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7 Best Outdoor Activities In Laguna Hills

7 Best Outdoor Activities In Laguna Hills

One of the best things about living in Orange County is that there is always plenty of fun things to do in the great outdoors. And this includes so many activities near Laguna Hills! One of the top attractions is to visit the happiest place on earth, Disneyland. Or if you’re looking for something not as fast-paced, you can head to Knott’s Berry Farm for a relaxing afternoon.

There’s also so many restaurants to try that offer outdoor seating, and of course, many of these options offer a truly unique dining experience! And of course, we can’t talk about outdoor activities without mentioning the most beautiful beaches in Southern California. There’s just something about an evening walk on the beach to witness the sunset. It’s one of my favorite things about living here!

If you are thinking about making a move or visiting California, Laguna Hills may be the perfect city for you! From the rolling hills, open green space, lush green belts, and beautiful parks, Laguna Hills is a nature lover’s dream. It’s so peaceful and there are so many fun outside activities to do in and around Laguna Hills!


Here Are The Best Outdoor Activities in Laguna Hills:

Table of Contents

Visiting Trails

No matter if you prefer a long hike, a relaxing bike ride, or just a short walk, there are so many trails to pick from in Laguna Hills!

Some of my favorites in Orange County include:

  • Oso Creek Trail

  • Aliso Creek Bikeway

  • Sulphur Creek Loop (Laguna Niguel Regional Park)

  • Aliso Creek

  • Wood Canyon Loop

The trails are a great place to walk and enjoy the local wildlife areas (or just spend the day in a great park), and most are pretty easy to walk through. So it’s the perfect outdoor activity for big groups, a family outing, or a relaxing day by yourself! Spending time away from the city and exploring a new trail is one of the best things you can do in Laguna Hills. And even better is that most of the parks connected to the trails offer free entry (except for Aliso Creek and Wood Canyon Loop).

Just a quick note, if you can’t find parking on the local street at the parks above, you will need to pay at the kiosk in the parking lot. But, if you don’t feel like driving and dealing with parking, Laguna Hills has walking, horse, and hiking trails just a short distance away from most of the neighborhoods in the area. For more information on trails close to Laguna Hills neighborhoods, click here.

Exploring Parks

A family favorite, parks are one of the best ways to spend an afternoon! And we’re lucky because there are so many parks in and near Laguna Hills!

Some of my favorites include:

For those that love the game of baseball, Sheep Hills Park has some pretty amazing baseball fields! What’s also great about this park, is that it doesn’t get too crowded and there is plenty of space for the kids to run free and be safe. Which is a huge benefit to many families looking for outdoor activities on the weekends.

If you are looking for a park that is semi-private and has tons of shade during the warm summer months, Gallup Park in Nellie Gail Ranch is definitely the place to visit. Even though it’s a small park, there is more than enough space for nature lovers to have fun and enjoy the peace and quiet. Which can sometimes be hard to find in California!

If don’t mind traveling a bit further to find more green space, there are also several other nice parks that are only a 5-20 minute drive away from Laguna Hills. You can head to nearby cities like Laguna Beach to visit Heisler Park, which is truly a lovely place! This is a beautiful park that offers views for days of the crystal clear ocean and sandy beach.

Another great option is to try Great Park in Irvine, California. They have spectacular bike trails, a soccer complex with plenty of soccer fields, baseball fields, an ice rink, and restaurants that you can enjoy right at the park.

For a full list of the best parks in Orange County, click here.

Spend a Day at the Beach

Even though there’s not a beach in Laguna Hills, with the city being so centrally located in South Orange County, it’s extremely easy to enjoy a day of fun in the sun at any of the local beaches. Laguna Beach is the closest city to Laguna Hills, and has some pretty amazing beaches to choose from!

