FREE trail guide + new mammoth park
Castaways Park plus a tiny hike to see big birds nesting near the ocean
Thank you for being here! I’m always so humbled to have you subscribe and welcome me to your inbox. I think some of you came for the FREE Castaways Park trail guide? Everybody gets to see that sample trail guide tonight! And I still have the regularly scheduled trail guide for paid subscribers (so you get a BONUS tonight!).
I’ll get right to it with a new playground write-up on the blog this week! I visited the new Acacia Park’s new playground in Fullerton. The Grand Opening was December 2nd. I posted about it from Fullerton Parks and Recreation and Pacific Play Systems told me about it, too. It took Grace from PlanADayOut to post on Instagram to remind me it needed to be on the blog.
I also updated two of my most requested park lists. Click over to read about:
This part of the newsletter is usually hidden behind the paywall, but tonight all subscribers get a free sample. This is the perfect example of a Tiny Hike. It may be someplace you know about, but never really thought about as a “hike.” It can be someplace you could figure out on your own, but instead you are getting a step-by-step guide which takes out all the guesswork.
It’s a place to make a nature connection with our kids. As I mentioned last week, in winter I’m covering more paved trails so the weather isn’t as much a factor on whether you can hike that week or not. You do not need to be a “hiker” for tiny hikes. In fact, it’s more for non-hikers who are just starting out their hiking journey — at any age!
BONUS Mini Trail Guide
Location: Castaways Park in Newport Beach
Special note from Michele: I originally posted this trail on my blog in March 2012. It’s gained popularity over the years with social media posts about the Field of Honor flag display the last week of May. At this time of year there are no flags. When you look at the views, you’ll see rowers coming from the Back Bay out into Newport Harbor and boat traffic passing by the bridge below. You can see all the way from Fashion Island out to Newport Harbor and Balboa Island. It is officially bike and scooter-friendly. We only saw one person on a bike, though, and lots of walkers.
Trailhead Parking (FREE): This trail has a dedicated parking lot at the corner of Dover Drive and 16th Street. From 16th Street, you will turn right into the parking lot clearly marked with the Castaways Park sign. The Castaways parking lot is separated from the church parking lot by the black fencing.
Someone in the comments of our Instagram post asked: “Is parking accessible?” There are two disabled spots at the front of the lot with ramps to the sidewalk which lead to the paved paths inside the park.
You can get around the gate blocking the road by taking the sidewalk. The ramp connector is a little rough, but it’s there.
How Long Is This Hike? This can be as long or short as you want. You can make it short by doing a small loop out to the viewpoint of the harbor and the flagpole and return to your car (15 - 20 minutes). Or you can do the longer loop that extends along the path on the bluff overlooking the Back Bay, crosses through a neighborhood and then goes along Dover Drive back to the parking lot (30 minutes - 1 hour).
Best Time of Day: We like going first thing in the morning because then we can pair with some coffee and breakfast. It’s also beautiful at sunset. It is busy with dog walkers at both those times. You can honestly go any time. It might not be pleasant on particularly windy days since there is no barrier from the wind or shade from the sun. It is near the coast so it can be foggy which cuts down on the normally incredible views. This view is from around 7:30am last Sunday.
Trail Surface: Paved asphalt and sidewalk the entire path. At the start of the trails, there are also criss-cross paths on bark surfaces through native plantings.
Restrooms/Drinking Fountains: There are no restrooms here at this park. However, Bob Henry Park is right across the street from the parking lot and there is a public restroom at that park. This is the only restroom on the hike.
Stroller-Friendly/Modifications: Luckily, this entire route is stroller-friendly.
Nature Connections: The native plants are the first thing you’ll notice. They have signage with photos in certain sections to help you identify them. Most of the animals you’ll see will be far away since the water is far below this park. There are small songbirds and I did have a squirrel pose for me! As always, you can observe & wonder about the sky and the weather. It will be different almost every time you visit!
Type of Hike: A loop! I love it when the hikes are loops because the whole route is new (vs. out-and-back where you see the same things on the way back that you passed on the way out)!
Your Destination: Since it’s a loop, your destination is going to be the parking lot where you started. For your kids, your destination can be Bob Henry Park (so they get to play at the end). Along the way, you will definitely want to make sure you look out at Newport Harbor from the viewpoint and do the walk along the bluff. You also might want to add in breakfast or coffee at Juliette Cafe & Coffee Culture close to when you get back to your car (more on that later)!
