Irvine Regional Park Reviews

Wow, what can I say. So many good things about this Park. My family had a picnic there this past 4th of July. We arrived at 5am to secure our spots because we heard that some of the choice spots are gone around 7 a.m. We had no problem getting the spot that we saw a week earlier. There was so much for our children and us to do. The spaces were huge. The boats, the bicycles, the zoo, etc. were the best a family could ask for because there was something for every age. Oh, hiking trails too. There were nets for volley ball. Just bring your own ball. Such a wonderful place. I never knew it existed until this past 4th of July. Will return again.

Each area of the park has it's own personality. A great place to ride bikes, some paths are paved, some mountain bike trails. The scenery changes from freshly mowed grassy picnic areas, to dry dusty trails. You can take the kids to the zoo or swing by the duck pond and enjoy water features. Irvine park is just great for young and old alike.

First for visitors: Irvine Regional Park is not in Irvine, but rather in Orange. Entrance fee is $5.00 on the weekends. $3.00 Mon-Fri.

This park is huge (160 acres) and has so much to do with paved and unsaved trails, bike trails (rentals too) and horse trails, a lake for fishing (get a license) and paddleboat rental, lots of picnic areas and playgrounds, the OC Zoo and even softball fields. Train rides, pony rides, horseback riding, horseshoes and volleyball (bring your own net). Bbq too.

We were here for a birthday party. It was a nice day in the park. Lots of shade. I love that at one end of Jamboree Road is this great park and at the other end is the beach.

great place to take the kids. The train was great. We have been for multiple holidays . pumpkins are a little pricey(more than grocery store) but the experience is great for young kids

If you're in the area, this is a nice large outdoor park. It is family friendly with a variety of activities.

Well maintained park with ponds, small zoo and numerous hiking trails. A great way to spend an afternoon away from the crowds. Several play grounds for smaller children.

I came here to do a photo shoot for my daughter and I found the park to be breathtaking.

There's so much wildlife, pathways and just completely different areas of the park that will surprise you. It only costs $3 to enter the park and there is plenty of parking everywhere.

There is an area of farm animals for children, park benches and like I said hikes.

We have been going to the Irvine Park for close to 30 years, were never disappointed. It offers several hiking trails, a small zoo where we can watch native wildlife, even a brown bear, horse back riding, water bicycles, benches and tables all throughout the park, beautiful trees, bird watching, tandem bicycles and cycling, It is very peaceful during the week. Just a word of advise, if you want peace and quiet, avoid the week-ends. Parties and loud music flare everywhere. But if you like birthday parties in the open air, it is a perfect place to have them. The Park offers many activities to entertain your guests and family. The entry fee (per car) is very affordable.

Why a park of this size has only one entrance is ridiculous. On a Saturday expect to wait 45 minutes to one hour to get through the pay station. There is no traffic control and people like to cut into the lane and expect you to let them in.

This park has trails and beautiful trees...you'll spot occasional hikers, bikers and horseback riders...everyone peacefully enjoying the naturaleza. A wonderful spot to unwind.

We took our granddaughter to the Irvine Regional Park for the Great Pumpkin Contest, where huge pumpkins were vying to be the pumpkin with the heaviest weight. Also, there were a Hay Maze, a pumpkin patch (where one may purchase pumpkins of various sizes), face painting, pumpkin decorating, and a small train ride. Pony rides were also offered. Be advised, there is a $5 per vehicle fee to enter the Park.

Lots of green space; hiking trails; paddle boat and bike rentals; a small zoo that kids enjoy, and train rides too. This park is best in the middle of the week, when it's not crowded with parties and BBQ's.

I grew up in OC, well before Irvine as a city even existed. But the park was always here. It's matured, the facilities are nice. A great place for those with youngsters in tow. Lake, bbqs, horses.

This is a great place for a hike or a bike ride. However, stay away during holidays as the place is packed. They even divert traffic at Jamboree and Chapman so you can access their parking lot because of the crowds. Other than holidays, its wonderful and usually not very crowded. I have never been to the zoo area as I am not a fan of zoos.

This park is a really nice one, pretty large and with good parking. Inside this park you can find the OC Zoo, an equestrian center, many picnic areas, a little lake and some more attractions. They have a farmer market once a week and always events and games set up for all the holidays during the year.

The Irvine Regional park is a nice little place to take your kids on the weekend, or your dogs for a walk. The lake adds a nice touch to the scenery.

I'm so glad this park has been preserved for so many years. It has lots of open grassy spaces as well as a lake, trails, railroad, and even a zoo! You have to spend $5 on weekend days and $3 on weekdays to get in, but it's well worth it.

We took our 19 month old son to ride the train here. Perfect morning activity! The train opens at 10am; and the ride seemed about 15 mins. What a beautiful park! We also loved looking at the ponies, but we did not do a pony ride. The train cost $5 per person; everyone over the age of 1 needs a ticket. Highly recommend for families! It looks like a great place to host a family picnic or birthday party as well.

We went with several families that had small children to pre-teens & there was something for everyone. The kids LOVED the four seated bike ride & the paddle bikes. We also boarded the train & enjoyed the ride through the park plus some of the history. Everyone at the sales booths were VERY nice. The park had many shady picinic tables & BBQ grills. We enjoyed that they had pony rides & a small zoo too! My family enjoyed themselves so much that we will DEFINATELY be coming back.

This is an amazing park. You can go to the zoo, horseback ride, hike, rent bikes, paddle boat, picnic, and so much more. My family loves the little zoo. The bear and mountain lions are fun to see. It is an enormous park with playgrounds for the littles and plenty of space to picnic or play volleyball. I highly recommend it.

Have visited this park many times. In fact, we walk to it on a regular basis. The park staff are friendly and courteous. The park is well maintained and has plenty of picnic tables. Many mature trees for shade. There are activities for all ages—bike rentals, horse rides, paddle boats, softball fields, etc. My favorite is the train ride. Each holiday, they have themes—— at Christmas, it goes thru Santa’s village and opportunities to meet/listen to stories read by Mrs Clause
All in all, a GREAT family park

Love the area to walk and not being around cars. Lots of places to sit and relax. Clean bathrooms and very safe environment.

Much to do here ... Would be here often if I lived in the area. RECOMMENDED for Families ... Plan a Day Out !!

Take my dogs there five days a week. (Yearly pass is a great value especially for seniors). Park is very big and well maintained.
As easy or strenuous as you choose. Zoo and train ride is great for the kids. Lots of good mountain bike trails. You can reserve areas for private party's.

The park a great place and many activities for families. I visited the park twice in less than a month and every time I found new things to do. My kids loved it and can't wait to go back again.
Horse back riding, pitting zoo, biking, train riding, paddle boat were all available at the park.
Horse back riding and guided trail ride was one of my best experience and should not be missed.

My family has been going to Irvine Regional Park since I was about 12. I'll be 59 this year. My grandkids love to ride the horses and the train. Rental bicycles are a big hit and lots of room for hiking and a small zoo!

Took the kids horseback riding at the horse ranch inside the park at CT Trail Rides for $45 an hour. It was great! The trail is very scenic and beautiful. The guide was friendly and fun! You can also go for a 2 hr ride for $90. They only take cash. $5 entrance fee to the park. This attraction is inside the park grounds! There are also private and group lessons.

It's a great place to take grandkids. The zoo is small but perfect size for little kids. They can pet the goats.
Water sports are great for older kids and adults.
Lots to do there. The train rides, horse rides and just general picnicking. Oh and fishing is great for the kids too.

My 4 year old and 1 year old loved the pony ride and the train. The zoo was great too. It's a beautiful setting and fun for the whole family. We will definitely visit again!

great for family, groups, or alone time. Trails to walk or jog, bike trail accessible, wilderness hikes, ppny rides and little train for the little ones. Over summer and holidays they have bike rentals and peddle boats for the small lake. It's a BIG park with a lot of area for activities and group functions, B-B-Q's, but could get crowded on weekends and holidays.

irvine is a very nice place and has a great park to visit.

Large well kept park in Orange, CA area lots of pavilions, shaded areas for picnics and get togethers. The train ride is great for the kids.

