Chino Hills State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chino Hills State Park |
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 Chino Hills State Park
Location in California
Chino Hills State Park
Location in the United States
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| Location | Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, California, USA |
| Nearest city | Chino Hills, California |
| Area | 14,173 acres (57.36 km2) |
| Established | 1981 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Chino Hills State Park is a beautiful state park in California, United States. It's found in the Chino Hills, which are rolling hills near the Santa Ana Mountains. This park is super important! It connects different areas where wildlife lives. It's also a major home for many plants and animals, both those that live there all the time and those that migrate.
Visitors can have lots of fun exploring the park. You can walk, ride horses, or mountain bike on trails. These trails go through valleys and along hilltops. You'll see woodlands, sage scrub, and grassy areas. There are about 60 miles (97 km) of trails and fire roads. These are great for spotting wildlife and native plants.
The park has places for picnics and camping. There's also a special area for horses with corrals. You can find a historic barn, water, and restrooms too. Most trails are open for walking, biking, and horses. A few trails are just for hiking to keep people safe or protect nature.
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Exploring Chino Hills State Park
Chino Hills State Park covers a huge area of 14,173 acres (57.36 km2; 22.15 sq mi). It has many oak trees, sycamores, and grassy hills. These hills stretch for almost 31 miles (50 km). They go from the Santa Ana Mountains all the way to the Whittier Hills.
This park is really important for nature. It's a safe place for many California native plants. It also connects different natural areas. This helps many animal species survive. The park is located where three counties meet. These are Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.
The park is about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Corona. Most of it is in the city of Chino Hills. Small parts also reach into Yorba Linda and Riverside County.
Park Entrances
Chino Hills State Park has four main entrances. There are also many smaller entrances. The main entrances are in Chino Hills, Corona, Yorba Linda, and Brea.
- The Chino Hills entrance is also called the north entrance. You can find it off Sapphire road in northern Chino Hills.
- The Yorba Linda entrance is off Rim Crest drive in Yorba Linda.
- The Corona entrance is near the Green River golf course in western Corona.
- The Brea entrance is known as the Discovery Center. It's off Carbon Canyon road in Eastern Brea, California.
Amazing Plants and Trees
The plants in Chino Hills are part of a special area. It's called the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. Here, you'll find plants that grow in chaparral and oak woodland areas. There are also some original.
The most common native trees are the coast live oak. You might also see the California black walnut. Another common tree is the California sycamore.
Park History
For many, many years, people have used the Chino Hills. There was lots of open space, water, and plants and animals. Before Europeans arrived, the Tongva-Gabrieliño Indians lived here. They had along the Santa Ana River. For 8,000 years, they would set up temporary camps in the hills. They gathered acorns, elderberries, walnuts, and other seeds.
Later, in 1771, the Spanish started Mission San Gabriel. After that, mission cattle grazed a lot in the Chino Hills. During the time of the Mexican Republic, the hills were still used for grazing. Cattle from nearby ranches like Santa Ana del Chino would use the land.
In 1848, the United States took control of the area. The land was still mostly used for grazing cattle. Private landowners started buying land in the 1870s. This continued into the 1890s. The 1,720-acre (700 ha) Rolling M Ranch was started in 1848. Its land was rented to nearby landowners for cattle. Some oil exploration and mining happened in the park's northwestern part. A ranch house, barn, and windmills remind us of those cattle ranching days.
How the Park Was Created
In 1977, the California government decided to study buying land in Chino Hills for a park. A local group called Hills for Everyone worked hard. They worked with California State Parks and the government. They helped create the park. The first land bought was 2,237 acres (905 ha).
In 1984, the State Park and Recreation Commission officially made it a State Park. Since then, Chino Hills State Park has grown a lot. More land has been bought from different private owners. Today, the park is 14,173 acres (5,736 ha) big. It was officially established in 1981.
