OC Parks facts for kids
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| Department overview | |
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| Formed | 1922 |
| Jurisdiction | Orange County |
| Headquarters | 13042 Old Myford Rd Irvine, California 92602 33°26′05″N 117°28′14″W / 33.4348°N 117.4705°W |
| Employees | 200 (2020) |
| Annual budget | US$90,018,793 (2015-16) |
| Department executive |
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Orange County Parks, often called OC Parks, is a special group that takes care of all the public parks in Orange County, California. They look after both wild, natural areas and parks built in cities. OC Parks manages a huge area, about 60,000 acres, which is like 45,000 football fields! Millions of people visit these parks every year to have fun outdoors.
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What is OC Parks?
OC Parks is a government agency. This means it is part of the local government that helps manage public services. Their main job is to keep Orange County's parks safe, clean, and fun for everyone.
The agency started in 1922, so it has been around for over 100 years! They manage a mix of different types of parks. Some are wild and natural, while others are built or changed by people.
Different Kinds of Parks
OC Parks looks after many different types of outdoor spaces. These include large wilderness areas and smaller parks found right in the middle of cities. Each park offers unique activities and experiences.
Wilderness Parks
Wilderness parks are natural areas where you can explore nature. These parks often have hiking trails, wildlife, and beautiful scenery. They are great places for adventures and learning about the environment.
Here are some of the wilderness parks managed by OC Parks:
- Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, Aliso Viejo
- Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park, San Juan Capistrano
- Featherly Regional Park, Santa Ana
- Irvine Lake
- Irvine Ranch Open Space (a group of natural areas)
- Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Laguna Beach
- Limestone Canyon Regional Park
- O'Neill Regional Park
- Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park, Coto De Caza
- Peters Canyon Regional Park, Orange
- Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange
- Talbert Regional Park, Costa Mesa
- Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park
- Upper Newport Bay, Newport Beach
Urban Parks
Urban parks are often found in or near cities. These parks might have playgrounds, sports fields, picnic areas, and paved paths. They are perfect for family outings and quick visits.
Here are some of the urban parks managed by OC Parks:
- Carbon Canyon Regional Park, Brea
- Ralph B. Clark Regional Park, Buena Park
- Ted Craig Regional Park, Fullerton
- Irvine Regional Park, Orange
- Laguna Niguel Regional Park
- William R. Mason Regional Park, Irvine
- Mile Square Regional Park, Fountain Valley
- Tri-City Regional Park, Placentia
- Harriett M. Wieder Regional Park, Huntington Beach
- Yorba Regional Park, Anaheim
Park Activities and Events
OC Parks also organizes special events and manages how parks are used. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they made some changes to keep visitors safe.
They temporarily closed some parks to cars, but people could still walk or ride horses. They also helped protect Capistrano Beach from erosion by using sand and rocks.
To keep people entertained during the pandemic, OC Parks hosted fun virtual events. They also held drive-in movie nights where families could watch movies from their cars. These events helped people enjoy the parks safely.