Very pretty HUGE park ... a few areas were over run with large non-english speaking family events so if you want a table etc. get there early. Train, paddle boat, and pony rides are not cheap but cute. Food available during normal hours.

We love this place and always buy an annual pass. It’s close to our home. Our dog loves the hikes and their are many places to explore. There are many fun family areas to picnic and play.

I absolutely love walking at Irvine regional park. There are several trails that seem like you are 100 miles away from town. The rangers are helpful if you have any questions.

Love this place! Just wish the visitors on the weekends were more respectful with cleanliness. Avoid visiting the park on the weekends. The best part is the Zoo! Better than San Diego zoo and only $2! A bargain!

I ride my horses here all the time! Great terrain ....pretty smooth trails and lots of variety.. Bikers are pretty polite for the most part and everyone share the trails in a peaceful manner! also plenty of room to park and stage your trailer.... several big watering troughs in the park too!!

I saw Arlo Guthrie perform on the outdoor stage here. I thought it was so groovy that Arlo, a committed peace activist, was performing at a park that had once been a military installation! Peace won! It was a nice setting for the concert and the balloon ride was a real gas --helium, I expect ;-)

We always come here during the spring to spend a day in the park with family and friends. get in line at the entrance around 6 am and head on to claim our place at our favorite spot.

I love it here. Trees, hiking, fresh air, and wild life (not the zoo, actual wild animals). This park is great for a stroll or a hike. You can also hike to Santiago Oaks and back from here. We have seen deer, coyotes, Bobcats, mountain lions, snakes, rattlesnakes, Hawks, Eagles, the famous wild parrots, and road runners just to name a few! We have bee coming here for most of our lives and the annual passes are a must for any local.

This is the Irvine Regional Park

There is a train in the park

There is even a playground.

They have a zoo:

Turtles, kangaroos, Lots of birds,Possum andBlacktailed Prairie dog.

Lizards,Serpents, coyote, sheep,lizards,

Tarentula, sheep and bear.

This is one of my favorite places to go and feel like I'm far away. Irvine park has beautiful old oak trees. Plenty of shade and tables for picnics. Playgrounds through out the park, ponies rides for kids and a train. Go early on weekends to get a parking place. I would not go on holiday weekends unless you plan on being there when the park opens. It fills up with in a few hours.

We visited Irvine Regional Park in February, 2014 as we wanted to do some geocaching, hiking, and basically get out to the great outdoors.

This is a beautiful park with lots of hiking areas, geocaches, picnic areas, a zoo, large open space areas (read lawns) and peacocks! The area is very family friendly and pet friendly but it can get crowded. While we came to primarily do some geocaching, we also brought along snacks and my younger son's RC helicopter (the toy kind, not the RC modeler kind). It was a little breezy for this type of helicopter, which is really designed for indoor use, but we managed and had a pretty good time piloting around a large lawn area.

Along the way, we found three or four geocaches, dropped off a trackable, and met another fellow geocacher!

This is an awesome park for any family event or if you're just "going solo" to do some hiking or biking. I would definitely recommend a visit to this park. It's got pretty much something for everyone. There is an entrance fee - check the website for current pricing - and parking can be at a premium on long weekends so come early. The restrooms are standard public restrooms.

Destination for Family Activities with Rides and Attractions (Train Rides, Peddle Rides, Pony Rides, Horse Rentals, Hike etc.). Zoo is inside the park. Good place to organise Birthday parties or family get-together

we enjoy the train ride, pony rides, lake and zoo. Great value for the money and they also offer seasonal events that are fun to attend.

A perfect place to relax and enjoy the back country of Orange County, while only being 10 minutes from The Cities of Orange, Tustin, Villa Park, Irvine, Anaheim and Yorba Linda.
This is a beautiful Orange County Park, with lakes, A small train, and a small Zoo.
Do not be in a hurry and watch out for people walking, running on bikes and wildlife...ie Peacocks, Ducks, Geese, Squirrels and horses.

Nice variety to see/do. Pond with geese/ducks, pony rides, small train rides. Lots of picnic and open grassy areas for playing games. Good bike riding trails. There is a fee for entrance.

This regional park is large & has a bit of everything! They have a Zoo that is very inexpensive with bears,beavers & mountain lions!!! A free mini museum. A kid center with train and pony rides. They have diffrent kinds of bike rentals. And if your the type that enjoys nature walks this is the perfect place. Hiking is awsome here! Truly recommend this place

Irvine regional park is a great park and is enjoyable for the entire family. The Park is run by the county and entrance fees are minimal. Great place to hike, walk your dog or ride your bike. Many great places for picnic areas around the park.

Had another perfect afternoon at the park, visiting the small and well tended zoo, the nature center and riding the little train. Our 5 & 8-year old grandkids appreciated the up close opportunities to view the animals at the zoo. The zoo workers kindly told the kids about the porcupine and the small fox, native to Catalina Island, while feeding these creatures. Another two workers helped the kids get a better look at the mountain lions, as the lions rested near us at the fenceline. Thanks to all who work there and take such good care of the animals, many of them rescued from local areas. We also enjoyed a visit to the nature center, where volunteers take time to chat with the kids, explaining the many hands-on exhibit. And, of course the conductors on the train make that experience fun for all ages. A great way to spend an afternoon, with little expenditure. Looking around, it was gratifying to see so many families enjoying this affordable regional park.

Massive, clean, well-kept park. Bring a picnic and stay all day.

One of the most enjoyable parks in Orange County. Great hiking trails, horse back riding, playgrounds for kids, and lots of recreational rentals. There is also the OC Zoo which is a great price for a fun outing with kids.

This is a wonderful place for nature hikes, cycling , picnicking,birthday parties, taking paddle boats across the lake, swinging and sliding with the kids. One can go horseback riding or just have the kids ride the horses in the designated areas. They have a great museum and wonderful California nature zoo. One can see owls, foxes, cougars, bears etc. etc. etc. in their natural habitant and feed the animals . Don't forget the wonderful train that gives one a little history of the park. One can also enjoy the peacocks that walk throughout the park. They have one point in the park that actually is called peacock hill. Several times during the year they celebrate the holidays with pumpkin patches, and santa claus with all the trimmings. Great family place and don't forget to purchase a season pass making it much more reasonable and eager to return again and again.

Finally decided to check out the OC Zoo inside the park...so worth it! We went on Mother's Day so paid $7. for park entrance then it was $2pp for the Zoo, under 2 free.
Beavers were swimming, Mountain lions playing, bear lumbering, porcupines fighting Eagles flying...all these animals were very close for viewing. The petting zoo was fun.
This zoo is perfect size for old and young plenty of rest stops. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the park after your zoo experience.

I went there to take our toddler granddaughter to the zoo. Cute little zoo, nice and clean, animals well-cared for. There is also an area to ride ponies and a play yard for children, and other things to do. It's a very pleasant park but the signage could be better - I went past the zoo entrance twice.

Huge Park - you could get lost! Definitely a great place to bring your bicycles. There is a large lake where you can feed the ducks or try your hand at catching a few small fish. In the summer they rent out pedal boats and such. The boat house also offers rentals of pedal carts and other fun ride-ons.
The Orange County Zoo is also located here. For a nominal fee ($2 maybe?) you can visit this small, yet terrific, zoo. There is a lot more to look at than you'd think. There are farm animal you can feed, such as goats and sheep and pigs. They have bears, mountain lions, and even a bald eagle! Its small enough that the kids aren't overwhelmed and you aren't exhausted.
They have tens of picnic areas, are many many playgrounds.
There is a small train that you can ride (totally worth it!) and ponies and horses you can ride on. Also keep your eyes open for the peacocks - they are plentiful!

I first went to Irvine Park while dating my husband to be. We took our children there, and now our grandchildren. It's a great way to spend the day. It has everything: bike rentals, boat rentals, horse rentals, train ride, and the Orange County Zoo. You can picnic on the many tables, or go for a hike.

Nice place for family, we can spend full day in this park in the railroad, small zoo, boating, camping, etc..

It is a very big park. This time we were there for the zoo, but after we had enougth time to bike around they also have food and clean restrooms, water is available around the park. The are trails for walking or biking bring your own bikes or rent some here. I saw lots off dogs in leashes.

