About us
Welcome! (Require: a personal photo and introduce yourself to the group)
***By joining the meetup, you agree to Meetup Terms of Service releases the Organizer and Assistant Organizers from any liability related to incidents that occur at Meetup gatherings***
- Click RATING TABLE to learn more about difficulty levels. Click HikingOC Policy to read more FYI. https://www.meetup.com/hikingoc/messages/boards/thread/53724845
Take a quick look at our Events Calendar to see what events are on the horizon
- • Join us whether you are new or experienced in Hiking. There are different levels, but we all share one common: using our legs to move up down hills. Most of the time on dirt trails, but there are different terrains: rocky or gravels or in water, river or mud; different settings: mountain, forest, wilderness or desert.
• Contact us if you are interested to join the Organizer Team and organize Hikes local OC or out of town Hikes to those who share the same interest. Our wide open calendar will fill with events during the weekdays, but mostly the weekends. Our events or trips are generated by volunteer effort and time of volunteer organizers.
[All Our Organizers Volunteer their Time and Effort for Free Cost to Most Events]
• Once or twice per month, there will be events or trips that require payments. These are costs to cover your expenses and fund raising to "HikingOC Fund".
• "HikingOC Fund" will generate profit after the costs from events monthly. It will maintain the group website, support all HikingOC volunteered organizers who contribute to build this hiking group, an outdoor active community and to donate to the good causes or charities.
• If you like to do a great cause in honor our group name, please support helping those affected by disasters or the National Park Services (we hike on many lands of the National Parks.) We are sure your support is highly appreciated and rescues the unfortunates! There are many Non-Profit Organizations, please contact direct AMERICAN RED CROSS ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER for more info
***Read more past hikes on A Journey with HikingOC -- ANP Tourism-Lifetime Memory
for more Travel Trips in the US and Many Regions in the World***
Check on the IMAGES to see our photo albums
Upcoming events
236
San Joaquin Marsh - Level 1+
5 Riparian View, Irvine, CA, USLooking for an easier hike to get you through the week? Are you a beginner just trying to get started hiking? Please join us for a nature walk at the San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. This walk is suitable for beginners.
NOTE: This place can be tricky to get to the right spot. Please carefully read the Parking directions below.
Dogs are not permitted in the Wildlife Sanctuary. See ALL of their rules HERE.
This is not the beach walk.
## Key Info:
## Meet and Greet at 8:50 AM.
## Hike Briefing at 8:55 AM.
## The hike departs promptly at 9:00 AM.
## If you arrive late or otherwise choose to do this walk on your own, just follow the directions detailed below. And bring a friend!Length: This hike/walk is about 3 miles.
Difficulty: This walk is flat. If you can walk 3 miles in about an hour, you should be able to do this hike.
Pace: Leisurely (about 30 minutes/mile, with stops).
Rating: Level 1+ - Click here for hike RATING TABLEDescription: This is a nature walk on well-groomed dirt trails around the lagoons at the San Joaquin Marsh. We start by the Duck Club, shown in the lead photo above. These lagoons are a great place to spot birds. Explore the links below for more details:
- San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary
- Trail Map
- Marsh Rules
- Map to Get There
- Birds You Might See There
- Checklist for Bird Watchers
- Another Bird List!
- Birds Recently Seen
- Ok, Enough about the Birds Already!
Facilities: There are restrooms at the start/end hike.
Parking: There is a free parking lot adjacent the starting point. If that lot is full, there is an overflow lot about a 3-minute walk away. GPS Address: 5 Riparian View, Irvine, CA. In Google Maps, this address points directly to the Audubon House, which is right next door to the Duck Club house, where the hike starts. You MUST enter from the Campus Drive entrance. If your GPS sends you to ANY other entrance (like Michelson), you will NOT be able to get to the right spot. Please study the Map to Get There.
What to bring: Water, sunglasses, comfortable walking/hiking shoes, maybe a hat or umbrella for sun protection, a happy attitude and a big smile! If you have binoculars for birdwatching, you may want to bring those too!
REMINDER:
By joining the meetup, you agree to Meetup Terms of Service releases the Organizer and Assistant Organizers from any liability related to incidents that occur at Meetup gatherings
> YOU acknowledge THAT WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS.
> YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR SAFETYHiking is a rewarding and pleasant activity in nature, but there are certain dangers you should be aware of. Those include, but are not limited to, trip and fall injuries, bee stings, poison oak exposure, ticks, mountain lions, coyotes, snake bites or wildlife. By signing up for this event, you agree to hold harmless the hike organizer, assistant organizers and other participants for any injuries sustained during this hike.
5 attendees
Roller Coaster Ridge Hike at Sunset/Level 2
Roller Coaster Ridge to the Flag in San Clemente, Intersection of Camino de los Mares and Portico del Norte, San Clemente, CA, USThis is a great wide trail that borders San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente, with beautiful views and some great hills to hike up. It is hard for beginners, so you need to turn around if feeling not keeping the group pace.
DISTANCE & ELEVATION GAIN: about 4.5+ miles with 790+ ft gain; completed in about 2+ hours.
GENERAL RATING/DIFFICULTY: Levels 2 to 3 (Moderate) for distance, elevation and pace. Click RATING TABLE to learn more about hike levels https://tinyurl.com/HikeRating
This trail has beautiful 360 degree views of the mountains and Pacific ocean, with spectacular sunsets. The trails are (as the name implies) hilly, but we hike on wide, well groomed fire roads.
