Transgender Awareness Week - November 13-19 🏳️⚧️
Recreation, Sports & Other Outdoor Activities 🧗
Hiking 🥾
Water Activities 🛶 🏄
Biking 🚴♂️
Orange County has over 200 trails for hiking along the beach, hills and canyons. There are beginner to advanced trails, most are marked easy to difficult. Many trails will take you to the top of the local hills and have great views of the sunset, local snowcapped mountains, Catalina Island, and all the way to the Los Angeles skyline.
Join our hiking group LGBTQ+ Hiking of OC on a hike, we go up to 3xs per week.
LGBTQ+ Hiking of OC
Find OC Hikes on the AllTrails app.
Best Trails with City, Ocean and Canyon Views:
Turtle Rock Trail, Irvine
Anaheim Hills Trail, Anaheim Hills
Laguna Coast Boat Canyon Trail, Laguna Beach
Crystal Cove Trail, Newport Beach
Santiago Oaks Robbers Roost Peak, Orange Hills
Peters Canyon, Tustin
Top of the World, Laguna Beach
Waterfall Hike:
Blackstar Canyon, Silverado Canyon (difficult)
Nature Preserve Trail:
Upper Newport Bay, Newport Beach
Bolsa Chica Wetlands Trail, Huntington Beach
Biking 🚴♂️
Water Activities 🛶 🏄
Biking 🚴♂️
OC Bike Clubs
Check out the many groups that bike regularly in OC. (There are no LGBTQ exclusive bike clubs)
Orange County Bicycle Coalition
Check out The Bicycle Tree group for regular Sunday bike rides (LGBTQ friendly).
The Bicycle Tree
Check out these top spots to ride your bike and tour OC on your own or with friends. You don't have to do the entire ride, start and end anywhere along the trails:
Back Bay Loop from Tustin Metrolink via San Diego Creek Bike Trail
23.4 miles
Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Newport Beach to Sunset Beach along beach path
27.6 miles
Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces along the beach path. Suitable for all skill levels.
Yorba Regional Park to Corona West along the Santa Ama River Bikeway
48 miles
Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Santiago Road Loop
37.7 miles
Expert bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Shady Canyon Loop
31.7 mi Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces.
Suitable for all skill levels.
Aliso Creek Bikeway Loop
24.9 miles
Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Santiago Creek Loop
28.3 miles
Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Shady Canyon Trail Loop from Laguna Beach
24 miles
Expert bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Coyote Creek Bikeway Loop
19.5 miles
Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the Tour is right next to a parking lot.
Santa Ana River Loop
34 miles
Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Water Activities 🛶 🏄
Water Activities 🛶 🏄
California State Parks, Orange Coastal District
Surfing and kayaking are just some of the popular water sports in OC.
Surfing:
While quality surfing can be found year-round, the best time of year to surf is in the summer and fall, when there are larger swells. It is important to note that these five surfing OC beaches are the best for experienced surfers.
Bolsa China State Beach , Huntington Beach
The Wedge, Newport Beach
Lower Trestles, San Clemente
Seal Beach Cloud Break, Seal Beach
Salt Creek Beach, Dana Point
List of the best spots for beginners:
Blackies (north side of the Newport pier)
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Crystal Cove State Park
Doheny Beach State Park
Huntington Beach Pier
Old Man’s at San Onofre
San Clemente Pier
Kayaking:
The best spots to kayak in OC are:
Newport Back Bay:
Newport Aquatic Center
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
Pirate Coast Paddle
Laguna Beach
La Vida Laguna
Huntington Harbor
OC Paddlesports
Dana Point Harbor
Pure Watersports
California State Parks, Orange Coastal District
California State Parks, Orange Coastal District
California State Parks, Orange Coastal District
Get to these parks in Orange County for surfing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, exploring visitor centers, or experiencing historic places, and adventures.
Get Free entry to the State Parks & Save $$:
Head to your local library or call & ask about the availability of "The California State Library
Parks Pass. You must have a library card and the pass is free to get. Check out the pass like a book for up to two weeks and hit the State Parks for free.
These parks provide refuge for sensitive plants and animals, protect important cultural resources, and host an array of recreational activities, special events, and educational opportunities throughout the year.
Bolsa Chica SB
(714) 377-5691
17851 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Huntington Beach California, 92646
Crystal Cove SP
(949) 494-3539
8471 Pacific Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach California, 92651
Doheny SB
(949) 496-6171
25300 Pacific Coast Hwy
Dana Point California, 92629
Huntington SB
(714) 536-1455
21601 Pacific Coast Hwy
Huntington Beach California, 92646
San Clemente SB
(949) 492-3156
225 W. Califia Ave
San Clemente California, 92672
San Onofre SB
(949) 492-4872
5200 S. Pacific Coast Hwy
San Clemente California, 92672
Scuba Diving Orange County
California State Parks, Orange Coastal District
Scuba Diving Orange County
There are many places to scuba dive in Orange County. Always check with local dive shops for proper locations, conditions, and equipment. Be prepared to use wetsuits. There are many dive shops around OC.
Beach Cities Scuba
Scuba
781 Newport Blvd, Ste. A&B
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Looking to scuba dive internationally with an LGBTQ dive company, check out:
Undersea Expeditions
We will work on finding other LGBTQ friendly shops in the OC and post here.
Some of the better dive sites as recommended by Beach Cities Scuba are:
Anaheim Bay Breakwater Near the Naval Base
Bolsa Chica State Marine Reserve
Huntington Beach all of beach
Newport Pier Canyon areas
"The Wedge" Big surf
Corona Del Mar Close to Newport Harbor
Little Corona Corona Del Mar
Horse Ranch Crystal Cove Dive site
Crystal Cove Underwater Park Underwater Park reserve.
Reef Point/Scotchman's Cove Crystal Cove
Corsair Crystal Cove Dive site.
Historic Anchor Crystal Cove Dive site.
Irvine Cove Private and nice.
Emerald Bay Private area, but fun.
Crescent Bay (Seal Rock) See the sea lions
LB/OC Surf & Sun Softball
California State Parks, Orange Coastal District
Scuba Diving Orange County
Website: Providing a safe, inclusive space for the LGBTQ community and beyond, we're proud affiliates of International Pride Softball (IPS, formerly NAGAAA) and ASANA, opening the door to World Series Tournaments and a spectrum of play levels from beginners to advanced. In the spirit of camaraderie, our league transcends geographical boundaries, drawing players from all corners of Southern California. We're not just LGBTQ-friendly; we're everyone-friendly. Whether you're here to master the game, make lifelong friends, or simply revel in the joy of softball.