Nice large park, uncrowded on a weekday morning during the summer. They didn't charge us the $3 for entry/parking like I was expecting. I visited with my 2 teenage kids. There are lots of shade trees and grassy areas so it was nice for a hot day. We rented a single surrey bike which fit the 3 of us and were pleasantly surprised that it is half-price on weekday mornings: $15 for an hour. We rode around on paved paths. The lake is small, but we saw families renting paddle boats and a few people were fishing. We also sampled some of the exercise equipment and my daughter enjoyed the swings. We didn't visit the zoo or ride the train because they seemed to be more geared to younger children. We stopped by to see the ponies on our way back to our car.

Irvine Park is a great place for a child's birthday. Plenty of grass and outdoor attractions, animals, train to ride on, bathrooms and places to eat.

This is a park for all ages. Just last November, I had a cross country race, and it was an excellent place to run because of the beautiful scenery and trails. Although, I did smell something burnt due to the fires that happened at that time.You can spend here for the whole day doing fun activities such as boat riding, visiting the zoo, train riding, picnicking, riding horses, and walking. Compared to an average park, this is quite large for its size. There is also a parking fee - weekdays $3, weekend $5.

Very big and cool park. It has a small gauge rairoad you can ride. A lake with water trike rentals, bike and surrey rentals. There are several play grounds, pony rides, a small zoo, horse shoe pits lots of walking trails. The only bummer at the park is alot of the nature trails on tge west and north end were recently burned out and those areas are restricted now. There are huge California Oaks and Sycamores everywhere. The park is 120 years old and has a nature center

I love this park! Great trails for hiking or mountain biking. Just a few minutes on the trails and it feels like we are far away. We have seen rabbits, snakes, lots of birds, an occasional deer and a cute little fox. Most animals are around at sun-up or dusk.

I have come to this park for years. The train ride is fun, but there is a lot of space to walk and relax with a picnic as well!

Love this park walking trails are great for all fitness levels. If you feel up for a challenge hit the puma ridge get to the top and you can get some great views. If you take the lower trails you can walk in the shade or the trees and watch the many varieties of birds.

We are from Switzerland and were visiting our daughter. We wanted to go on a nature walk and she just looked at us blankly. This is Orange County, it's the strip mall capitol of California. THANKFULLY, we found this on the map and were so pleasantly surprised that one could in fact take a lovely walk through this wonderfully maintained park, complete with paddle boats, trails and playgrounds for kids. That bit of nature sustained us until we got home.

We only had time to go on the trail ride & then to the zoo right next door. We lucked out on the trail ride. We were at the back of the line & the guide at the end grew up there & told us a lot about the stables, native plants, landscape & wildlife. She was very personable & open. It made all the difference as learning about the local wildlife is the highlight of any place I go. All the horses & employees were very hospitable. My sister is a horse lover & she had a great time sharing with a fellow horse lover. I would definitely do it again.

Parking fee is $5, but you can enjoy many thing with your family. They even have a Zoo ($2 per person) inside, also have a Nature Center to educate Adults and Kids. They have a very good playground for kids, also have Pony Rides. You can rent Paddle Boat and Bike. Yes, you can do fishing, also.

Irvine Regional Park has so much to offer - this is not just a park with grass, trees, and a playground: Train ride, pony rides, pond for fishing and feeding ducks, and Orange County Zoo. It costs $5 to park.

Several times a year the Irvine Railroad has special events - Easter, Christmas, Pumpkin Patch, and the anniversary event in February. These special events make the day even more fun with bounce house, face painting, gold panning, easter egg hunt, games, and so much more.

Pros: great location, park is beautiful, cheap entry fee, tons of shade, duck pond, paddle boat rentals, bike rentals, zoo, train & pony rides, hiking trails, horseback riding, this park is just a win win if you have little ones.

Cons: Not really a con but a fact If you are wanting a specific picnic spot then you'll need to arrive early, front park entrance gets really backed up on the weekends to avoid 30 minute wait get there early, and on weekends there is no in & out.

Overall: I will visit again

If you’re in the Orange area of CA then this is a cool place to check out. Lots of good things to see and do.
The reason I didn’t give a five star review is because when we visited on the day after Easter Sunday the place was covered in litter and discarded trash.

We came to the park to take our Christmas pictures. We were really impressed with all that there is to do; we will be back to explore.

There is a little of everything to do here. There are animals, a nature center, water bikes, and a train. We had a nice day putting around the park.

Great park, our kids are 10 and 4 and we all had a good time. The pedal cars are surprisingly fun. We got one of the smaller cars and all four of us rode, with the kids sitting in the monkey seat. Paddle boats were okay too, but nothing special. The park has lots of big sycamore and oak trees for plenty of shade. They also have a zoo and horse/pony rides, but we didn't do that.

We went to this park often when our kids were young... this was the site of many family picnics and our daughter's first birthday party.

There are ample picnic areas to reserve for your gathering. The lake is lovely, and you can rent paddle boats and bikes by the hour. The train ride is fun for little ones, as is the zoo - best small, local zoo in the area.

While this is a very nice park, it really does cater to younger families. If you have kids under 10, it's perfect. But, as I discovered on our last trip, there is an expiration date on this park which comes when the kids turn about 10.

This park has everything you would want... it is large with plenty of space for picnic's.. the have a nice little zoo and train ride for the young kids and the hiking is wonderful

This park has it all! Pony and horse ride, train and bike ride, paddle boat, picnic areas with bar b que pits, mini zoo, pan mining, hiking trails and a pumpkin patch in October. What else could you ask for? The pumpkin patch is very kid friendly. It has a mini haunted house that my grandkids enjoyed having their pictures taken. They also enjoyed picking pumpkins with a wagon. Pan mining was a bit expensive for gold that I need a microscope to find. Mini zoo is just right for those short legs and kept the kids entertained. The paddle boat was the highlight for the little ones. They enjoyed the lake surrounded by ducks. There was even a wedding ceremony taking place at the time we were there. There are food kiosk that sells snacks. Parking $5.00 on weekends. Subscribe on the website to get coupons for the activities. We sure did a lot for a day not far from home.

We had a terrific family outing with multiple generations plus our dog at the park. We loved the ponds, the wildlife, plus the peacocks. Being able to buy a light snack made it super easy to keep our day going and everyone happy. We will return!

We went on a weekend when the price is a little higher but well worth it for all of the activities this park offers. We hiked the trails and just drove around taking in the beauty. A lot to see and do for all ages.

A lush, widespread, beautifully treed park in the heart of Orange County. Originally Orange County Park, gift of Mr. Irvine to Orange County early in the 20th century, the park has a railroad ride for the kids, an equestrian center for boarding and renting, a lake for paddle boating, lots of migrating wildlife and areas for picnics & bar-be-ques, playgrounds, paved walkways, plenty of restrooms.
I can't think of a place in Orange County I love more!

A great place to get the kids out and running.

You can rent bicycles and even pedal boats on the lakes.

Simple kids meals are available.

On a good day you can even fly kites!

Me and my girlfriend really enjoyed walking around the park.
The zoo had some really good exhibits, especially the mountain lions and the bear.

We enjoyed our visit in October! Bold and excited squirrels, not surprisingly considering many acorns on the ground. There was still a little running water in the creek, perhaps left over from the unusually wet winter or few unexpected summer storms. The trails on the north side are one of the best places to see wildlife in Southern California. This time, we startled two turkey vultures. They took off from the ground and flew low above us until we took the hint and moved away! The high clouds produced attractive colorful displays due to layers of ice crystals

Love this park, except for entrance fee. It is great for all ages, but there are some attractions which are so great for younger kids, like the small zoo and the pony ride and the train ride. We have had birthday party there which turned out very well. We have enjoyed many years and events at this park. My kids are now older, but still love to ride their skate boards there and we go for walks or picnic.

Irvine Regional Park is a large park offering many activities and opportunities. I went today for the Pumpkin Patch. Fabulous place to take family and kids from now until Halloween. They sell pumpkins. There is a train ride around the park. There is a hay ride. They each cost $5 per person. There is face painting for $10 per person. Great place for holiday fun and photos. No cost for entry to Pumpkin Patch. Parking is $5. Rest of the park has a lot to offer - picnic grounds, paddle boats for rent, bicycles for rent, guided horse back riding, hiking trails and a small zoo.

