A nice Aliso Viejo walk takes you along the Aliso Creek bike/hiking trail paralleling Alicia Parkway from Foxborough Park to Hillview Park.  These two parks weren’t on my radar because there are no playgrounds at either (and no bathrooms!).  However, they are perfect for a brisk walk outdoors with kids in a jogging stroller.

Location: Foxborough Park is off Deerhurst near Pacific Park. Hillview Park is reachable by walking behind Aliso Niguel High School.  MAP OVERVIEW OF FOXBOROUGH TO HILLVIEW WALK

Highlights:

• Tons of bird watching to do along the creek (check my OCFamily post with tips for wildlife spotting)
• Beautiful views from Hillview Park
• Great to exercise outdoors

Tips:

• Strollers will be fine on the bike trail; the hill up to Hillview is bumpy dirt (which could be muddy after a rain); then there’s sidewalk and a loop at the top.
• There is no exit from Hillview other than the way you came!
• If you are walking, it can take anywhere from an hour to two hours to do the round-trip back to Foxborough Park — depending on if you let the kids walk.
• You could ride your bikes along the Aliso Creek Trail and lock them up near the high school to walk up the hill for the views
• Warnings for rattlesnakes on the dirt hill
• NO restrooms on the entire walk – so plan ahead (or use the route for a “mommy walk” or “daddy walk” or “date walk” instead of bringing the kids)

Foxborough to Hillview at EveryTrail

See a video of the walk — complete with a mockingbird serenade.

We like to walk and take slow nature hikes, but I’m not an expert. Check out these five SoCal walkers/hikers/explorers for even better hiking tips with more details:

• Walk Simply
• Greene Adventures
• Brian and Ashley’s Hiking Blog
• California Through My Lens
• Naturalist-For-You (guided nature walks)

Mr. Play Parks spends long hours at his office and yearns to get outdoors on the weekends. Our day trips aren’t really enough for a guy who spent a childhood camping for family vacations.  I’m always up for an adventure, so we decided to test out Caspers Wilderness Park campground for camping local.  If you are new to camping or haven’t done it in a looonnnngggg time, I have two nuggets of advice for you to make it a successful trip:

• Start local.  If you forget something, you’ll know where to go to either buy it or grab it from home.  If the weather changes, a kids gets sick,  you get too cold, or you have an allergy attack — you can just check in at the ranger station and leave the tent to head home. You can go back and gather your things in the morning.  We’ve never had to do this, but I’m always comforted by this idea.
• Go with friends who are experienced in camping. There are tricks and tools that campers learn over time to make for a comfortable night outside.  Just watching how they do it will help you figure out how to do it on your own. Plus, it’s fun to be around the campfire with friends.

The beauty of Caspers Wilderness Park and the Live Oak Campground is that there are so many great campsites in one place.  You can pick one with a view of the creek, inside an oak grove, or out under the sycamores near the meadow.  Each site would make for a different camping experience.

Our Trip

We arrived very late in the day and wanted the most sunlight possible to set up our tent before the sun went down on us so we picked a site by the meadow and under a sycamore.

We were able to attend the 7pm Saturday Campfire Program up at the nature center where Ranger Zach took us on a guided night hike to test our five senses and point out some native (and non-native) vegetation.  It was almost a full moon, so it was the perfect opportunity for a hike.

It was a cold January night at 38 degrees, but we were snug in our tent and sleeping bags. It was clear and still when we went to bed with a view of the moon over the meadow. Around 2am, the fog must have rolled in and we were getting either a heavy dew or light rain dripping on the tent interspersed with gusts of wind.  The wind picked up around 5am and that time was the coldest part of our stay — right before dawn.  But we woke to no wind and had a lovely campfire breakfast.

The kids played behind the campsite and we rolled out around 10am because of a high wind warning and yearning for a hot shower. The temperature was almost up to 80 by then!  We missed it, but there was a ranger-led hike scheduled for 9am which would have been fun.

What would I do differently?

After a trip, I always try to evaluate how we could have done it better.

• We should have arrived earlier in the day to set up camp and get settled well before sunset.
• I would have brought snow clothes (hats, mittens, long underwear, heavy jackets) and blankets. We did dress for the cold in multiple layers. I had my wool socks on for sleeping. Still, we would have been even more comfortable with additional layers.

Read more about Caspers:

• The OFFICIAL OCParks.com website has all the accurate info about visiting this amazing park. (At the time of this writing, they are only able to accept cash or check as payment for camping or annual passes. So bring something other than your credit card.  The cost for one night was only $20.)
• Caspers Playground
• Caspers Nature Center
• My friend, Traci, at WalkSimply.com writes about an Easy and Diverse Family Nature Hike at Casper’s

Westridge Park in Aliso Viejo is one of those parks where I could hang out all day.  Unfortunately, the lack of restrooms makes that an impossibility — but you know what I mean.  The kids seem happy to dig in the sand and explore the corners of this hidden park.

