Upper Newport Wilderness Preserve

I never get tired of coming here every chance I get, the view I always so nice and not to mention the people you see!:)

Great trails to walk on for any level of fitness. Beautiful view as well.

My cousins and I tried this hike today! We really enjoyed it. The hike is not hard and the scenes are so beautiful! It gets better the longer you walk. The trails are not that hard to follow.
Yes, be mindful to runners, bikers and horses.
We would definitely go back for this hike. Also, there is enough parking on the street and at the trailhead on Irvine ave.

4 stars. I’ve mainly been here to volunteer and plant every 2^nd Sunday morning of the month. This really isn’t much of a hike but moreover a running/​biking trail. Scenery is balanced with plants, the neighborhood and water. There is plenty of parking on the street or in the parking lot as well. There’s not many hiking places in Irvine but if you’re in the mood for some simple organic scenery, this is a great place.

This is my trail route. Love getting out in the fresh air here with my sis.

I run here every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Most cyclists are good about sharing the trail, but on occasion I’ve had run-​ins (literally) with a few assholes. There’s a good amount of hills to keep things challenging & interesting. A few observation points (e.g. Vista Point down on Eastbuff) offer some really cool views, especially early in the morning.

I’m a fan of this trail. However, I am not a fan of the people that frequent this trail.
I don’t understand what is so difficult about knowing which side to walk on, depending on the direction in which you happen to be walking! It’s the same as traffic — why is it so complicated? Everyone walking one way is on one side, everyone walking the other way is on the other side. Bikes follow the same rules. People don’t notice though, when you’re walking toward them and you have to move out of their way because they’re on the wrong side of the paved trail. Also, bicyclists here don’t pay attention to the speed limit, which is a little concerning.
These are minor nuisances, though. Overall, I really love this trail and love living so close to it. It’s very convenient!

I love this place for running or walking! I’m no duck or bird enthusiast but do love the quietness and stillness of this place. Early mornings are best as there less people and get to enjoy the road space.

This place is beautiful to walk around. It’s pretty well kept with little to no trash around from previous hikers! It’s a fun place to take an easy hike when you don’t want the hard core hills and climbs of other spots

While this trail is nice for an occasional hike, it is kind of sad to see how the out-​of-​control development surrounding the «Reserve» creates an environment where wildlife has a difficult time getting a foothold.
I mean, let’s be serious, the Back Bay Loop Trail also includes a yacht club and aquatic center. Will someone please explain to me how this qualifies as a «Ecological Reserve?»

I really love it here. There is always plenty of parking no matter where you want to start your hike, and once you get away from the road, it’s really a nice escape from the noise of the streets surrounding it.
One of my favorite things is that you can choose between the paved trail, or an unpaved trail (watch out for rattlesnakes, though).
Probably wise to not hike totally alone here– there were rumors of a wild cat living down there, and one time I saw a huge kitty paw print in the mud!

I thought this preserve was pretty boring. Most of the time you are walking along a paved road, there are a couple small «nature» paths here and there. You get a view of the bay, there were quite a few kayakers out when I was walkin/​running.
The view isn’t much really, just a few lizards and birds you can take a look at. Lots of brush and bushes and the bay. There are much better places to go in the OC, but if you really want to see the newport bay, then maybe this place will float your boat.

I can only give it 4 stars as my friends and I didn’t walk that far. Hahahaha we’re kinda lazy and there were a tonnnn of bees. :x
But it’s a really nice hiking trail… at least that 1 mile … but probably less that we hiked. There’s a little information center there that you can pick up brochures for other outdoorsy stuff to do the in OC and get maps of the different trails in this area. The other hikers were very friendly and greeted us and a group even stopped to talk to us for a little bit. Found out the entire trail is 12 miles long… I think that’s when we decided to just backtrack and get food.
I definitely want to come back here again! and get more than that mile long hike we did.

Great paths for walking. There are many walkers around so it is a pretty safe environment. Large parking lot that can be used for walkers, runners, bikers, and Geo Cachers. I went there to find a couple of caches and a bike ride. I also had a chance to go into the preserve station and look around. I will bring the kids back.
The map is a bit deceiving. Go to the corner of Irvine and University and you will find it.

Great for that late night dog walking. Specifically recommend the butterfly preserve.