The Irvine Regional Park is always a great place to visit. If you go there, be sure to visit the zoo!

My favorite muesuem around been there on a field trip for fourth grade and it was amazing hope I can go back to the irvine park/railroad soon

Went for a weekend just to relax and unwind . Brought my family for a picnic and enjoy the outdoors without the need for a long drive. My daughter enjoyed the mini zoo and the space where she can run and bike around. Barbecue grills are available and restrooms are clean.

This very large regional park includes a developed area with lawns, tables and charcoal fire grills, rental pedal vehicles and boats, a railroad, pony rides, and even a zoo featuring local animals plus miles of trails both flat and steep through natural habitat. Located on land donated by James Irvine in 1897, it is the oldest and largest park in the county. There is an entry fee and plenty of parking.

Come at Christmas time to enjoy the fantasy train to visit Santa.

What a beautiful park to visit. So much fun for the entire family. The park is well maintained and a safe place for kids to run around and have fun.Great attractions and zoo.

Really well done for a public park. Almost rural like which can be rare in this area. Modest per car entry fee. Very well kept and spacious grounds, picnic facilities, playground etc. Small zoo, horse rentals stable, train ride,

This is a beautiful park for a barbecue, a picnic, or just a nice long walk with the dog. It's got great facilities for enjoying nature, plus some fun activities: kid's train, horse rental, bike rental, paddle boats. Great place to spot some native animals if you go early in the morning.

Visiting this park was such a fun adventure. It is really big so I think it will take more than a day to really see everything. The lakes the water cascade and the sound of the water and air flowing against the greet and Palm trees was priceless. The ducks and birds flying around was fun to see. The horses and ponies are all so cute. Also while we were walking we notice many peacocks just walking around. Apparently they have a train that goes around the park but when we went it wasn't running. The grills in this park are all clean and very nice condition. Also there is a zoo in the middle of the park totally recommend for $2 you get so see many more animals. There are also hiking trails very cool and you can rent a bike or a cart to drive around park also if you are into fishing you'll have fun there as there are always people fishing. Going back this Friday for a pic nic

Irvine park is a beautiful, well maintained setting for any type of gathering. But I feel tthe most important thing it has to offer is the ntural beauty of its trails and creeks and hillsides. Remember when you pay your entrance fee, you are helping preserve our natural resources. With all the development going on, that is becoming more and more valuable.

Large with tons of quiet space. In addition to the boat rentals, & the railroad, there are pony rides and the OC Zoo located inside. Take a picnic, but if you don't, theres a snack bar too.

Peaceful and calm. Even the ducks on the water seem content and at ease just swimming around. Just a reminder...don't feed the ducks. (The locals frown on that and will let you know...lol) a very relaxing park.

I used to live in the area, and walked there probably 4-5 times per week. Even though I was in a big city, I didn't feel like it. There's enough trails to never get bored. I got to know some of the rangers and they were really on top of everything. Great spot for picnics too

We went in December with the grandchildren and they enjoyed the zoo and all of the colored lights on the many trees. Very relaxing walking and looking at the many lights.

this park offers so much to do, from hiking the trails, fishing, picnicking, catching a great free concert during the summer concert series, it's just a great place to spend the day

Irvine Regional Park is very crowded on weekends in the summer. It seems that virtually every picnic area is occupied at all times. It is a large, green, grassy park with lots of old trees (some beautiful oaks). The landscape is virtually flat.

It costs $5 to get in at the gate on weekends. There are some activities you can pay for such as the little train, the zoo, paddle boats and covered bicycles for groups. The speed limit is 10 mph and you had better adhere to that, as there are people walking and riding those bikes everywhere.

I am more of a nature person who likes to photograph. This was not an ideal location for that. I did find a few ducks in the pond. This park is best suited for large groups that want to have a birthday party or some other big celebration. There are some bigger picnic areas near the train station that require a reservation. They are fully covered. I did see some BBQ pits.

This is a great location for kids. There were probably hundreds of kids there the day I went (a Sunday). I didn't see any dogs, so I'm assuming they aren't allowed.

There seemed to be plenty of places to park. There is a concession stand where you can buy some various fast food lunch items.

So many great trails for hiking on foot, by bike, or on horseback. Several bbq pits, tables and benches as well. A few softball fields also. Great place for a quiet picnic or family party.

It has been many years since my last visit and yet I remember they maintain the park well, plenty of trash cans and restrooms plus ample places under the shade yet parking could be a long walk.

They have an Easter extravaganza , pumpkin patch in October and Christmas celebration in December. The park is absolutely beautiful and a great place to picnic, jog or relax. They have paddle boats, bike rentals, a train that goes through the park and concession stands. Highly recommend this park to families especially during the holiday seasons.

While my husband was at a Conference, I decided to check out the OC Zoo and Irvine Regional Park. $5 parking fee was worth it, this park is MASSIVE. The zoo was small, but had a lot of animals, some I'd never seen before. All of them were pretty active and seemed quite happy there. Since I took the long way from my parking area to the zoo, I wasn't sure how to get back to the actual park / train ride / pony rides. I got lunch the concession stand next to the boat / bike rentals. One Chili Cheese Dog and an order of Fried Cheese Curds = $20+, but they were good. The bikes looked like a fun time for the ones who chose to rent one of the many styles available. I walked over to the Nature Center. It looked like it had a few activities for the kids, a historical movie, and lots of educational exhibits. I walked around down the pond which was full of boaters and fishermen/women. I made my way back to the train station and had a nice little ride around the park. The friendly engineer was full of facts about the park and different trees and monuments in it. I would definitely love to come back and explore some of the different hiking trails around this park. It was a great day!

If you live anywhere near this park and have kids, the annual parks pass is a must! The grounds are extensive, and offers so much! In addition to its amazing zoo, the park offers horse rides, bike rides, train rides, and plenty of stuff to play on! This park is certainly a local treasure not to be missed!

Irvine Regional Park has about everything you want in a park and then more. Plenty of picnic areas along with hiking, biking, and horse trails. You cant rent various types of bicycles and also paddle boats. There are pony rides for the little ones and horseback riding for the adults. One of the hidden gems is the OC Zoo which has some young playful mountain lions to watch as well as many other animals. The train ride with a little history lesson is always enjoyable. We buy the Annual Parking pass so we can go year round. Also check out the Farmers Market on Tuesdays from 10am - 1pm.

THE park has a variety of boating activities but is is most famous for the grilling that you can do from the shores of the lake.

My family and I visited the park recently. We enjoyed walking around and spending some time in the zoo. The zoo is great for kids, with some local animals I hadn't seen in other zoos, and a nice petting zoo.

It was a hot day, so we stopped for something cold at the park snack bar. Unfortunately, they told us their soft serve machine wasn't working, so we got some snow cones. While we were eating the snow cones, we noticed someone walk by with a new cup of soft-serve ice cream. I went to the snack bar and asked, but was told the machine was still broken, and anyone else must have gotten their ice cream a while ago. I went back to sit down, and about 10 minutes later watched as someone else got a cup of soft-serve.

We'll go back to the zoo another day, but that's the last time we purchase anything from the concessions in the park.

Sunday 25, got there around 12:30, park was very crowded but I was able to find a grill, close to a tree that provided good shade, and good parking spots they were plenty still available. We were a party of 6, and were expecting some friends and family to come join us in a couple hours, to our surprise they unexpectedly decide to close the park around 2:30 claiming the park was full, other people like me went to talk to park rangers in entrance about our friends and family members situation trying to come in, they are rude and not helpfull at all, it was not really making any sense because they were a lot of parking spaces available and they were a lot of cars going out, many famlies like ours were expecting more people to come and they could not get in, forcing them to park ouside and walk to the park, all streets outside the park have non parking signs, still people desperate decided to park there. And all of them got parking tickets of course. To my opinion thats the parks strategy to help the city make some money. Be careful and keep that in mind when coming to this park, because they can close doors unexpectedly any time and for an unknown lenght of time.

