Trip Date: 12/26/2016

Location: Upper Newport Bay Nature Reserve

Permit/Pass: None

Trail maps: OCparks map

Directions: Exit toll road Hwy. 73 in Newport Beach on Bristol St. (North or South) to connect to Campus Dr. Take Campus Dr. south a few hundred feet to where it eventually turns into Irvine Ave. Continue following Irvine Ave. south for just under a mile to a left turn onto University Dr. Drive to a right turn into the Upper Newport Bay Nature Reserve parking entrance. Trails leave from multiple points around the dirt lot.

Synopsis: A good place for a short stroll. The Reserve has multiple trails crisscrossing the area, and it would be fairly difficult to get very far off course considering you remain in sight of the road most of the time. Also nice to have views of the back bay the whole way.

Trail sequence: various spurs and nature trails around the Muth Interpretive Center

Type: Loop

Distance: 1.2 miles

Elevation: Min. - 0', Max. - 53'

Rating: Easy (factors: route-finding)

Notes: It might be worth taking these trails on a day when the Interpretive Center is open. We cannot say for sure since we managed to time that poorly.

Track: Muth Interpretive Center - Upper Newport Bay NR: GaiaGPS, Alltrails

Turn by Turn:

  -- To follow this guide, pick up the trail spur that heads south from the parking area toward the Interpretive Center building. From here we walked to the viewing area on top of the building itself, then circled around and down to the entryway. Upon finding the place closed, we headed east toward the road, then south a bit to pick up the trail along a channel that runs border the area. From here there are multiple paths and choices you can take in constructing either a loop walk or an out and back.