O'Neill Park Hike for 1st Day of the City Nature Challenge
Details
April 24 - City Nature Challenge Hike - O’Neill Park
If you enjoy—or want to learn how to identify - plants, insects, and more while hiking, this is a great opportunity to explore as a group on the first day of the 2026 City Nature Challenge (CNC 2026).
Join us in representing Orange County, CA! Use the iNaturalist app on your phone and take part in a group bioblitz during CNC 2026.
Don’t have iNaturalist yet? It’s free and easy to download.
When: Friday April 24
Time: 5:30 until possibly sunset when park closes. 7:28 pm
Where to Meet: Oak Grove Day Use parking lot - closer to the Visitor’s Center.
Important note: Please have iNaturalist app set up and ready on phone.
What to Bring: Sturdy trail shoes/hiking boots, water, phone with iNaturalist app, hat, & layered clothing. Optional: insect spray, snacks, hiking poles.
Hike difficulty: Advanced beginner to low Intermediate because of hills and uneven terrain. Possibly Edna Spaulding to Live Oak and either Hoffman Homestead or Coyote Canyon, depending on the group. 1.5-3 miles.
Parking Fee: A $5 OC Parks Day Pass (or annual pass).
Restrooms: Large restroom building at Oak Grove Day Use.
I first discovered the CNC in 2020 when I signed up for a bioblitz that was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic—but because individual observations could still be made independently through the iNaturalist app, the challenge went on, and it was a blast.
About City Nature Challenge:
The City Nature Challenge is a worldwide movement to document nature and help fight biodiversity loss! Every observation you make of WILD nature in Orange County is a data point that helps scientists and researchers understand and protect nature for all of us.
Learn more here:
2026 City Nature Challenge Orange County, CA
City Nature Challenge
History: Started in 2016 as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the City Nature Challenge (CNC) has grown into an international event, motivating people around the world to find and document wildlife in their own cities. Run by the Community Science teams at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM), the CNC is an annual four-day global bioblitz at the end of April, where cities collaborate to see what can be accomplished when we all work toward a common goal.
DISCLAIMER: Group organizer and assistant organizers assume no liability; hike at your own risk. By being a member of this group you hereby agree to assume all risks and liability related to or resulting from any group functions. You agree that neither you nor any third party will hold any of the group's leaders, officers, or representatives liable for any injury, loss, or damage to your own person or any members of your family, friends, acquaintances, children, pets, or property, arising directly or as a consequence from a group activity. You also agree that your membership of this group is based on an "at will" basis.