We took a picnic lunch to the park while we waited for The Christmas Train to run. Plenty of tables and beautiful trees surround the eating area. We saw many peacocks strolling around which was fun. They have an info center talking about the local area back in the day with stuffed animals that you would find in that area. We didn't go in bc it was closed. They also offer bike, boat , horse, and pony rentals. Could spend the whole day. $3 parking fee mid week.

We had fun at the Irvine Regional Park.

The train was perfect for kids.

They had a zoo. They had quite a lot of animals.

Those who liked serpents and other dangerous will be perfect for us.

We liked the lake. Truly beautiful!There were shelters and picnic tables.

This park has a fabulous train ride for kids of all ages, bike rentals and trails, zoo, bbq amenities, hiking trails, snack bars, peddle boats, and seasonal activities such as pumpkin patch & hayrides. Clean and maintained facilities.

This park is great for a day trip! There is snack "bar food" with lots of yummy fair and fast food types. It's located at the train depot. The train takes you on an educational tour through the park. You can see some of the oldest trees in the OC.
The lake was peacefu and covered with wood ducks; there were also some Egyptian geese!
The zoo is small but AMAZING! Don't miss this fun trip with your kids or parents! Just a nice place to visit!
Bring your bike and strollers for a faster trip! ENJOY!

This is one of those places you don't appreciate until you go there. It is an oasis tucked away in the middle of Orange County.

Good location for families. Many things to do ride the miniature train, ride bikes, pony rides, rent peddle boats, or rent bike for the whole family. Don't forget the zoo.

We visited with our seven-year-old and two-year-old on a Saturday morning. The parking fee was $5 as a weekend rate. We started off riding the train ($4 each rider over one year of age). The Conductor, Rob, shared history of the park for the adults along with adding comments in for the children.

We took the path from the railroad depot up to the OC Zoo. We passed a playground for small children. The OC Zoo ($2 for those over the age of 3) is very small but a good time for the kids. We saw Bald Eagles, snakes, deer, an ocelot, chickens, owls, and had the opportunity to pet and brush some goats. Sanitizer stations were present throughout the zoo.

Our seven-year-old also had the chance to ride a horse ($4 for twice around the small trail). It was quick ride, but she loved it!

The park also has street bike & water bike rentals, which we did not have time for on our visit. You can also fish in the upper and lower lakes of the park if you have the proper fishing license.

The bathroom facilities are clean, but the sink area did not provide soap. You might want to be sure to have some sanitizer with you.

There are also some gazebos and jump houses available for party rental. It appeared that almost all of them were rented out on the Saturday we visited. A few tables with umbrellas were also present for families that brought a picnic lunches. We highly recommend the Irvine Regional Park for a few hours of family fun.

Spontaneous stop from highway as we had 3 hours to burn. The front entrance staff were not helpful at all, but after that the adventure was a 10/10! We parked, walked a paved path, got greeted by peacocks, saw ducks, played in water, rode 4-person bicycles and enjoyed watching families picnicking.

Lots going on here during my visit. There is a railroad to ride, pond with paddle boats, bicycle rentals, pony rides. Hiking trails. Lots of birthday parties. I suggest you arrive early. I arrived around 10am, drove right in. Upon leaving 3 hours later, the line to get into the park was way past the entrance (probably a 30 minute wait to get to the ticket kiosk). Looks like it has all the elements for a fun day.

This is a wonderful park for the family with a lovely little zoo. The zoo also has a self guided tour that you access through your cell phone. There are many trails and also rentals for bikes, surreys and paddle boats. Our kids enjoyed the many playgrounds and also wooded areas. For the holidays, they have nice train rides and there is also an area to ride horses and ponies. It can get crowded on weekends, so be sure to come early if you are planning a group event or want to get a prime BBQ area.

its got a railroad and ponies. what are you waiting for?

Wow, beautiful park. They offer so much. A zoo, water bikes, regular bikes, surreys, horse back riding, pony rides, etc.

A must!

This park is simply amazing and the entrance fee is a dollar or something like that. Once you get in be prepared to spend the entire day here. Great for the kids if you need a serious break. So much fun.

If you’re spending the day at Irvine Regional Park, make sure to finish it off with a visit to Biryani Pot Irvine! After enjoying the beautiful trails, picnics, or a family outing at the park, treat yourself to the best Hyderabadi biryani in Irvine. The rich flavors and authentic spices make every bite memorable. Located just a short drive from the park, Biryani Pot Irvine offers a cozy ambiance and mouthwatering dishes that are perfect for relaxing after an active day. Highly recommend the chicken dum biryani—it’s the best in town!

Brought a gson back again, that makes 9 gkids over 22 years visiting this gem.

Park is always beautiful with activities for all. Always love the train, the ponies, the lake. My only and to me it is a big one, the play grounds are all in the full sun with no shade for the kids. They should install sun sails over all the play equipment.

The PC zoo is a hidden gem in this place. The perfect place for a picnic. They have a train and paddle boats as well. Just make sure u bring money for parking

We had a family reunion picnic here, it was so nice (except for the wind), but It was shady and very comfortable for all our family and kids could play. There's a train, pony rides, pumpkins, and plenty of room for the kids to run, what a FUN PARK

Although a bit of a drive (from my house) this park was totally worth it. The zoo is perfect for young kids, very inexpensive and I was quite impressed with the variety and amount of animals. The train ride was a hit for my 2 and 4 year old. They also loved feeding the ducks and playing on the playground. We will certainly go back.

I came to this park mid-week to spend time with family. We rented a bike that fit two adults and a child in the bike. We got a few dollars off by using coupons we found online. We rode all over the park. It was a great time. Lots of bike paths and friendly staff. In addition, we also rode the railroad. It's not the most exciting trip, but my 3 year old really enjoyed it.

This park was much more than I had expected it to be. It is a huge park, with plenty of recreational activities to do. My friend and I took our kids (2 middle schoolers and a toddler) and everyone had a great time. We enjoyed the park zoo which is only $2 entry. The zoo was small, but much more up close and personal with the animals, which we all enjoyed. Afterwards we had a picnic lunch and then rented a surrey bike for the moms and toddle and bmx bikes for the middle schoolers. This was a blast, as we rode around the park taking in the sights, laughing and getting a serious leg work out.

Lots of activities including horse back riding, a train around the park for the kids, pale boats, great old trees.

We are a "nearing Senior Citizens" but not acting it couple. Yes, 8 days shy of "60"!! But Irvine Park is fun for everyone, even without the kids/grandkids. We like going with grandkids, but we enjoy going & checking out the variety of ducks, human & the quacking kind. We also enjoy the BEST small zoo with the unbelievable price, $2.00. I know you have to pay to enter the park, but the Zoo is so worth a visit & many re-visits. You can paddle boat, rent or bring your own bikes, fish, picnic, barbecue, nature hikes!! Oh I can't forget the awesome peacocks. Call them & they may come to you-PEEE-Cock, here Peee-cock!! Oh yea, they go over board,ALMOST, every holiday. A fun day set up at the train, which is a fun ride too. Pumpkins, Easter bunny, Santa, Father's day train ride........JUST TRUST ME & GO!!!! Stay 30 minutes, stay all day!! Just relax & enjoy!!

this park has everything you want, bike rentals, paddle boat rentals, lots of things for family to do

The park had lots to offer my family: however, my children (ages 7 and 9) thought is was a little boring. Also, they were too old for the pony rides and were disappointed. The scenery and location were perfect for our picnic. After talking to others, we discovered that fishing and hiking is fantastic for families with children of similar ages. Will definitely try that in the future

This was a park we had been waiting to visit for a while. There are so many small parking lots, it was hard to find the family for the memorial picnic. We looked at the map and saw the parking lots are numbered, so it was easier after that. The park is lovely and we enjoyed the kids walking trails. We saw the train (didn't ride) and enjoyed the aquabikes. $15 a bike for 1/2 hr.
$5 entrance did not include in/out privileges. We entered the park and then realized we needed drinks for the group, but then couldn't leave, or we'd have to repay the $5 again. Kinda strange.

