian sites, 2 group sites. Per night fees, $12 per vehicle, $4 for one extra vehicle, $3 per horse. No reservations for individual sites, group sites by reservation only. (714) 728-3420.

B. O’Neill Regional Park: 90 campsites along Trabuco Creek; 3 group sites accommodating 15 to 300 people. No reservations for individual sites, group sites by reservation only (except holiday weekends). Per night fees, $12 per vehicle, $4 for one extra vehicle, $3 per horse, $2 per dog. Youth groups $5 per vehicle, $2 per passenger. (714) 858-9365.

CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST

C. Blue Jay Campground: 50 campsites. $7 per night, $2 for one extra vehicle. No reservations. Located five miles north of Ortega (74) Hwy. on North Main Divide Road.

D. Falcon Group Campground: 3 large sites by reservation only, (800) 280-2267. Sage, $30, up to 30 people; Lupine, $40, up to 40 people; and Yarrow, $70, up to 70 people. Located four miles northwest of Ortega (74) Hwy. on North Main Divide Road.

E. Upper San Juan Campground: 18 campsites, $7 per night. No reservations. Located adjacent to Ortega (74) Hwy. 21 miles east of San Juan Capistrano and 9 miles west of Lake Elsinore.

F. El Cariso Campgrounds: North, 24 campsites, and South, 11 campsites. $7 per night. No reservations. Located adjacent to Ortega (74) Hwy. 25 miles east of San Juan Capistrano and 5 miles west of Lake Elsinore.

STATE BEACHES

Reservations (800) 444-7275.

Information, (714) 492-0802. In season rates in effect from March 1 to Nov. 30.

G. Doheny State Beach: 121 campsites, including 34 beach front sites; RV and tent camping, no hookups. In season $17, $22 for beachfront sites; Fridays and Saturdays, $18 and $23. Off season $14, $19 for beachfront. Entrance at 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive in Dana Point, just west of Pacific Coast (1) Highway. (714) 496-6172.

H. San Clemente State Beach: 85 family camp sites and 72 sites with full hookups. In season $17, $23 for hookup sites; Fridays and Saturdays, $18 and $24. Off season $14, $20 for hookups. Entrance on Avenida Calafia. Southbound, exit Interstate 5 at Avenida Calafia. Northbound, exit at Cristianitos Road and head west; turn right on Avenida del Presidente and left on Avenida Calafia. (714) 492-3156.

I. San Onofre State Beach/Bluffs Campground: 221 campsites; no hookups. In season $17; Fridays and Saturdays $18. Off season $14. Take Interstate 5 to Basilone Road exit and head south. (714) 492-3083.

J. San Onofre State Beach/San Mateo Campground: 160 campsites, including 70 with partial hookups; RV and tent camping. In season tent camping $17, $23 for partial hookup sites. Fridays and Saturdays, $18 and $24. Off season $14, $20 for partial hookups. Take Interstate 5 to the Cristianitos Road and head northeast to 830 Cristianitos Road. (714) 361-2531.

Researched by WENDY WITHERSPOON and CORRESPONDENT BENJAMIN EPSTEIN / Los Angeles Times