Directions to Westridge Park: From I-5, exit at Oso Parkway which turns into Pacific Park as it crosses La Paz.  Keep driving up the hill past Alicia Parkway and into Aliso Viejo.  Turn left onto Wood Canyon and make an immediate right onto Westridge. The park is directly ahead at the T-intersection. You will need to turn left and park on the street. (Check out how the park is at the edge of Aliso & Wood Canyons. It’s striking on the map!) MAP TO WESTRIDGE PARK IN ALISO VIEJO

Highlights:

• The park is at the edge of Aliso & Wood Canyon (no access) which makes the views from the fence intriguing
• SHADE!  Yay for shade covers and big sycamores which make most of the playground shady all afternoon
• There’s also a really nice gazebo shade cover over 3 large picnic tables.
• Benches all around the playground and a stone wall that’s just the right height for sitting.
• Nice grassy area where moms were laying out blankets and playing with their kids.
• The equipment has separate monkey bars that were a bit too high for the youngest kids.
• Both “big kid” and “little kid” equipment. The little one had some fun little slides and the big one has some climbing opportunities and a bridge.
• There’s a sidewalk encircling the playground equipment that kids were using as a trike track to make loops back to mom.
• 2 bench swings and one baby swing

Be Aware:

• Because of the tall and grassy landscaping, it’s hard to see the kids on the playground when you are sitting under the picnic cover.
• Many spots on the “big kid” equipment where little kids can fall through, but there’s enough to do in other areas of the park.
• Kids will naturally gravitate away from Oak View Drive, but traffic is somewhat busy. Make sure they wander into – and not out of – the park.

Checklist:

• Parking on the street
• Sand and grassy play surfaces
• NO restroom
• Drinking fountain right near the playground
• Nice shade for picnic areas and play equipment
• City of Aliso Viejo website
• Nearby public library: Aliso Viejo Public Library

Nearby Parks:

• Grand Park
• Oak Park
• Canyon View Park
• Acorn Park

Acorn Park in Aliso Viejo is nestled between a quiet neighborhood and Oak Grove Elementary School. Large trees surround play areas and provide some of the best shade around. Grassy picnic areas and gorgeous flora on the adjacent nature trail gives it a unique nature feel.

Directions to Acorn Park in Aliso Viejo: If you are headed up Pacific Park turn right onto Wood Canyon and left on Sanborn. It sits right next to Oak Grove Elementary School. During the summer you can park in the visitor spots in the school parking lot. During the school year make sure you park on Sanborn. If you have a stroller, park closer to the school parking lot so you can access the playground without using the stairs on the trail. MAP TO ACORN PARK IN ALISO VIEJO

Recommended by: Our friends at OC Mommies

Highlights:

• Brand new equipment from Summer 2011
• Separate toddler play area and big kid play area
• A gorgeous nature trail leads you from the street down to the playground.  It’s fun to explore the stairway out of the park and the artificial streambed towards the back of the park.
• It’s sunken below street level.
• Shade, shade, and more shade!
• Large grassy areas with plenty of tables for picnics that are great for birthday parties.
• 4 bench swings (and the baby swings are back!!!!)

Be Aware:

• There is bathroom that looks permanent, but it is more like a structured port-a-potty.
• Slides seem extra fast – so be prepared!  And some scary drop points for small kids on the tall equipment.
• Extra traffic at school pick-up and drop-off

Checklist:

• Parking on the street
• Sand and grassy play surfaces
• Portable toilet
• Drinking fountain
• Nice shade for picnic areas and play equipment
• City of Aliso Viejo website
• Nearby public library: Aliso Viejo Public Library

Nearby Parks:

• Grand Park
• Oak Park
• Canyon View Park

Nature Park in Lake Forest is in the most unlikely spot: in the middle of industrial park.  Many of you families in South County will know where it is — because it’s less than a block away from Pump It Up on Dimension. A little pocket of nature right in the middle of everything.

Directions to Nature Park in Lake Forest:  Exit Interstate 405 at Lake Forest Drive and take it all the way to a left on Dimension Drive. Stay on Dimension. You will pass Pump It Up on your left and then prepare to park on the right side of the road after you cross the bridge. You will see the Nature Park sign. If you hit CommerceCentre Drive then you went too far.  (Address: 26215 Dimension Drive, Lake Forest) MAP TO NATURE PARK IN LAKE FOREST

Highlights:

• Features nature with oak trees and other native plants
• Hooks up to the Serrano Creek Trail which connects uphill to Whiting Ranch and downhill to Serrano Creek Park
• It was nice and quiet on the weekend
• Bird watching and wildlife spotting
• Kids can find a “sit spot” to watch the birds and see if they can spot bunnies
• Awesome spot for picnics with a covered gazebo near oak trees
• Interpretive elements printed on the concrete
• Take the short nature trail towards the back of the park. Kids should stay on trail.
• There are interpretive signs on the nature trail to help you identify plants. We definitely saw evidence of snacking on the prickly pear.

Be Aware:

• NO playground
• Parking on Dimension was fine on the weekend, but could be dicey during the week
• Could feel isolated if you go alone
• Watch for wildlife on the nature trail. There is poison oak (see photo below) and prickly pear off the trail. So if you stay on the wide trail you are good.
• NO restrooms
• If you ride or walk on the trail, watch for fast riders coming down the hill behind you

Checklist:

• Parking on a busy street
• NO playground, just picnic tables and a nice natural area to explore
• NO restrooms
• Download a PDF of Orange County Bikeways from OCTA
• City of Lake Forest website
• Nearest public library branch: Foothill Ranch Public Library

Nearby parks:

• Serrano Creek Park
• Heritage Hill Historical Park
• Foothill Ranch Community Park
• Borrego Park