The most famous beaches to visit in Laguna Beach are…

  • Victoria Beach (Check out the Pirate Tower – one of the best attractions)

  • Thousand Steps

  • Crescent Bay Beach

  • Treasure Island

  • Main Beach

  • Dana Point

  • Doheny Beach

  • Newport Beach

If you plan to visit Main Beach, just know that it can get pretty busy during the summer season, so be sure to plan accordingly. You may want to arrive earlier in the day to secure a spot close to the water!

Another great beach option to visit is Dana Point. Here, you can experience whale watching, which is always a fun activity for kids! Getting to see a whale splashing around the ocean can be the highlight of the day!

For those that love surfing, Doheny Beach is a nice place to get some sun and enjoy a day of surfing. Another great beach for surfing is Newport Beach. Here, you can also do body surfing which is always fun to try!

Find the Tide Pools

The tide pools are the perfect place to spend a day if you want to see the local sea life up close. One of the best things to do if you decide to head to the beach is check out the area’s tide pools. They are teeming with so much life and it’s truly a fun experience for everyone to get to see the sea urchins, starfish, and other sea life in their natural habitat.

Tip: make sure to pack a hat, sunscreen, plenty of water, and snacks. It’s such a wonderful place to visit, and you can spend hours at the tide pools!

Catching an Outdoor Movie

The weather in Laguna Hills is perfect throughout the year, which is why outdoor movies is such a fun way to spend time with the family. During the summer months, it can get pretty hot and sunny, but by the evening hours, the temperatures drop to the high 60s, so watching an outdoor movie is a great summer activity.

Laguna Hills (and other nearby cities) hold outdoor movie nights once a week throughout the summer months. There is nothing like catching your favorite movie on the big screen in a beautiful park, surrounded by all the beauty that California has to offer. The best part? The movies are free, and most of the events have live entertainment that leads up to the movie screening. It’s fun for the whole family and it’s one of the best things to do in Orange County during the summer! For a full list of outdoor movies in or near Laguna Hills, click here.

Attend an Outdoor Concert

Sometimes, there’s nothing better to do on the weekend than to experience live music. And what’s better than an outdoor concert?! Not only are outdoor movies offered throughout the summer, but Orange County cities also host outdoor concerts as well! The live concerts in Laguna Hills are every two weeks in the Nellie Gail Ranch community. Be sure to pack your lawn chairs, blankets, and some yummy food so that you can enjoy the entire evening! There’s some great musicians and performers, and I know you will enjoy sitting back and listening to all the local talent.

They also have outdoor concerts in other local cities like Rancho Mission Viejo, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Ladera Ranch. These are also free events, which is why outdoor concerts are such a big attraction for so many. Plus, a lot of the venues have food trucks, wine gardens (with wine tasting), beer gardens, and kid’s activities. So this is always a good time, and I definitely recommend you add this to your summer bucket list!

Try Mountain Biking

Throughout the city of Laguna Hills, you can find biking trails for everyone. And that includes those that enjoy a more challenging activity like mountain biking. If this is something that you love to do (or want to try) there are plenty of places that offer exhilarating biking trails (that are only a few short minutes away).

The best mountain biking trails in Laguna Hills include:

  • Saddleback Mountain

  • Silverado Canyon

There are also great mountain biking trails throughout Rancho Santa Margarita. My favorite trails are in Aliso Creek and Wood Canyon Loop. If you are a more experienced mountain bike rider, you may want to try a trail that will take you down to Salt Creek Beach. So many options to get out and explore!

There's Something for Everyone in Laguna Hills

One of the perks of living in Laguna Hills is that there’s always an outdoor activity that you can try. It’s one of the reasons why so many call this place home. And why it’s a popular tourist attraction for those that want to visit California.

If you are interested in more things to do in Laguna Hills you can click here to get the full list. See you out and about in the OC!

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Howard Chung

Hey Orange County, I’m Howard Chung! I'm here to share weekly information about the best events, restaurants, shopping and activities in and around Orange County, California. Plus, the best hiking, biking, health and wellness options, new hot spots, and more! Click below to follow us.

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