Great regional park. My boys enjoy the pony rides, train ride and the zoo. Many trails for hiking and riding bikes. Sometimes gets too crowded for my taste, especially during holiday weekends.

This is a local park for families who want to picnic on green grass, take the kids on the train (10 min ride), and there is a zoo. But our interest was to take a walk in the back country of California to see what the place looked like untouched by human hand. An interesting walk in the desert. We stuck to the trail, not having the proper footwear to encounter cactus or scorpions underfoot, and hiked several miles in the hills around the park. The vegetation was extremely dry, but interesting to observe. It was quite hot. Bring water to stay hydrated.

This is an excellent, large, well maintained park with some really good facilities.
Lots of picnic areas including several large group areas.
Miles of hiking and mountain bike trails.
Horse riding facilities.
Bike and boat rentals.
A dozen or more geocaches within easy hiking distance
Farmers market every Tuesday fro 9-1

Irvine Park is beautiful and has something for everyone! One can enjoy a relaxed day laying around reading a book, or a romantic picnic lunch. The zoo is fun to visit. Kids love the train ride, the boat rides, the horse rides, and of course feeding the ducks.There are nice hikes that begin in the park and can one many miles or just a few. Robber's Roost is a fun hike. There is also a magnificent facility that has NOT always been there. I believe it is owned by the Boy Scouts and by the OC Dept of ed for Outdoor Science Camp. We hiked to it to see what the facility was like. There are cabins and lots of meeting areas. There is also an olympic sized pool.
Irvine Park does have rattle n]snakes and we have seen our share of them there over the years so be careful. Also be careful tics!

This is one of those places that you could easily overlook if you didn't know it was there -- but DON'T miss it. There is SO MUCH to do here; including a zoo, train rides, duck ponds, all for a nominal parking fee. There's also fishing, biking, etc., etc., etc...if you've never checked it out, you owe it to yourself!

Great experience. There were thousands of pumpkins. We just walked around with the baby grandchild. Lots to do either free or at a reasonable cost. Huge lawns and picnic areas. We will be back for many years to come. We came after lunch in the middle of the week, so it was not packed.

We were visiting friends who live in Orange County, so we finally decided to visit the park to ride the train ride that they have there, and we were not disappointed! They have paddle boats that you can rent and ride, lots of open areas to walk and play, and even a zoo (which we haven’t gone to yet). The train ride was well worth it, as the workers actually also give you insight and history about the park, and it was a good way to relax a bit after walking for a while. We will definitely be back when the weather is warmer to do some paddle boating.

Oh, also, you can actually catch fish in some areas of the park!

This is a big park for all ages and you can come and spend all you day here. This park offer lot off good activity there is a water activity and there is a zoo next to the park and much more for the whole family .. Lot of big trees so you have shade over your head the whole time .

great for the whole family. get here early and plan to spend the day. lots to do for everyone. i love to have family picnics here.

Irvine Park always delivers a good time!! Pony rides, followed by a train ride and a ride on the bicycle built for 5 or more! Love this place, beautifully maintained gorgeous park and easy to get too...this place is an Orange County gem!

Irvine Regional Park is a great place to visit that has plenty of activities to keep people of all ages entertained. My daughter and I visited in May 2019 in hopes of riding the paddle boats. Unfortunately, they were not up and running when we went. We ended up visiting the Orange County Zoo instead and had a good time. We didn't know much about this park, but after we got there we learned that it is quite large and has activities such as train rides, bike rentals, pony rides, and horse rentals available for an additional cost to the $5.00 weekend parking fee. My daughter enjoyed looking at the horses that are kept at the park too. This park is also a good place for picnics, parties, and hiking. When we went there were people having birthday parties and retirement parties. The plants in the park were lush during our visit and there were lots of shady spots for guests to spread out and enjoy themselves. If this park were near where we lived we would probably visit it again in the future.

We went to the Irvine ranch natural landmarks and hiked. It is a great place to see limestone cliffs, hills and valleys on a variety of hikes.

I have loved Irvine Park since I was a kid, and now our grandkids love it. The park is over a hundred years old and has huge old sycamores and oaks throughout the property. There is a lake with paddle boats, a small zoo, pony and horse rental, bike and surrey rental, small playgrounds, hiking trails, picnic areas, a small train, and more.

When you pay your $3 parking fee ($5 on the weekend) at the ranger kiosk, ask for a park map. The map they provide is better than the one you can print from the internet and shows you the options available at the park.

On this visit, I and my daughter, daughter-in-law, and four young grandchildren hiked, played in one of the playgrounds, lunched under a tree at the lake, rode the train and pedaled a 7-seater double surrey.

There are several hiking trails to choose from or you can just walk around the park on the shady, paved bike paths. Irvine Park Lake has picnic tables scattered nearby and there are many other locations to choose from at lunchtime, as well. Bring extra bread for the ducks! The lake also has turtles, fish (we saw two fishermen) and a small waterfall, not to mention paddle boats. The boathouse, which used to rent out rowboats, is close to a hundred years old and now rents out the paddle boats.

Irvine Park Railroad provides a nice little ride with live narration from the conductor regarding the park flora and fauna and history. Our engineer, Bill, was very helpful after our ride with information regarding hiking trails. He even left us to go get a better trail map than the one we had brought from home. The train costs $4 but you can find coupons at the website for buy one ticket, get one free as well as other discounts.

We rented a double surrey which included four pedaling seats, two small middle seats, and two SMALL seats in the front basket. Pedaling was fun on level pavement but hard going uphill, even with gentle inclines. We needed a man to provide more pedal power! When we took the surrey back before our hour was up, the attendant admitted that hardly anyone keeps them out the whole hour! Still, it was an adventure and will be a fun memory, not to mention the cute video and pictures we took.

Go early before the heat and the crowds. It actually opens at 6 a.m.—yikes! We got there at 9:30 and left at 2:30 and felt we had had a wonderful day in the great outdoors with the kids.

There are many great trails at the Irvine Regional Park. They are mostly moderate and the area is beautiful.

Irvine Park is a delight. We walk, mountain bike, hike with the grandkids and enjoy the several attractions the park offers like the zoo, the pony rides and the boats. All fun. Hint: come near sunset and you might see some of the park's hidden wildlife.

My little one loved the train! If he were older we would have definitely rented a bike with a carrier in the front. Great park with lots of amenities. Visit the zoo while there as well! You will not be disappointed!

Love the horse backnriding trails. Horses and staff very friendly. Also their zoo is cheap like $2 to get in and they have active animals to visit and a petting zoo. Lots of fun.

I have been coming to this park for over 25 years; this is my favorite park in Orange
Great hiking, picnic areas, zoo, trains, horses, bikes boat rentals, food court, Beautiful trees and plants, great history very educational for the children, loads of fun for the whole family, corporate picnics, family reunions, great place to have a romantic picnic, want to “paint” a great scenic picture this is the place to come

I love this park. It's huge, has boats to rent, horses, pony rides, a train for kids, the little OC Zoo, and tons of nature. We've seen hawks and eagles and all kinds of wild life here! Beautiful locale for picnics or wedding photos.

This place has everything.
My granddaughter loved the petting zoo.
Not only do they have all kinds of animals, but one can even brush the goats!
They also have a wonderful train that goes through the park.
It is a twelve minute ride where you can preview th other attractions in the park.
These include picnic areas, pony rides, and paddle boat rentals.

We rented one of the party areas which was conveniently located for lots of children and their families. The facilities, zoo, train and pony rides were great bonuses!

We had a great time playing games and enjoying a pot luck. There was plenty of shade in the table area. We had room enough to set up outdoor games and a photo area.

This park gets really busy but I would still recommend it for families. They have a zoo, several playgrounds, pony rides, and more!

Huge park with lots of trails, plenty of parking available,lots of shade trees. Easy access off Jamboree road. Great for Cross-country races. There is a railroad and zoo but I did not use either on this trip. Love this park!

A great place for hiking, mountain biking, picnicking and viewing the plentiful wildlife. Don't get too close to the cougars, the four legged kind, but do enjoy the deer, rabbits, foxes and a great variety of birds.

