Villages of Irvine

It’s your leisure time. Make the most of it.

The villages of Irvine are full of parks and outdoor recreation that ranges from mild to wild. And they’re all just minutes away. Within the villages of Irvine, no resident is more than a five-minute walk from a park. And beyond each village lies a network of trails that offer a myriad of ways to enjoy nature.

Parks

Within each village there are neighborhood parks, community parks, playgrounds, tot lots, swimming pools, sports complexes, trails and all sorts of places to help you make the most of your family’s leisure time. From the simplicity of a jungle gym to white-knuckle mountain bike adventures, you’ll find a virtually endless range of activities that fit your lifestyle.

Here is a selection of amenities found within the village:

• Recreation buildings
• Resort pools
• Lighted sand volleyball courts
• Basketball courts
• Tennis courts
• Picnic areas with barbecues
• Soccer fields
• Baseball diamonds
• Tot lots and playgrounds

Open Space

The Irvine Ranch® parks and wildlands comprise more than 50,000 acres of pristine, permanently protected open space. They offer a rich menu of recreational activities, from hiking and biking to bird-watching and picnicking. And the scenery is simply stunning. From the grand views of Limestone Canyon, to the panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from numerous overlooks, this permanently protected open space is an adventure for the senses.

The land also is home to hundreds of species of native plants and animals, and features terrain varying from rugged mountains to rolling meadows to sandy beaches.

The Jeffrey Open Space Trail is a unique resource for the residents of the city of Irvine. This trail provides a key linkage to other recreational trails in the area, and ultimately will create a network that extends from the Villages of Irvine to the Santa Ana Mountains and the Cleveland National Forest, ending with a grand finale at the glimmering Pacific Ocean.

For more information about the open space on The Irvine Ranch, including activities, programs, events and volunteering, click here.

National Natural Landmark

A large portion of the open space available to the Villages of Irvine—approximately 37,000 acres—was designated as The Irvine Ranch® National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior, recognizing the land as a nationally significant natural area. The combination of unusual geological and rare biological characteristics is what gives these parts of the land such scientific value that they meet the high standards for special designation as a National Natural Landmark.

Due to the sensitive nature of some of these areas, the Irvine Ranch Conservancy has developed a model approach to environmental stewardship that balances public access with preservation and education.