On the edge of suburbia, at the northern terminus of one of Orange County’s most recognized and traveled routes, Jamboree Road, there’s nearly 500 acres of open space where hawks and even an occasional bald eagle soar through the skies, wildlife roams the rolling landscape and centuries’ old oaks tower over visitors.

But also, a 1/3-scale train chugs along a large loop of tracks, riders smiling and pointing here and there; couples laugh trying to pedal across a lake; and children point at a bear relaxing in the shade and pet barn animals.

California’s first county park, Irvine Regional Park in Orange, is turning 125 this year. Through the decades it has been both a place to escape to nature and entertain a family with a day of activities.

RELATED: Irvine Regional Park, the OC gem turns 125 this year

Didn’t realize the gem that is right here in the middle of Orange County, part of the OC Parks system? Here is a list of 10 fun things to do at Irvine Regional Park:

Paddle-boat rentals: Self-propelled boats are available to get out on to the water and cruise among the ducks on the park’s small lake. Rent them at the historic boathouse, which was constructed in 1914.

A warm winter’s day paddle in a rented boat on the lake at Irvine Regional Park in Orange. The park is turning 125 years old in 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fishing: On any given day, visitors fish from the shore of the park’s two ponds that were created in 1913. A paved pathway surrounds part of the ponds, which makes them easily accessible. A backdrop of towering trees and the century-old boathouse makes for a picturesque scene. A California fishing license is required to cast your line for that big catch.

Christmas lights on the boathouse reflect in the pond on a winter’s evening at Irvine Regional Park in Orange. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Horse trails and pony rides: Adjacent to the train station just inside the entrance to the park is a corral offering pony rides for children.

The park also has contract operators offering horse rentals, guided horseback tours and lessons and there is an area for horse-trailer parking, a watering trough and a three-mile equestrian trail for riders that boasts views of the park and the surrounding hills.

A woman rides a horse along Puma Ridge Trail at Irvine Regional Park in Orange on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

OC Zoo: The zoo, which has a nominal admission of $2, is just a short walk from the park’s boathouse. A black bear, jaguar and mountain lions are among some of the zoo’s large animals and there is an assortment of birds and smaller animals native to the southwestern United States. The zoo has regular educational activities planned for children and a fun holiday activity is watching the animals open up their presents of treats.

Marcy Crede-Booth, curator of education for the OC Zoo at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, feeds Yo-Yo, a black bear, in January 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Train rides: The Irvine Park Railroad offers a 10 minute ride on a 1/3-scale train that takes visitors past the lake, historic boathouse and through stands of sycamores and oak trees that are hundreds of years old. It is know for its holiday-themed events.

The Irvine Park Railroad, a 1/3 scale train, takes visitors on a ride around the lake and through the towering oak and sycamore trees at Irvine Regional Park in Orange.  (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Wildlife viewing: Some of the animals most easily spotted in the park are squirrels, rabbits and lizards. Though, with a little persistence, patience and some luck, coyotes, deer and bobcats can be seen either early or later in the day throughout the park’s expansive natural areas.

Rabbits play in the undergrowth near some bushes on a spring morning at Irvine Regional Park in Orange. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A deer makes its way along a trail at Irvine Regional Park in Orange early on a cool November morning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A gopher pokes its head out of a hole above blades of grass one morning in January at Irvine Regional Park in Orange. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Bird watching/photography: A wide variety of birds can easily be seen and photographed in all parts of the park. Those include: hummingbirds, bluebirds, herons, egrets, acorn woodpeckers and many others.

RELATED: 30 amazing wildlife images photographed at Irvine Regional Park

Often heard perched in the branches of the sycamore trees are the noisy and colorful red-crowned parrots. Various birds of prey are often heard and commonly seen soaring or perched in the trees. They include: red-shouldered hawks, red-tailed hawks, owls, American kestrels, white-tailed kites and even an occasional bald eagle.

A bald eagle sits atop a sycamore tree along Santiago Creek at Irvine Regional Park in Orange in 2011. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An acorn woodpecker moves an acorn from one hole to another on a dead tree full of acorns at Irvine Regional Park in Orange in April 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A barn owl sits high in an oak tree at Irvine Regional Park in Orange in January 2021. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Native to East Asia, a colorful male Mandarin duck cruises through the water in the pond at Irvine Regional Park in Orange in November 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hiking trails: There are paved, flat, walking trails that let visitors wander throughout the park’s more developed areas, as well as a half dozen hiking trails that branch out into its hills for views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. They also connect with a network of trails in neighboring Santiago Oaks Regional Park and beyond. Stop by the park’s nature center with its historic exhibit hall and nature films.

On a cool January morning, two women walk along the Irvine Park Trail adjacent to Santiago Creek at Irvine Regional Park in Orange.  (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Picnicking:  In the mid-to-late 1800s, the area was known as the Picnic Grounds and was a gathering place for holiday celebrations. The tradition continues to this day with picnic tables and grills scattered throughout the park among the historic oaks and sycamore trees. Weekends are popular for birthday parts and other celebrations. There are a number of playgrounds and ball fields.

As a couple enjoys lunch at a picnic table beneath the shade of a tree, a peacock also enjoys a bit of shade at an adjacent picnic table at Irvine Regional Park in Orange. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The sprawling branches of one of the large, old oak trees at Irvine Regional Park in Orange. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cycling and mountain biking:  The walking and hiking trails can also be used for cycling, as well as the roads that wind through the park. Whether it’s a child just learning to ride on a tricycle, someone who wants a more leisurely cruise through the woods, or an experienced rider looking for a challenging trek through the hills on the park’s miles of trails, there is something for all ages and levels riders.

Mountain bikers ride along Puma Ridge Trail on a winter’s afternoon at Irvine Regional Park in Orange on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

If you go:

When: The park is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the spring and summer, closing earlier at 6 p.m. during the winter months.

Where: 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange; find the park’s entry off of Jamboree Road just north of Chapman Avenue near Santiago Canyon College

Cost: Parking is $3 per vehicle weekdays and $5 per vehicle weekends, more on some holidays; rentals and some activities have their own costs; the OC Zoo is $2 per person 3 and older

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