Ralph B. Clark Regional Park facts for kids

Ralph B. Clark Regional Park is a cool park found in the cities of Fullerton, California and Buena Park, California. It's looked after by Orange County Regional Parks, which manages all the regional parks in Orange County, California.

The park is mostly in Buena Park, near the West Coyote Hills. But a small part called Camel Hill and another section with six softball fields are actually in Fullerton. It first opened in 1981 as Los Coyotes Regional Park. In 1987, it was renamed after Ralph B. Clark, who was an Orange County Supervisor for many years.

Fun Activities and Park Features

Ralph B. Clark Regional Park has lots of things to do! You can enjoy a picnic, play sports, or explore nature.

What Can You Do at the Park?

• Go bicycling on the trails.
• Have a barbecue with friends and family.
• Play baseball or softball on the fields.
• Enjoy a picnic at tables or shelters.
• Let younger kids play on the playground.
• Try your hand at horseshoes.
• Play tennis or volleyball on the courts.
• Go fishing in the pond.
• Fly model sailboats on the water.
• Walk or hike on the trails.
• Have a campfire in the fire rings.
• Join special interpretive programs.

Discovering the Interpretive Center

The Interpretive Center is like a small museum right inside the park. It's a great place to learn about the Ice Age and the local area's geology.

What's Inside the Museum?

The museum often opens from Wednesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM. It depends on if staff and volunteers are available.

You'll see an amazing painting of Ice Age animals by an artist named Mark Hallet.

One of the coolest things on display is a 9-million-year-old skeleton of a baleen whale. It was found nearby during a construction project. People say it's one of the most complete whale fossils from the Miocene time period ever found!

Exploring the Park Trails

The park has a nice trail that's shaded by trees. It goes around the edge of the park for about 1.2 miles (1.9 km). This includes a 0.3-mile (500 m) walk along the northern side.

Climbing Camel Hill

The trail goes up to the top of Camel Hill, which is in the northeast part of the park. From the top, you can see amazing sights!

You might spot Catalina Island in the distance. You can also see the Port of Long Beach, Signal Hill, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. On a clear day, you might even see Mount Baldy and the Santa Ana Mountains.

Wildlife in the Park

Even though the park isn't huge, it's home to many different kinds of animals! It's a great spot for nature lovers.

Birds, Mammals, and More

More than 130 types of birds have been seen here. The park also has squirrels, rabbits, fish, lizards, and turtles living in it all the time.

In the evenings, right after the sun goes down, you might see bats flying around. They are busy catching insects over the pond. Sometimes, animals like coyotes, raccoons, and opossums visit the park too.

Fishing in the Pond

The park's pond is a popular spot for fishing. It's stocked with different kinds of fish for you to catch.

What Fish Can You Catch?

The pond is stocked with catfish and trout. There are also Largemouth bass and bluegill that live in the pond all the time.

If you catch a bass, you need to release it back into the water. This helps keep the bass population healthy.

If you are sixteen years old or older, you need a fishing license to fish here.

Images for kids

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  Interpretive Center seen across the pond

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  Pterodactyl sculpture

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  Group picnic shelter

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  Looking west across the pond

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  Northeast section of the perimeter trail

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  Interpretive Center fossil collecting exhibit

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  Mammoth and Mastodon teeth

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  Turtles and snowy egret in the pond

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  Bass fry born in the pond

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  American wigeon grazing alongside the pond