ABOUT THIS HIKE: This is a dirt trail in open space with what we call roller coaster hills. We will do the inclines at the beginning of the hike and head up to the flag. We will turn around at the flag and head back, mostly downhill. If you have not been hiking on a regular basis, this may be a tough hike due to the frequency and steepness of the hills.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/roller-coasterNOTES: Choose hiking shoes or shoes with a good tread. Bring water and a flashlight as we will be returning in darkness.
DIRECTIONS: From the 5 South exit at Camino Estrella and turn left at the light. This will turn into Camino de Estrella and you will drive about 3 miles to the very end of Camino de Los Mares Map. There are plenty of retail establishments along the right side of Camino de Los Mares that have restroom facilities.
PARKING: You can park on either side of the street at the end of Camino de Los Mares. The trailhead begins where the street ends.
REMINDER:
By joining the meetup, you agree to Meetup Terms of Service releases the Organizer and Assistant Organizers from any liability related to incidents that occur at Meetup gatherings
***Hiking is a rewarding and pleasant activity in nature, but there are certain dangers you should be aware of. Those include, but are not limited to, trip and fall injuries, bee stings, poison oak exposure, ticks, mountain lions, coyote, snake bites or wildlife. By signing up for this event, you agree to hold harmless the hike organizer, assistant organizers and other participants for any injuries sustained during this hike***
>>>YOU acknowledge THAT WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS.
>>>YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR SAFETY1 attendee
2026-May: Turtle Rock Hills hike at Sunset-Full Flower Moon/Level 2
Turtle Rock, 1 Concordia, Irvine, CA, USSpecial hike this late afternoon/evening at sunset and view the almost full moon rise on the hills about sunset time. This month is Flower Moon of May 2026****! Almanac.com 🌝🌸🌼🌻🪻
It is almost full moon. Visible 96%. Sunset is at 7:34 PM and Moon rise is 7:01 PM (to our view around sunset time)This hike is rated level 2 or faster for pace, distance and elevation**. Please see the** RATING TABLE for more info about difficulty levels https://tinyurl.com/HikeRating
Meeting time**: 6 PM**
Distance**: ~4 miles (we can go a shorter loop for about an hour)**
Elevation**: ~1100ft**
Duration**: 2 hours**ESSENTIALS**: Bring water, running/hiking shoes, a headlamp or flash light on the way back after sunset.**
DIRECTIONS**: Address: 1 Concordia, Irvine**
ABOUT THIS HIKE**:**
This is a workout conditioning hike composed of a looped route with a mix of trails and sidewalk/bike paths, along with some not too long but fairly steep hills. The two popular hills: French Hill and Suicide Hill at Turtle Rock. This loop, which uses city streets, single-track trails and a little bit of climbing, is one of several possible routes that visit the two summits. This hike requires regular hikers or those who have exercise experience (stair stepper or treadmill on 5-7 degree incline). The trail is dog friendly.
Route**:**
The hike begins with a steep climb up French Hill, gaining 200 feet in about 0.3 miles. At the top, you get a nice view of the Santa Ana Mountains and you can also see the other destination, Turtle Rock, to the left.
At the top, bear right, pass by a small summit marker, and begin heading downhill, toward a residential neighborhood. The trail swings around the back side of the houses and begins to curve south, making a moderate ascent to a ridge. Here, you get nice views of the Laguna Canyon area and the San Joaquin Hills.
At 1.2 miles, you begin a sharp descent toward Ridgeline Drive. Head right and follow a trail that’s been beaten on the side of the road. Soon you cross Hillsborough, where you can follow a proper sidewalk up to the intersection with Turtle Rock Drive.
Cross the street and continue following Ridgeline, looking for a paved walkway heading downhill (1.9 miles.) At the bottom of a hill, where the walkway makes a hairpin turn, continue straight on a dirt trail. Never getting too far from the residential area on the right, you climb to another ridge. Head right at a junction, where you’ll see Turtle Rock ahead of you, with its geological outcrops that resemble turtles. You descend into a pleasant wooded area, reaching a paved walkway at about 2.6 miles.
Head left, and almost immediately take a hard right and begin climbing a staircase. At the top, head right and continue your ascent. A little bit of scrambling, though nothing too difficult, is required to reach the top of Turtle Rock (2.9 miles), a nice view of almost all of Orange County, and on clear days, beyond.
Continuing north, you descend steeply from Turtle Rock. Turn left at the next junction and head through a meadow, toward the intersection of San Rufino and Via Novella (3.4 miles.) Follow Via Novella to Amalfi Drive, head right and turn right again on Turtle Rock Drive. Heading slightly uphill, follow Turtle Rock 0.4 miles back to the starting point.
REMINDER**:**
By joining the meetup, you agree to Meetup Terms of Service releases the Organizer and Assistant Organizers from any liability related to incidents that occur at Meetup gatherings
>>>YOU acknowledge THAT WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS.
>>>YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR SAFETY
Hiking is a rewarding and pleasant activity in nature, but there are certain dangers you should be aware of. Those include, but are not limited to, trip and fall injuries, bee stings, poison oak exposure, ticks, snake bites, coyotes, mountain lions or wildlife. By signing up for this event, you agree to hold harmless the hike organizer, assistant organizers and other participants for any injuries sustained during this hike20 attendees
Past events
10066
Group links
Members
18,043
