It would be easy to drive right by Peters Canyon and not even know it's
there. But it is a wonderful suburban escape.
Distance: 2-, 4- & 8-mile loops Difficulty: Easy to moderate When to go: Year round Location: Jamboree Road, south of Santiago Canyon Road. Elevation Gain: 400 ft. Phone: 714-973-6611 Dogs: Yes (on leash only). Call ahead. Directions: Exit Interstate 5 at Jamboree Blvd. and go north. Turn
left at Canyon View Avenue to the parking lot. Exit Highway 55 at Chapman
Avenue east. Turn right at Jamboree and right on Canyon View Avenue. Parking
is $2/vehicle.
Trail Information
Remarks: Take a look over this beautiful little lake with binoculars
you'll see a lot more than ducks, herons, egrets and grebes. It's loaded
with wildlife and plant life. Then take off on a natural exercise course of
astounding beauty, nestled between a long, tall ridgeline and a babbling
brook, trickling down through a eucalyptus grove.
This must be nature's little work-out center, because joggers, bikers and
equestrians constantly populate these 18-plus miles of trails. Your hike
towards the southern end of the park becomes a majestic interlude of scents
under the thick canopy of willow trees, black cottonwood, eucalyptus and
Fremont cottonwoods.
How Did This Spot Escape Development?
As you travel around the lake and through the canyon, you may wonder of how
this beauty has been saved from the neighboring development. The Irvine
family lived nearby — on the east side of Jamboree Road at Old Myford Road
and Irvine Boulevard — until the late '60s, when the family mansion burned
one Christmas. (Today, the Irvine Family Historic Agricultural Center has
plans to re-organize and preserve many of the buildings, possibly rebuilding
the mansion.)
Family members regularly walked and picnicked in the Peters Canyon area,
later planning to save it for the public's enjoyment. In a unique gesture by
the Irvine Company, honoring the family's long-held intent, the 356-acre
park was dedicated in 1992 without any attached condition for additional
development rights in the county.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
There's a lot to see in this relatively small park. So carve out a nice
chunk of time, or come back often, to take it all in. Our photo slideshow
and map lay out a great, if somewhat long, route that just about covers it
all. Definitely don't miss the Peters Canyon Creek trail.
On a side note, there is a beautifully designed bikeway leading to the south
entrance through the residential tracts north of the Tustin Market Place.
One day, this will connect to the Upper Newport Bay.
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If
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