This is really a great park. You can rent a horse, go to the zoo, paddle boat around the lake, take a train ride, or just enjoy nature. There's something for everyone. We had our company picnic there recently. Great place to take the kids or grandkids on a Sunday afternoon.

My daughter & friend had the day off of school.. It was a Beautiful day so we thought we'd go enjoy some time at the O.C. Zoo, picnic lunch and check out the Nature Center:)
We ended up not seeing the Nture Center it is only open on the weekends:( But, they enjoyed the Zoo, we did a Scavenger hunt & that took us back through the zoo about 3-4 times around.. Worth it!! The girls both go to pick out 2 different Super Cute patches!! My daughter is a Girl Scout so she will proudly wear that patch!!

Irvin Regional Park in Orange is a pleasant place to spend the afteronn. A snack bar was available. Rental for paddle boats was available also. Our granddaughter enjoyed climbing and running in the park.

I used to come here for summer YMCA Saturday night camp outs 55 years ago. Have come here for Horseback riding and a couple of days out on the lake. But today we had a nephew come for a visit, they live in Pine Grove, CA. A long drive North, with their 2 sons, ages 6 and 4. Not being around young children on a regular basis, it was a long, and tiring day. But it was great to see them. We took the train ride, went to the Zoo, walked by the Upper and Lower lakes and hit the playground. This is a family oriented adventure.

Fun for all ages! Went for a picnic and ended up at the zoo, and paddle boating what a day of fun for the family.

A $3.00 weekday entrance fee ($5 weekend) allowed us to picnic under the shade of old oak trees, visit a small zoo ($2 each), ride the train ($5 each) and enjoy a pony ride ($5). Of course, in lieu of spending money, you can enjoy the shade and surroundings with a nice trail hike and picnic. Enjoy!

The park is, overall, a fantastic place to escape the city. Plenty of space and activities for all ages. Lots of playgrounds for young families and plenty of picnic space. At this time of the year the annual pumpkin patch is really worth visiting.

This is very well managed, with plenty of different activities for kids of most ages. From face painting to bouncy castles, a train and a small haunted house. Even a straw bale maze! And thousands and thousands of pumpkins for the kids to clamber over and pick to take home.

Go during the week, in the morning. Weekends are crazy and the afternoon can be busy. But mornings have plenty of open space and the kids can be busy for hours.

If it's not pumpkin time? Well, the Farmers Market is on every Tuesday morning with fresh fruit, vegetables and sometimes fresh bread. At other times take the trails. There are horses to ride from the stables or you could just hike.

Living locally make sure to grab an annual pass - then you can take the kids anytime.

The park was a lovely place. I was visiting from CT for a couple of days, and enjoying life without snow. So we looked it up and drove 2 miles, to take a break and have fresh air. Really pretty place. She is completely new to Southern CA so it was a quick break to see some stuff, and then get back to the books. I loved it.

Fun place for families. Small zoo. Large park with paths. Pond where you can rent bicycle boats. You can rent bikes for 4 with canopy. Feed ducks in the pond. Cute railroad. Special at Holidays. Pumpkins and decorated for Christmas. Peacocks. Good birding park. Fee to park. Pony rides

Over my years as an Orange County Resisdent I have come to this park as a child, brought my children to this park and now I'm bringing my grandchildren. The train ride and pony rides are favorites and we always have to go to the zoo. It's a perfect size for small children. The park setting in the Irvine hills has lots of open space to run and play and ride bikes. Great hiking trails with amazing views. It's fun seeing the beautiful pheasants in the trees and grounds where you least expect them. It's always clean, including the bathrooms.

This is one of my best experiences in Anaheim, the park is just beautiful and the trail that I took leads directly to the top of the mountain. There are different trails for hiking, bike/walk/running. There are many birds along the path and a pond for fishing. It is about a 40 minute drive from the convention center.

The park has a train, zoo, lots of places for kids to run and climb. There are peacocks walking around and horses, paddle boats and trails. Easter, Halloween and Christmas all have special activities for the kids!

Ah..... u mention the name and i want to go visiting again!! spendidly done park. So much fun to play around. Its a lovely place to be with friends. Lots and lots of space allows for any number of people to co-exist without feeling crowded. Has a lovely pond, a cute train taking you around the park, cycles to wander around and u can lots of fun with friends and family

This is one of the nicest parks in Orange County - it's huge and you can walk on paved sidewalks or hike on dirt trails, ride horses or bicycles, have a picnic or just relax and watch the birds. My dogs love this park and we go there frequently.

We visited this park recently in the morning and found this huge park with lots of people taking long walks along the many roads along thick green surroundings with cool breeze and sounds of chirping birds. Few water bodies, a zoo, a mini train track, a choice of horse ride, picnic areas were options.
We were surprised to see many peacocks roaming in the park, some showing off their open plumes, a fantastic sight. Also many water birds around the small lake.
We took the hiking trail that led us to the top of a hill with nice views of the surroundings.
This park is worth visiting, special for morning walks for fresh cool pure air that will leave you totally refreshed for the day.

I took my niece here and had a really good time. The part is very large & has many options of things to do. We rented a double bicycle to drive around & also a paddle boat. The park is very well maintained---a cool place.

A great place to take the grandchildren. Train rides, Zoo, lake, picnic tables, paddle bikes
.some of the events charge a fee, but they are reasonable. The area is shaded by lovely big trees.

We visited the Irvine Regional Park on Saturday 2nd May, 2009. After spending two long days at Disneyland the previous two days, we found this little park a gem and a relaxing way to recharge the batteries. It was easy to get there in a car with a GPS, easy parking and we spent about 6 hours there. We rode on the great little train around the park , the kids went on the pony rides, we hired tandum bikes and rode around the park, hired paddleboats and had some nice lunch. There was some wildlife about the place that we would never see back home in Australia including squirrels and that made it a great relaxing little day. It is not a big park by any means, the attached ZOO is very small but has a few good little enclosures with brown bears the highlight.

You go to this place to chill out and unwind and dont expect it be anymore than that and you will be fine. Nice place. Kids loved it ( 5 & 8 Year old )

I have been going to Irvine Park since I was a young child. My husband and I now love to take the grandchildren there. There is plenty of open space so you never feel the impact of the crowds (unless you go on a holiday weekend of course) We picnic, ride bikes, enjoy the zoo and just having a nice walk. We especially love it in the fall when the Pumpkin Patch is set up. You can take your own table and chairs or find a table nestled under the live oak trees. As a child I climbed the low lying live oak branches, so did my children and now I enjoy watching my grandchildren do it as well.
Keep an eye out for the roaming peacocks and have fun petting the goats in the zoo.

This park has it all - large grassy areas for picnics and get togethers, a zoo, a children's train, bikes for rent, paddle boats, beautiful California live oaks, a network of hiking trails, and plenty of bathrooms and facilities.

I go here once a week with my dogs. You could walk for 30 minutes or hike for a couple hours....pretty much depends on your energy level. My dogs, of course, beat me in this respect ! Do you want to stay in a very civilized area, the lake, the zoo, picnic area or would you rather take a walk with little recognition of the city and possible sighting of a coyote ? I believe there are 3500 acres here so you have many choices. I feel very fortunate to have this park so near home and I know my dogs agree !

Prior to leaving California I came here several times to walk my dog. There seemed to be lots to do here. Sorry I never got a chance to do it all.

They had horseback riding, fishing, hiking, picnic area and lots more.

If I'd have lived nearby I would have been here all the time.

Love this park and sometimes during the summer they have concert festivals. You can also rent fishing gear and buy fishing licenses here.

Great place to escape from the hustle and bustle of Orange County, perfect small zoo for the young kids, bike paths. Hiking trails and small lake to sit and enjoy the afternoon

Good place to visit during the week. It is nice and quiet. Not many people and you can explore the park without lots of crowds

One of my favorite local places. Something for everyone here. You can relax, exercise, BBQ, picnic, ride horses, bikes, got to the zoo. Anything you like.

There is so much to do here. I love the little zoo, all the activities to do here and the playgrounds for my 3 year old to play on!

