Quail Hill Trailhead — Attraction in Irvine

This is a nice well kept trail you can enjoy with your dog. If you are doing the short loop, it’s 1.8 miles and you can start on the left by working up high and then going downhill or you can go right and work from downhill going up. Personally I always take the left. I have encountered snakes on the trail on a few occasions and have even seen a rattlesnake once before, but they are well hidden and its is a rare to come across one. Best time to visit for flowers is from March to May and you will come across black mustard (the tall yellow flowering plants), cardoon, cheeseweed, mouse barley and musky storks bill to name a few. There is a seasonal pond on the low end of the trail but that will only have water after the rains and dries up fairly quickly. There is a telephone guide where you can call a number and enter a marker number for audio commentary on marked locations. Cell signal is strong so you should have no issues if you wish to use this service. There is a small picnic area at the start of the trail and well maintained restrooms. No shade on the trail so use sunscreen and take a hat during the hot...

Saw a 160 lb mountain lion! It’s a great place to run. Lots of toads, rattlesnakes, a python or two, gophers, tarantulas, hawks and lots of coyotes. First time seeing a wild boar which was surprising. A bunch of walkers weren’t paying attention and got bit by two snakes together. Snake bites can lead to a severe infection and limb amputation. So pay attention. Not a great place to walk if you are a group of 3 people wide as the mountain bikers often hit clueless walkers. So you must have situational awareness and go single file. It’s basically a field close to the freeway so do not be expecting Yosemite. Also if you are exercising 11 to 5pm in summer there is no shade and it’s actually easy to overheat because the humidity is very high in Irvine. The coyotes are active all day long now and will follow so you have to yell at them at times. It’s a very pleasant place overall if you like wildlife and exercise, and the pleasant...

Try to get to this trail once a week for a Sunday long run. Share the trail with hikers, mountain bikers, and other runners. The first half mile of the trail is pretty easy then it quickly goes into a very steep uphill section that gets the heart pumping very quickly. Whether you're hiking, cycling, walking or running. The trail winds through parts of shady canyon and then goes up and around and connects with several other trails that go for miles. It is not unusual to see dear and also the occasional rattlesnake, (Not my favorite) the occasional tarantula, and lots of birds. They keep the trail pretty maintained throughout the year, although during early spring we will tend to see a lot of overgrowth making some parts of the trail a little more difficult. Once you get a couple of miles on the trail. You've got some nice views of the valley in...