Peters Canyon Reservoir — Attraction in Orange

I stopped-by at dusk and got derided by a Park Ranger.

I've never been here before. Came to try to sneak a geocache in at dusk. Parked in parking area. Hiked to 'cache.

I returned to car within 30min to find a $45 ticket just placed on my car. It was for not having a parking pass. What parking pass?!

I went to the Ranger who gave me the ticket. He said sorry I didn't know, but there are signs everywhere. He smirked as we talked like I was the funniest thing he's dealt with all day. He said he couldn't sign it off because it wouldn't be fair to everybody who paid to park. I have no problem paying $5, I didn't see a sign!

As I walked away, i turned back to see him shrugging, gesturing toward me and laughing as he went back to his convo with the other Ranger.

I took pics. There is no sign. What a pain. Now I have to figure out how to contest this a put in a complaint about Ranger Martinico's absolute lack of professionalism. And I didn't find the geocache!

I met a rattlesnake, tho'....

I always called this place The Generation Lake due too from my grandfather.....uncles.....aunts......my dad and myself would back then had to sneak into through the cow pastures in the dark to fish. It all started back in the 1950's with my grandpa up to the 1980's with me. I dont recall my family members sized catfish the caught out of there but I caught a 18 pounder out of there and had many more break off my 10 pound test line. As a kid I remember my mother telling me they could here alligators slappping their tails out on the lake late at night and my grandpa telling me the owners would shoot rock salt from shotguns at him to get him to leave. Oh to be able to go back to the...

Nice centerpiece to the Peters Canyon Regional Park Loop Trail. The lake is a good visual point of reference and provides a slight cooling effect for the surrounding area during seasonal heat spells. The Peters Canyon Reservoir has been part of the Irvine Ranch Irrigation System and also serves as a valuable source of water for fighting brush fires, as specialized aircraft may be seen scooping up the water for quick delivery drops! Perhaps for these reasons, the public isn’t permitted close access for fishing, swimming or even walking along the banks. It is however an attraction to see from the main park entrance and the loop trail, as well as outlying...