Oso Viejo Community Park — Attraction in Mission Viejo

Oso Viejo Community Park is a good spot to spend time with your kids, or grandkids. The coolest part of the playground is the massive slides. Two of the six slides are three levels high, and provide for an exciting ride. There is also a smaller section for younger kids. I enjoyed sitting in the shaded chairs and watching the kids play. The spot provided for a great view of the playground, so not to worry too much about loosing sight of them. There are nice paths which provide for a nice walk, and can be done with a stroller. There are mosaic art instillations, benches for rest or snacks, and a book to read. The pages of the book are spread along the path, which gave the kids excitement to keep moving to the next section. The kids also took some time to run around the field. Overall, a good time. For those that live nearby looking for fitness, there are also workout stations and a horseshoe pit, but as we passed it looked like people were playing bocce ball. I also found out that there is a small hedge maze we missed, so we will have to go back and check it out...

This review is for the park and the trail behind it. It is a great place to get in a walk. Great for kids to ride their bikes on the paved path. There is an abundance of plants, trees, and shrubs to admire. There is also a single track dirt path that runs along side the paved path, which is great for walking the dog and keeping their paws off the hot asphalt. If you really want the off-road treatment, just go to the other side of the creek and it is pretty much all dirt trail that eventually meets back by the bridge. The park itself is a huge grass area with plenty of workout stations located around the park. There is a relaxing area with Adirondack chairs, and a huge kids playground. They have bathrooms that are usually clean. There are plenty of other amenities that I have not yet taken...

Oso Creek Trail is named for Oso Creek for the bear (oso in Spanish) who used to live there. It's a refreshing and longish walk that could take and hour or more depending on your walking style. The easiest way to find it is to park on the north side of Big Lots on the south east corner of La Paz and Marguerite and walk down the gentle trail entrance. The newer part of the walk will be on your right but I recommend turning left and going under the road overpass to the older section. Mallard families are often present and egrets among other birds are often there. Unless you are a local, you would have no idea this beautiful...