Red Rock in Orange County

Hike to dramatic red rock formations at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County

Woman standing and observing the red rock formation at the end of a hiking trail in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County

Go on a SoCal daycation to a canyon with red rock cliffs like those seen in Arizona or Utah but located within a stone’s throw of OC suburbia. To find them it’s a 4.25-mile out-and-back trek through 2,500-acre Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, which also features ample shade amid beautiful oak woodland.

Woman hiking through the entrance to Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County

Woman standing on a hiking trail staring at giant red rock formation in front of her at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County

Woman hiking on Borrego Canyon Trail in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County

Park at the lot ($3) and find the trailhead behind the art piece at the park’s entrance plaza; this is the Borrego Canyon Trail. The wide dirt path (shared by bikers) goes through riparian environments early on, with multiple stream crossings. Look for mule deer quenching their thirst creekside, striped racers hunting for rats amongst the shrub, and even great horned owls or red-shouldered hawks perched above you. 

Woman walking under a canopy of trees next to a stream on a hiking trail in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County

The trail intersects with the Mustard loop, as towering oaks are replaced by rolling grassland hills. Here, look for the marker for Red Rock Canyon (just past the large trail board) and head north through a sandy wash. The striking pinnacles can now be seen; be sure to read the interpretive signs, detailing the history and geological makeup of the red rock canyon—siltstone, sandstone, and mudstone. The captivating crags were sculpted by millions of years of wind and water and now provide us with a captivating landscape: red rocks in Orange County. 

Woman standing at red rock formation in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County

You reach the impressive cliffs in about a half-mile, but you’re likely to feel as if you’ve been transported hundreds of miles away to the likes of Zion or Sedona. You can’t climb the vibrant canyon walls or venture into the narrow gorge, but you will find more than enough awesome vantage points to capture those badlands memories. Now that’s how you rock the burbs! 

Couple taking a selfie in front of a red rock formation in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County

To get to Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park and the Borrego Canyon Trailhead, take the I-5 and exit Bake Pkwy. in Irvine and head east. After 5.4 miles, take a left onto Portola Pkwy. and the parking lot will be on your right in just a quarter-mile (across from Ralph’s). No dogs.

Story and photos by Matt Pawlik

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View