I woke up with sore legs today definitely not a good way to start the week. My painful muscles were a result from a 2-hour hike up the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Foothill Ranch. It was a canyon with surprisingly steep hills that clearly, challenged every bit of my leg muscles. The park is somewhat hidden. You can initially find it via google search and the main entrance (where most people start) is located next to a shopping center (in a small corner with a limited amount of parking spaces). I highly suggest getting there early if you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy the scenery all to yourself.
My first time I visited the park, I took the Red Rocks route. It is quite a popular spot but, I can see why. When I found the place, the rock had formations that were perfectly layered from top to bottom and are in color red (hence the name). Its colors stood out like a sore thumb against all of the surroundings in the area. My friend and I took the liberty of climbing up until we couldn’t.
Here’s a view from our climb. I found it slippery climbing down but, I loved the view from up here.
The other way to enter the park is at another shopping center down the road. There’s a walking path that goes underneath an overpass that takes you strait to a different side of the mountain. On a side note, whichever way you enter, both sides will eventually connect with each other. I thought this route seemed quieter and that it lived up to the “wilderness” description.
My friend and I found ourselves alone for a while. Randomly, we’d run onto bikers where, I eventually realized that the park was great for bike havens. The rolling and steep hills were perfect for that type of activity. In addition, it was great for hikers like me as it properly worked some muscles that I thought never existed. It took about 2 hours and approximately 6 miles for us to go up and down the hills. We could’ve kept going but, we thought 6 miles was enough.
As I slowly limp my way through the day today, my muscles would agree with me that I’ve done more than enough exercise for the week 😉
Have you been to Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park? What did you think?
A Stint Abroad 
One response to “No Pain, No Gain.”
Oddly enough, reading your posts I started coming across familiar names and establishments… Then I saw your post on whitting ranch wilderness park.
You must live in Orange county, or ha e at the least traveled through.
Glad to see a local 🐴
My name is Samuel.
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