I’ve been coming here off an on since I was a little kid, including cross country meets in high school, and this is a beautiful park! It’s wide open and there are lots of things to do, including hiking, a zoo, a train ride, lots of mature trees to provide shade, several playgrounds for kids, and a couple of lovely ponds where you can rent boats. There’s also a nature center that talks about the local wildlife and history which is pretty cool and many open fields to play sports on. Some of the outskirts of the park are a bit charred from the recent fires but the local scenery is still really beautiful. I’d go as far as saying that this is Orange County’s Central Park in providing so many things to do in a relaxed setting, at least until the Great Park is fully developed and complete. A great place to spend the day.

Went for a walk with a friend and my dog in this wonderful Park. Saw peacocks, turtles sunning on rocks, pair of ravens, equestrian center, children having an outdoor classroom learning experience. Loved it!

It's really big and has so many activities including zoo, fishing, biking, railroad, and special monthly events. It's also a great place to run. Very easy to schedule large and small events or just enjoy the day with family. Check out the website before going to see all that is offered for each season.

Weekday are uncrowded. Weekends, not so much. There's a petting zoo. Waking trail when the river has no water.

Between the train, the horses, us and the zoo we always end up with some really happy grandkids when we head out here. The events tend to be fun. A nice place, definitely family oriented. Haven't been here since the fire a couple of weeks ago, and I sincerely hope that damage is limited.

Our grandsons are at the age where the little train delighted them, and they liked the unusual animals, as well as the petting zoo. Grammie and Grandpa's favorite animal was the bear, but the kids liked the rattle snake in his glass enclosure the best! A little bit older kids would have a great time with the paddle boats and peddle bikes. They looked like great fun. There are plenty of picnic tables if you'd like to take a picnic for the family.

A very nice, quiet and scenic place to spend an afternoon. Used to live in the area, so it was fun to revisit the place I spent a lot of time hanging out decades ago. Very clean and peaceful with lots of wildlife to observe. The zoo is small but a delight with a good selection of animals on display. Lots of options to keep the kids active.

Took my granddaughter there and what a great inexpensive day we had. It was a Tuesday so our first stop was the Farmers Market - not super big but a couple great produce stands. Nearby was a great playground area for the kids with the typical swings, climbing poles and swings but it also had a zip line. Very fun. Next stop was the Nature Center. Lots of interesting things for the kids to do there and the guide was also very informative and helpful with kids projects - (panning for gold and checking for fossils) -- this was a free activity. Next was the zoo for a $2.00 change we got to see bears, owls, mules, porcupines, and goats where we could feed and brush them along with several other animals. Some were out and held by workers so we could touch/pet them also. Our last stop was the ponies which was $6.00 for 3 laps around the ring. Note-- you (the adult) is holding the rope and walking with your child around the fenced in ring, She loved it. So for $10.00 we brought several hours of fun. Had we had more time we could have also rented paddle boats or bikes big enough for 4 people.
Great place for families.

They have several hiking trails, at different fitness levels. They have a great little zoo, a train you can ride, and some water activities, and bike rentals. Nice park to spend a day at, lots of things to do.

There is something for everyone at Irvine park!
Water toys, boats,food,train, horseback riding, zoo biking and hiking

Good developed park for families. Lots of tree shade. Pony rides, train rides, small zoo, paddle boats. Also hiking trails into nearby wilderness.

So much fun the other weekend going here. Havent been in so many years...what a stupid waste of time. Go, it's three dollars to get in and the Zoo is so much fun.

We loved the ability to meet with all our family. The zoo was family friendly, albeit small. The paddle boats were cool, gave us a good workout, but a spray jet might have been fun to help cool you off if you wanted or a fountain, the water was pretty murky and full of weeds, so you couldn't consider taking a dip. The nature center was really unique, we enjoyed that immensely.

It's a very large park. That's all there is to it. Nothing more, nothing less. It's kind of nice, but parking is a waste of $10.

Fun place for all the kids. You can rent some paddle boats or bikes, or stop by the zoo. Spend a day playing at the park or go on some hikes, what ever age you have with you they should be able to find something to do!

This early O C park is a local treasure. Having celebrated 100 years and still going strong this park is great for small or large family picnics, class reunion picnics, Saturday morning walks, Sunday afternoon in the park and so much more. There are gorgeous historic sycamore trees, a small lake with pedal craft, a snack bar, room to play games, trails to hike, a child size railroad, horses to ride and shady trees under which to rest! I have been coming to this park since 1961, and it is one of my favorites!

I've been to Orange County many times but never visited this park. Open space, so green with a small train to tour the grounds and horses in small, med. and large size. Go to the back of the park to find the nature center, with all native animals. From Beavers to Bears to Mt. Lions, all rescued or injured and not able to be returned to the wild entry fee for the zoo is only $2.00. If I lived closer, I'd be there every day.

We didn't get to stay very long, but we really liked this park! It's in a picturesque part of town. It's very large; great for family gatherings. We had a few young kids who loved the train ride. We got to see peacocks. They have many other things to do like pathways to walk on, lakes to fish in or rent paddle boats. I would definitely go back.

Great space makes a break from the urban sprawl. Lakes, paths and trees make for great walks or bike rides. A small train will take you through the park or you can hire bikes and boats.

At Halloween a pumpkin patch is a great attraction for the kids.

Parking is only $3 and you can spend all day here.

Our family of five really enjoyed our trip to IRP yesterday. It sits at the base of the hills where you'll see hikers, mountain bikers and horsebackriders enjoying the trails. At the park, you can choose to ride the mini train (1 mile scenic ride), take a pony ride (walking or riding), visit the Orange County Zoo (which is the cleanest, prettiest zoo we have been to with well cared for animals), picnic (plenty of picnic tables and benches), hold an outdoor birthday party, visit the petting zoo (At the zoo. My kids loved brushing the docile goats.), stroll the green lawns (where there are ducks and gorgeous peacocks roaming), visit the Nature Center (my favorite), go paddleboating on the small manmade lake, or rent a bike/surrey to pedal around on. There is also a play park on the grounds. Parking is $5, as is most everything else, except the Zoo is $2 and the Nature Center is free. They have a concession stand too. This place is an EXCELLENT backdrop for family photos, by the way. There are beautiful towering Sycamore and Live Oak trees to pose with. Dogs are allowed too!

One of the better regional parks, this sprawling park includes both native landscape, and grassy play areas. The zoo is surprisingly good, and small kids will like the train ride. Lots of hiking, and biking options. Grab food from local places just outside the park and enjoy a nice picnic.

We have quite the gem of a park right in our neighborhood. We will be visiting it more. It is a great place for a picnic with a date, friends or family. Enjoy all it has to offer such as nature hikes, walking paths, paddle boats, a train ride around the park, lakes, wild life, many playgrounds, lots of grassy areas, and even a zoo with a petting zoo! Zoo prices are very cheap too, only $3 for adults. This park also must be a photographers delight. Love this place, and the staff is so helpful.

It was a beautiful place that appeals to all ages and ethnicities . I would recommend this site to anyone.

I always love to come here and sit under the big old shade trees on the grass. The train and pony rides are always big hits for the grandkids.

Stay away on busy weekends or holidays. It will take hours to get in or get there super early in the morning. Any other time during the week or off-weekends are great. Lots to do ... Small train, pony rides, water bikes, bike rentals, zoo, trails to hike, picnic areas, large park surrounded by oak trees. Great place! They always have something going on for the seasons such as Easter egg hunt, Hay rides, pumpkin patch, etc. overall, just a great time. Boy Scouts have. Large camp here as well.

The oldest county regional park in California established in 1897 and it has aged well. Hundreds of oak and other beautiful shade trees through the park. Hiking and bicycle trails galore. A classic train ride for a nominal fee worth the money. Pony rides for kids one year old and older are available as well as rental horses for adults. Two snack bars are available with reasonably priced items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs and delicious french fries. Soft serve ice cream is also available at the main snack bar that is delightful. The Irvine Zoo is located on the property that includes a petting zoo for the kids Covered family picnic areas are also available by reservation. This park is definitely family oriented. Our 2 year old granddaughter loved it.

I wnet to Irvine park as a child and I have continued the tradition as a mother and a grandmother. All nine of my g kids have spent time exploring the park, riding the train, riding the ponies, riding the horses and going to the zoo. It is perfect.