If you want to commit to a New Year’s workout routine, you buy a gym membership.  How about committing to explore more of Orange County’s finest parks, beaches, and wilderness?  Buy an annual parking pass.

To get the most value out of your pass, buy it early and go often.  It’s only $80/year for a combo pass which includes parks and beaches.  That comes out to less than $7 a month!!  I bet you spend more on Netflix and you probably spend at least TEN TIMES that on your cell phone or monthly cable TV tier.  Invest in outdoor time, too!

I go to a A LOT of parks and I can honestly say that OCParks amaze me on every visit. I’m entering the 4th year of working on this website and I still haven’t explored them all. I’ve been to Irvine Regional Park countless times, but still there are more trails to hike and activities to try.

The OCParks.com monthly calendar is brimming with events and activities. Some special events to take notice of include:

• Limestone Canyon Wilderness Access Day on January 7,
• Nature’s Adventures with Ranger Lynn January 13 and 27 at Upper Newport Bay,
• a Morning Stroll to Barbara’s Lake at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park,
  
• and an Introduction to Mountain Bike Riding on January 29 also at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Regional Park locations:

• Carbon Canyon Regional Park, Brea
• Caspers Wilderness Park, San Juan Capistrano (plus Nature Center)
• Clark Regional Park, Buena Park (plus Interpretive Center)
• Craig Regional Park, Fullerton
• Irvine Regional Park, Irvine
• Laguna Niguel Regional Park, Laguna Niguel
• Mason Regional Park, Irvine
• Mile Square Regional Park, Fountain Valley
• O’Neill Regional Park, Trabuco Canyon
• Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange
• Yorba Regional Park, Anaheim

Wilderness Park locations:

• Aliso & Wood Canyons, Laguna Niguel
• Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
• Peters Canyon Regional Park, Orange
• Riley Wilderness Park, Coto de Caza
• Limestone-Whiting Wilderness Park, Trabuco Canyon

Beach locations:

• Aliso Beach Park, South Laguna Beach
• Capistrano Beach, Capistrano Beach
• Dana Point Harbor, Dana Point
• Salt Creek Beach, Dana Point

The possibilities are endless!  OCParks.com has a comprehensive list of amenities where you can search for parks that meet your criteria. Visit OCParks.com and buy an annual parking pass now.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary 2011 and 2012 annual passes from OCParks. In years past, I’ve gladly bought my own and would have again this year.  I like to support my local parks! Read my full disclosure policy.

I woke up to the following request from a mom: “I have a toddler who is obsessed with bats and tarantulas. Do you know of any places we can view either or both? I’ve been searching online for some info but haven’t come across much so far. We’re willing to travel a bit for a good bat viewing.”

Where to find bats and tarantulas in Orange County?

Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary is having their annual October Bat Night on Oct 15th.

I’ve seen “real-life” tarantulas on a guided hike in Bommer Canyon, plus a baby one on the playground at Settler’s Park in Irvine.  They come out around sunset.

If you want to see them in a terrarium, we have tons of nature centers and many seem to have a resident tarantula (you could call ahead to see what animals they have on display).  I wrote this list of nature centers in one of my e-newsletters this summer. The blue writing actually links to a blog post about the center – or to the center website.  Here’s a link directly to the newsletter, but you can also click at the top of it where it says “View past issues” to see other fun lists from the summer.

Also, Joel Robinson of Naturalist-For-You leads “tarantula treks” up in Black Star Canyon – probably not appropriate for a toddler. The Irvine Ranch Conservancy is offering a similar family “Nocturnal Noise Hike” in Black Star on October 15th for families with kids 8+ years old.

The OC Zoo has a whole month of “Bats, Cats, and Spiders”  scheduled on Fridays for kids ages 3-4.  The zoo is one of my favorite OC spots and it’s inside Irvine Regional Park which runs the Irvine Park Railroad and Pumpkin Patch.

There are Tideland Tykes and Bayside Buddies programs at the Muth Interpretive Center in Newport Beach.  On Thursday, October 6th they have a “Nocturnal Nightlife” class. Look on the irlandmarks.org website for their activity listings and instructions on how to register.

Finally, here are a couple more family-friendly Autumn events to share:

• Sunday, October 16th: Fall Faire and Pumpkin Patch at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach
• Saturday, October 22nd: Autumn Harvest Festival at Heritage Hill Historical Park in Lake Forest

I love nature centers and interpretive centers. Sometimes they are dusty and date back to the 70′s, but that makes me love them all the more. The little interpretive center at Clark Regional Park is no exception with its Los Coyotes Paleontology Museum inside. Our North County Parks Reporter, Lisa, recommended it to me back in November 2009:

Interpretive center has an awesome fossil collection – think La Brea Tar Pits but on a smaller scale – and it’s FREE (y’know after you pay for parking or use your OC Parks pass). They also have quarterly tours where they walk you out to an actual fossil excavation site – also for free – but there’s an age limit – not for babies and toddlers.

The outside of the interpretive center itself is gorgeous, and there’s a huge outcropping of reddish rock across the street from the park that is very visible and just adds to the beauty. The interpretive center is closed when they don’t have someone available to staff it – call ahead to make sure it’s open (714) 973-3170.

On our last visit, we finally caught it on a day it was open. We like to park in Lot 4 to play at the playground there and wind our way around the lake to the Interpretive Center.

This station (below) is especially kid-friendly with panels to open and fossils to touch.

Clark Regional Park is what I consider a “destination playground” — in fact, there are 3 playgrounds worth visiting.  It’s a peaceful spot. The Interpretive Center is a bonus, especially if  you’re teaching a fossil lesson to your kids. It adds so much to the regional park experience.

