I love getting outside for a hike or mountain bike ride. One of my favorite spots is Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, which is right here where I live in Orange County, California.
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is a popular area for locals who enjoy hiking, biking, and horseback riding. This is the perfect place for you to get a good feel for the fun hikes that South Orange County has to offer. If you are planning a trip to the Orange County area I definitely recommend that you visit Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park!
The park is popular among hikers for its gorgeous Red Rock Canyon Trail, which you would never imagine exists in Orange County. Mountain bikers like to head to this park for the thrill of “The Luge” loop, which extends a little beyond Whiting Ranch and has some challenging trails.
With 23 different trails to choose from, there’s a lot of variety in this park! Most of the trails are easy to moderate, but if you are looking for a more strenuous workout I recommend you try Dreaded Hill and Mustard Road. The park map has 3 scenic viewpoints to choose from, all offering excellent views of Orange County.
This is absolutely one of my favorite parks to hike (and mountain bike) because it offers several different loops, all of which are perfect for the beginner to the slightly experienced hiker and/or biker. There is nothing too difficult in this park; if you are physically fit you can handle any hike at Whiting Ranch. You can find some of my recommended hikes at the end of this post.
16 Photos That Will Inspire You to Visit Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park
*Some of these photos include the amazing view of Red Rock Canyon Trail, which used to have open access to the rock formations. The park no longer allows climbing on the rocks, but I think it is important to keep the photos from that area in this post because I want you to get a full sense of what this section of the park looks like.
Viewpoint from Red Rock Canyon Trail
*You are no longer able to climb on these rock formations.
Red Rock Canyon Trail is one of my favorite hiking trails in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Once you get to the end of the trail, you will understand why. With views like this, you just have to agree!
Read more: Hiking Guide to Red Rock Canyon Trail
The Lower Elevation Trails
The trails on the lower elevation mostly have shade and offer a sense of complete peacefulness. I’m in total zen mode hiking through these areas! Check out these trails for views like this: Borrego Canyon, Serrano Cow, Live Oak, and Serrano Road.
Higher Elevation Trails
The trails on the higher elevation of the park have some amazing views of Orange County. Some are perfect for a light picnic after a great workout on the way up. Check out these trails for views like this: Vista Lookout Road and Dreaded Hill.
The Green Season
After the rainy season, Whiting Ranch has lots of greenery! Much different from the dry summer, fall, and winter. Visit the park in March-May to see views like this!
Mountain Biking Trails
The mountain biking trails in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park are perfect for all bikers! Whether you are a beginner or a little more advanced, you should have no problem finding a route that is perfect for you!
The most popular route starts on Borrego Canyon Trail, continues up Mustard Road, down Cactus Hill Trail to Santiago Ranch Road, Sleepy Hollow, Concourse Road, Serrano Cow Trail, and out Serrano Road.
Read more: A Women’s Guide on How to Start Mountain Biking
A Variety of Scenery
There is a good variety of things to see in Whiting Ranch…cacti, red rocks, and wildflowers in the spring. The deeper you go into the park, the more diverse it gets.
If you would like more information about parks in Orange County, you can visit the OC Parks website.
Recommended hikes in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park:
Borrego Canyon to Vista Lookout Trail (moderate)
Dreaded Hill Loop (moderate)
Borrego Canyon to Red Rock Canyon (easy)
Recommended mountain biking loop:
Have you been to Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park before? Let me know your favorite trail!
READ NEXT:
11 Easy Hikes in Orange County with an Amazing View
25 Must-Have Items for the Outdoor Lover
How to Start Mountain Biking: A Quick Guide for Women
I am local to that area and I have never hiked those trails. I’ll have to go check that out.
Believe it or not so many local OC folks tell me the same thing and I just can’t believe it! It’s such an easy hike that it’s definitely worth checking out!
These photos definitely make we want to visit the wilderness park. What a great trip!
Thanks so much for your comment, Corey!
Great suggestions, very scenic.
Thanks Charmain! The scenery at the end of Red Rock Trail is amazing, so worth it!
These photos are beautiful!! I would love to visit someday!
Thanks so much for your comment!
Sold! I’m definitely going to check this out the next time I’m in Orange County visiting family. We do a lot of hiking in Minnesota, but we never do any hiking when we go to CA. Time to change that!
I’m so happy I convinced you! Hiking is a pretty big deal in SoCal and there are so many trails to choose from! Enjoy your next trip!
WOW! We lived in OC and never went here. Now we’re in IE but we may have to come over for this. This looks like such a nice hike!
I’ve heard this from a few locals and it surprises me! If you do make it back this way check out Red Rock Canyon Trail, it’s one of my favorites in this park! I have a hiking guide for this trail if you want to take a look! http://www.thatocgirl.com/red-rock-canyon-in-whiting-ranch/
OMG! The pictures are gorgeous! I’ve seen your pictures on Insta but were already having some wanderlust cravings!
http://beautifullyme.in/
Thanks so much for your comment Clara! It means a lot!
I have been living in LA for almost 3 years and believed I visited every place in Southern California. Apparently, I missed this gorgeous park. I guess I should go back 🙂
I have heard from so many that they never knew about some of the parks I mention in OC! I hope you can visit this one!
You seem to be an adventurous soul, this trip of yours looks exciting. I would definately want to try something like this. THanks for inspiring.
Little (or big) adventures are what keep me going!
I never heard about this park before but looks like a must visit once. All your pictures are so wonderful and quite a detailed post as well. Thanks for sharing .
It is a smaller local park in my area, and very popular by us locals 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Stunning pictures! These rocks are quite impressive and I’m amazed by the variety of landscapes
I was totally blown away when I saw those rocks for the first time! Thanks so much for your comment Chloe!
You’ve convinced me, I’m inspired! You’re lucky to live near a place like this; I’d love to try a hike here, the views are incredible.
Glad to hear that Lisa! I am lucky, and so grateful I have things like this near me. Where I’m from in Wisconsin, USA we just don’t have this kind of scenery so it has been a nice change.
Wow, your 16 beautiful photos have certainly inspired me to visit one of these days. Stunning!
Aww that’s awesome, thanks so much Shona!