Brea Dam Park
Park
105 acres2.7 mi of trail
Brea Dam Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Saint Jude Medical Center Employee Parking
Photo: User:Geographer · CC BY 2.5A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Fullerton
Fullerton has 39 miles of mapped trails, 1.7 for every square mile of land
98% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Brea Dam Park (2.7 mi), Fullerton Arboretum (2.3 mi), Hillcrest Park (1.5 mi). 8% of Fullerton’s land is conserved, about 1,159 acres.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #254 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
1,159 acres · of 22.4 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,065 ac
7.6 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
47 mi
26 mi lanes · 10 mi paths
Highest peak
538 ft
West Coyote Hills
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Fullerton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Fullerton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Fullerton is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #254 of 847 in California. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Fullerton’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land7.6 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,065 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 70%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Fullerton ranks #152 on Outdoors.
Park acres per resident are where Fullerton trails most U.S. towns: 7.6 per 1,000 against 12.6 typical, since 138,675 people share 1,065 acres.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Brea Dam Park, with 2.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Fullerton Arboretum
Managed by California State University Fullerton
24 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Fullerton Arboretum Parking
Hillcrest Park
Managed by City of Fullerton
43 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Laguna Lake Park
Park
28 acres1.5 mi of trail
Bud Turner Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Robert E. Ward Nature Preserve
Managed by City of Fullerton
76 acres1.3 mi of trail
Basque TrailGnatcatcher TrailNora Kuttner TrailCactus Wren Trail+1
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yet
Hiltscher Park
Park
16 acres1.3 mi of trail
Hiltscher Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Craig Regional Park
Managed by Orange County Parks
150 acres0.9 mi of trail
Craig Regional Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ralph B. Clark Regional Park
Managed by Orange County Parks
35 acres0.9 mi of trail
Hiking TrailWest Coyote Hills TrailHIking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 45 parks & preserves
Brea Dam Park105 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsFullerton Arboretum24 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · California State University Fullerton
DirectionsHillcrest Park43 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · City of Fullerton
DirectionsLaguna Lake Park28 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert E. Ward Nature Preserve76 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · City of Fullerton
Hiltscher Park16 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Craig Regional Park150 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Orange County Parks
DirectionsRalph B. Clark Regional Park35 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Orange County Parks
DirectionsVirgil 'Gus' Grissom Park12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Coyote Hills Tree Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
West Coyote Hills Park6 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Gilman Park15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Independence Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsVista Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Fullerton
DirectionsEdward H. White II Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Ford Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsUnion Pacific Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMuckenthaler Cultural Center9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsChapman Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Mountain View Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPacific Drive Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPooch park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBastanchury Park11 acres
DirectionsEmery Park10 acres
Acacia Park9 acres
Fullerton Creek Greenbelt7 acres
Richman Park7 acres
Gilbert Park7 acres
Rolling Hills Park6 acres
Woodcrest Park6 acres · City of Fullerton
DirectionsValencia Park5 acres
Orangethorpe Park5 acres
Amerige Park4 acres
DirectionsFern Drive Park4 acres
Nicolas Park4 acres
Laguna Road School Park4 acres
DirectionsByerrum Park4 acres
Beechwood Park3 acres
Hermosa School Park3 acres
Lemon Park3 acres
DirectionsAdlena Park3 acres
Roger B. Chaffee Park2 acres
DirectionsSan Juan Park1 acres
Downtown Plaza1 acres
DirectionsOlive Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,159 conserved acres
8% of Fullerton’s land. Who manages Fullerton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city896 ac
County194 ac
Other state land47 ac
Private owners21 ac
Local Park · 537 acLocal Conservation Area · 303 acLocal Recreation Area · 250 acState Other or Unknown · 47 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 21 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panorama Nature Reserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 217 | Open |
| Ted Craig Regional Park Local Park | County | 133 | Open |
| Fullerton Municipal Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 119 | Restricted |
| Brea Dam Park Local Park | Town or city | 93 | Open |
| Robert E. Ward Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 86 | Open |
| Ralph B. Clark Regional Park Local Park | County | 61 | Open |
| Fullerton Arboretum State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 47 | Open |
| City of Fullerton Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Hillcrest Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Laguna Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
45 places to go in Fullerton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Fullerton
Aquatic Center
DirectionsSunny Ridge community pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Fullerton
31 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Scenic views in Fullerton
5 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Fullerton
West Coyote Hills538 ft elevation
DirectionsWest Coyote Hills531 ft elevation
DirectionsEast Coyote Hills505 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Fullerton
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Fullerton
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
23 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 12.9 miHorses · 12.6 miUnpaved · 16.4 mi
Juanita Cooke Trail2.3 mi
Bud Turner Trail2.1 mi
Brea Dam Trail1.5 mi
Panorama Trail1.5 mi
East Coyote Hills Trail1.5 mi
Castlewood Trail1.5 mi
West Coyote Hills Trail1.4 mi
Parks Road Trail1.2 mi
Rosecrans Trail1.1 mi
Hiltscher Park Trail1.0 mi
13 more trails
Sally Pekarek Trail
1.0 miPioneer Trail
0.8 miNora Kuttner Trail
0.7 miMalvern Trail
0.7 miHorse Alley
0.7 miBasque Trail
0.5 miLucy Van Der Hoff Trail
0.5 miGnatcatcher Trail
0.3 miCactus Wren Trail
0.2 miTrail
0.2 miCraig Regional Park Trail
0.2 miHIking Trail
0.2 miHiking Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
47 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
26 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
10 mi
off-road bike paths
11 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
77Tennis
40Baseball
19Basketball
18Golf
7Soccer
5Football
4Pickleball
2Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →23 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 12 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Dr. George C. Clark HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itMuckenthaler HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itElephant Packing HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itChapman BuildingBuilding · listed 1983
About itFullerton Union Pacific DepotBuilding · listed 1983
About itSanta Fe Railway Passenger and Freight DepotBuilding · listed 1992
About itHetebrink HouseBuilding · listed 1993
About itAttlio and Jane Pierotti HouseBuilding · listed 1993
About itFullerton Union High School AuditoriumBuilding · listed 1993
About itFarmers and Merchants Bank of FullertonBuilding · listed 1994
About itMasonic TempleBuilding · listed 1995
About itFullerton First Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 2001
About it11 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Fullerton: April to July
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) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 69 | 69 | 71 | 75 | 76 | 80 | 86 | 88 | 86 | 81 | 75 | 69 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 2.2 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 3.5 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Fullerton →
Next door
Fullerton and its neighbors
Fullerton has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fullerton | 8% | 1.7 | 8 | 98% | A− |
| Brea | 10% | 1.7 | 18 | 95% | A |
| Anaheim | 15% | 1.1 | 11 | 92% | A |
| La Habra | 3% | 0.9 | 2 | 96% | B |
| Buena Park | 2% | 0.6 | 2 | 92% | B− |
| Placentia | 3% | 1.1 | 2 | 99% | B |
| La Mirada | 7% | 0.8 | 4 | 97% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Fullerton
Where can I hike in Fullerton?
The longest trail networks: Brea Dam Park, 2.7 miles; Fullerton Arboretum, 2.3 miles; Hillcrest Park, 1.5 miles; Laguna Lake Park, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Fullerton is conserved land?
8% 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 Fullerton’s trails?
Brea Dam Park and Fullerton Arboretum don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Fullerton?
47 miles of bike routes are on the map: 26 of painted or protected lanes, 10 of off-road paths and 11 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Fullerton?
33,723 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fullerton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,090 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Fullerton have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #254 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 Fullerton 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 →