Trail Landmarks: There are not many ways you can go wrong with this one.
You will start out at the parking lot where you will see the gated entrance that leads to the trails.
Follow the paved path into the park where a sign board will greet you. Turn right just past the sign board while staying on the paved path.
It will dead end and you’ll go left from there (since going right leads down a steep hill and exits the park on Dover). This is what the path looks like once you wind around towards your left.
Now this path will lead right to the main viewpoint looking out over the harbor.
Follow around past the flagpole and 1/1 Memorial to walk the perimeter of the park along the bluff with the most incredible views of the entire hike.
There is a viewpoint at the end where you can take a moment to enjoy the final views of the water before you turn into the neighborhood.
Make sure you look back towards the harbor along the way!
This neighborhood section leads you on the path in between the homes. They were doing landscaping work off the trail when we made the trek last weekend.
You can skip Steps 8 & 9 if you don’t want to grab breakfast & coffee. Instead, you can just continue back towards the parking lot and not do any street crossings!
Then you come out of the trail onto the busy street (Dover) where it meets up with Westcliff Drive. We took this opportunity to take a break for coffee and breakfast at Juliette Cafe Coffee & Culture. Cross at the crosswalks! This is the view from the crosswalk at Dover and Westcliff. Juliette is in the US Bank building on the left side of the photo (but see how there is no crosswalk directly from this corner to the bank?). Instead, you just cross Dover onto Westcliff and then WAIT TO CROSS Westcliff until you get up to the small pedestrian crossing. Not far!
Juliette is a really nice break with lovely outdoor seating and good food. I loved the service and also the mismatched plates that added a little extra something to the experience. You can sit inside or out. Or take it to go back to the park! I linked to the menu at the end of the guide.
We continued our walk on the same side of Dover as the bank building. Walking from Westcliff down about a block to 16th where we crossed back over Dover to Bob Henry Park. (If you decide not to grab food, you’ll just stay on the Castaways Park side of Dover.)
Have a play at Bob Henry Park before heading back to your car.
Be Aware: Weather can impact how much you love this hike. It can be foggy, windy, or hot depending on the day. Just come prepared for all the elements. Follow all posted signs. We experienced a lot of dogs on leash on this particular hike, so if you have a little one who is not fond of dogs it may not be the hike for you. Dover is a pretty busy street so be extra cautious on the street crossings. You can avoid street crossings if you skip the breakfast/coffee option. If you are on a bike or scooter, go slow. There are markings on the path. These little speed bumps!
Extend the Hike: You can extend this one by walking to the Environmental Nature Center and doing the trails inside there (just check that the hours match). Or you can walk to Mariners Park or the Crean Mariners Branch of the Newport Beach Library system from here. Again, check the hours!
Cost: FREE (unless you decide to grab a bite)
Nearby Restaurants:
Juliette Cafe & Coffee Culture is my pick for breakfast and coffee
You may already be a fan of Kit Coffee or nearby Kéan Coffee on Westcliff Drive
Tons of breakfast places on 17th Street and also in the Westcliff Plaza (Ralphs shopping center) at the corner of Westcliff and Irvine Avenue, like: OEB Breakfast Co. and Pandor Artisan Bakery & Café
Nearby Public Library:
General blog posts with links to official info:
Read before hiking with these OC Tiny Hikes mini trail guides: The recipient may use this information with the understanding that OC Tiny Hikes makes no warranties, although every attempt will be made to ensure the information is accurate. This newsletter is not intended to replace official sources and information should not be considered error-free or not be used as the exclusive basis for decision-making. The use of the information provided by this newsletter is strictly voluntary and at the user’s sole risk. OC Tiny Hikes assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever associated with the use or misuse of this data.
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Thanks again to Heather at OCParentGuide for sharing this newsletter. I love collaborating with other parents. And thanks for reading this free BONUS OC Tiny Hikes mini trail guide. In a regular Thursday newsletter, the trail guide is hidden behind a paywall like the one below. Paid subscribers are still getting their regularly scheduled trail guide for this week! Hope you consider subscribing to get weekly ideas for tiny hikes to take!