Wildlife Spotting: We saw an osprey over the playground and a turtle in the lake. A duck adopted us and followed us around the play area. Next on my list is to hike up Camel Hill (the trail was closed due to rain on our last visit). There’s lots to see if you keep your eyes open.

Hint: Don’t forget to bring your Nature Scene Investigator guide book (or get your mission online) – this is one of the NSI locations.

Learn more about Clark Regional Park on our site. Visit the official OCParks.com to find out more details and the hours.  We love OC regional parks. Go get your annual pass today!

Buena Park

The Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center is right across from the Central Orange Coast YMCA and part of the Upper Newport Bay.  I wish the center was there during my college days as a Y lifeguard and swim instructor. I would have spent a lot of time there!  The views are incredible and there’s always wildlife to see.  I like it for sunset viewing from the roof of the center.

Location: It’s easy to get to Muth from either Interstate 405, Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), or the 73 Freeway. OCParks.com has a custom map and a number of different directions. I’m going to give you directions from John Wayne Airport since it’s a landmark most Orange County residents know.  Take MacArthur Boulevard to Campus Drive and turn right. It will wind around over the 73 and turn into Irvine Avenue. Now you’re driving towards 17th Street in Costa Mesa. After you pass the golf course on your left and Irvine Ranch Market on your right, you’ll turn left onto  University Drive.  There is a dedicated parking lot on your right across from the YMCA.  MAP TO MUTH INTERPRETIVE CENTER IN NEWPORT BEACH

Highlights:

• Start your exploring from the parking lot and follow the well-marked trail down the hill to the center.
• There’s a beautiful little Butterfly Habitat and sculptures outside the entrance.

• The Interpretive Center is my favorite for many reasons: 1) It’s near the ocean, 2) It explains why wetlands are vital habitats, 3) It’s hands-on for the kids where they can crawl, touch, and lift windows on displays, and 4) the classroom is open for public discovery providing there are no classes in session.

• Don’t miss the roof of the building which doubles as a viewpoint with a telescope.
• The volunteer naturalists who run the center are extremely helpful and can answer any questions you might have about the area or trails.  They can also help you name wildlife you might have spotted.
• You’ll learn a lot about OC history as you browse through the exhibits.
• Little plane lovers will love to hear the roar of the planes taking off or landing at John Wayne Airport.
• We do something different every time we go. Just enjoy the view and having the kids outside. We saw an osprey on the hunt on our last visit.

Be Aware:

• There’s no playground here — so make nature your playground!! You’ll be amazed at how much fun the kids will have running around.
• The Center is CLOSED Monday.
• The parking lot sometimes closes during and after wet weather, even when the center might be open. Just park on the street.

Checklist:

• Admission is FREE. If you take a class or participate in a program, you will be charged a small fee.
• There are nice restrooms and a drinking fountain inside the center.
• There is a small gift shop with nature books, travel guides, and knick-knacks.
• You must register ahead of time for Tideland Tykes and Bayside Buddies for your 2 to 8 year old.
• The Muth Interpretive Center is listed on the OCParks.com website as Upper Newport Bay and as “unbic” — Upper Newport Bay Interpretive Center.
• The Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends run the NewportBay.org website which is updated regularly.
• This is on the list of Nature Scene Investigator locations, so make sure you bring your Guidebook.

Shipley Nature Center is absolutely one of my favorite spots in Orange County. The cool thing is that it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to outdoor activities, since it sits smack dab in the middle of Huntington Central Park! What? You didn’t know that Huntington Beach has a central park?  And that it’s HUGE — with lakes and playgrounds and restaurants and a big library?  Now you’ll definitely have to check it out.

Location: You would never know there’s a huge park just from driving by. When I go, I take Interstate 405 to Beach Boulevard and head toward the beach. Turn right on Slater and left on Goldenwest.  Half of the park is on your left (restaurant, lake, library) and the parking for Shipley is on your right. MAP TO SHIPLEY NATURE CENTER IN HUNTINGTON BEACH

Highlights:

• The trails are a manageable size for families with toddlers.
• We always see butterflies, bunnies, bugs and birds on our visits.
• Many of the plants are also marked so you can learn names of some of the local vegetation.
• The Nature Center has some really fun stuff with drawers to open and a little puppet theater with loads of puppets for play.  It’s very hands-on.
• Parents will like the Native Plants for sale, books for sale, and pamphlets. I always like to buy from organizations like this because I know some of the money is going to support the non-profit.
• They have a very helpful website and newsletter at ShipleyNature.org.

Be Aware:

• Children might need to be reminded to stay on the trail – but it’s really fun to let them choose which way to go!
• There’s one section of trail with Stinging Nettles bordering the pathway. There are clear signs when you are entering the area and I think it’s a good lesson on how to identify them. Apparently there’s a rare Red Admiral butterfly which hangs out near them so it’s worth a look.
• The paths are wood chips, so they are not exactly stroller-friendly (although you could do it). I’d recommend letting them run or carrying them.

Checklist:

• They just added a very nice restroom building behind the native plant shop.
• It’s only open 9am-1pm Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday). They have a map on their site, too.
• On the ShipleyNature.org website they have a great episode about park from Huell Howser. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.
• It’s FREE, but they suggest a $2 donation.
• If you live in the area, they offer classes and are looking for volunteers all the time.
• This is also one of the Nature Scene Investigator locations! So bring paper and a crayon for your rubbing and get your clue from GetOutdoorsOC.com first!