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Turtle Rock Nature Center and Park

by Michele Whiteaker

Turtle Rock Community Park and Nature Center

Visiting Turtle Rock Nature Center and playground in Irvine turned into a very enjoyable afternoon for my kids and I. 

I recorded the visit in my Simple Nature Adventures post, but neglected to write up a full post about Turtle Rock Community Park or the nature center. So now you get to learn about both!

turtle rock nature center irvine stream

How to Get to Turtle Rock Nature Center and Community Park in Irvine: Take Culver Drive to Bonita Canyon Drive and turn on Sunnyhill. There is a large parking lot near the tennis courts.  MAP to Turtle Rock Nature Center and Community Park in Irvine

Turtle Rock Nature Center sign

Highlights:

Turtle Rock Nature Center is very modest, but packed with small exhibits and items for exploration. It occupied my 7 year old and 4 year old for a good 20-30 minutes.

The center is a gateway to a paved nature walk. On our visit in September it was spider season. Webs everywhere! It made for a murky and somewhat nervous walk thinking we were going to smack into a web. However, it is not this way all the time – and on subsequent visits we never encountered critters like the first time.

I loved the creek and picnic area past the playground. So beautiful and peaceful.

The larger play structure at this Irvine community park had some great slides and lots of opportunities for climbing.

The smaller structure had a few steering wheels and a smaller slide.

There were 4 baby swings next to the smaller structure — two different types.

The 4 big kid bench swings were by the bigger kid equipment.

The Nature Center even offers nature birthday party programs.

Turtle Rock Nature Center playground

Be Aware:

  • Check the Nature Center hours before you go. The City of Irvine website says M-F from 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm, and closed Sundays.
  • Kids might get good and dirty. Bring a change of clothes. My little girl ended up soaking wet (I knew she would) when I let her navigate the rocks across the creek.
  • I’m guessing a visit could possibly coincide with a community or sporting event.  For us, it was very quiet.
Bridge over pond

Checklist:

  • Small nature center
  • Large, dedicated parking lot
  • Sand and recycled rubber play surface
  • Drinking fountains
  • Bathrooms outside the Nature Center entrance and by the playground
  • Picnic area and grills across the bridge from the playground
  • Lots of trees for shade
  • Big grassy area for running
  • Official City of Irvine Turtle Rock Community Park website (park reservations)
  • Official City of Irvine Turtle Rock Nature Center website
Turtle Rock Nature Center Playground view

Originally posted in October 2009.

About Michele Whiteaker

Writer mom and nature guide promoting play and empowering families to prioritize nature time since 2008. UNOFFICIAL information provided as a FREE community resource to over 300,000 OC families each year. Subscribe to my FREE email inspiring you with creative play ideas.

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michele profile photoWriter mom and nature guide promoting play and empowering families to prioritize nature time since 2008. UNOFFICIAL information provided as a FREE community resource to over 300,000 OC families each year. Click to subscribe to my FREE email inspiring you with creative play ideas.

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