Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
Managed by Orange County Parks
358 acres4 mi of trail
Aliso Creek Hiking and Riding TrailPecten Loop TrailAliso Creek Hiking & Riding Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Aliso Viejo
15% of Aliso Viejo’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 13 miles of mapped trail cross Aliso Viejo, 1.8 per square mile of land. 15% of Aliso Viejo’s land is conserved, about 648 acres.
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #127 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
648 acres · of 6.9 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
695 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
19 mi
16 mi lanes · 3.5 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Aliso Viejo?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Aliso Viejo have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Aliso Viejo is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #127 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Aliso Viejo’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (13 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (695 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 85%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, with 4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Woodfield Park
Park
24 acres1.3 mi of trail
Aliso Creek Hiking & Riding Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wingspan Park
Park
16 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Aliso Canyon Community Park
Park
85 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Aliso Viejo Community Park
Park
18 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Iglesia Park
Park
8 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 23 parks & preserves
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park358 acres · 4 mi of trail · Orange County Parks
DirectionsWoodfield Park24 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHillview Park25 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWingspan Park16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Aliso Canyon Community Park85 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsAliso Viejo Ranch7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsAliso Viejo Community Park18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsIglesia Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Springdale Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsOak Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Foxborough Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Brookline Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hummingbird Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWestridge Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Creekside Park20 acres
DirectionsRidgecrest Park20 acres
Argonaut Park11 acres
DirectionsCanyon View Park10 acres
Crestview Park8 acres
DirectionsGrand Park7 acres
DirectionsGlenbrook Park5 acres
DirectionsPinewood Park4 acres
DirectionsAcorn Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
648 conserved acres
15% of Aliso Viejo’s land. Who manages Aliso Viejo’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County353 ac
Private owners258 ac
Town or city45 ac
Local Conservation Area · 353 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 258 acLocal Recreation Area · 31 acLocal Park · 14 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park Local Conservation Area | County | 353 | Open |
| Aliso Canyon Community Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 89 | Open |
| Woodfield Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Hillview Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 24 | Open |
| Creekside Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 22 | Restricted |
| Ridgecrest Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 19 | Open |
| Wingspan Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 16 | Open |
| Aliso Viejo Community Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 14 | Restricted |
| Argonaut Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 12 | Open |
| Canyon View Park Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 8 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Aliso Viejo
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Aliso Viejo
Soka Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Aliso Viejo
Aliso Viejo Aquatic Center Playground
DirectionsGrand Park Tot LotIn Grand Park
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Aliso Viejo
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Aliso Viejo
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Aliso Viejo
13 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.8 miHorses · 3.2 miUnpaved · 6.0 mi
Aliso Creek Hiking and Riding Trail1.9 mi
Aliso Creek Hiking & Riding Trail0.7 mi
Pecten Loop Trail0.6 mi
Nellie Gail Trail0.2 mi
Wood Canyon Trail0.2 mi
5 Oaks Trail0.1 mi
West Ridge Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
19 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
16 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
26Tennis
22Basketball
16Baseball
6Volleyball
5Beach volleyball
4Tracks
2Soccer
2Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Aliso Viejo: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.2 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 68 | 67 | 68 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 77 | 72 | 67 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 2.2 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 3.2 inches fall in February, the wettest month. The climate in Aliso Viejo →
Next door
Aliso Viejo and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliso Viejo | 15% | 1.8 | 14 | 99%+ | A |
| Laguna Woods | 13% | 1.2 | 8 | 95% | A− |
| Laguna Niguel | 11% | 1.8 | 18 | 98% | A |
| Laguna Hills | 3% | 2.0 | 6 | 99%+ | A− |
| Laguna Beach | 31% | 2.5 | 78 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Aliso Viejo
Where can I hike in Aliso Viejo?
The longest trail networks: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, 4 miles; Woodfield Park, 1.3 miles; Hillview Park, 0.9 miles; Wingspan Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Aliso Viejo is conserved land?
15% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Aliso Viejo’s trails?
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park and Woodfield Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Aliso Viejo?
19 miles of bike routes are on the map: 16 of painted or protected lanes and 3.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Aliso Viejo?
39,094 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Aliso Viejo or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 695 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Aliso Viejo have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #127 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Aliso Viejo neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →