Post by: Helena Garcia, Peer Mentor 2022
If you love hiking, biking, and outdoor adventure, Irvine is definitely a great place for you. It has infinite miles of trails through preserved open space and perfect weather for all-year outdoor enjoyment. The campus itself is nice for enjoying outdoor activities. Its main highlight is Aldrich Park, a hilly, grassy expanse featuring a botanical garden. About 1 mile of paths inside Inner Ring Rd. Then, make your way through Founders Court to the Athletic Fields and track at the northern part of the campus. If you prefer exercising indoors, UCI has an amazing gym called the ARC, which you can enjoy any time you need a break from work!
Excercise opportunities in UCI: The ARC
The Anteater Recreational Center is UCI’s main gym. You can check their website here https://www.campusrec.uci.edu/.
Facilities
ARC facilities include:
- The main gym has three basketball courts which can be used to play volleyball or badminton too. A fitness lab, consisting of state-of-the-art cardiovascular equipment, weight machines, and free weights, as well as flat-screen televisions which you can watch while exercising. It also has an indoor jogging track with a clock timer and rubber flooring. It is nice but I strongly recommend going outside if you want to do a longer run enjoying Irvine’s great weather. If you like climbing, the gym has a 36’ high rock wall for beginning to advanced climbers. Three glass-enclosed racquetball courts. Five activity rooms for various fitness classes, clinics, and programs (yoga, dance, pilates, martial arts, cooking classes, …). Check this website if you like to read more about it https://www.campusrec.uci.edu/classes/index.asp.
- The outdoor heated pool located in the aquatics plaza is great for swimming year-round.
- The ARC fields are a 25-acre (100,000 m2) outdoor complex, for sports such as softball, soccer, football, rugby, lacrosse, basketball, roller hockey, and tennis.
The ARC is a great place to relieve stress from work, socialize or do a nice workout. It does get crowded during the quarter, mainly in the evening, so if you want to exercise with less people I recommend going early in the morning.
The ARC also offers some additional services which normally imply paying an extra fee. This is probably the best price you can get for exercising any place around UCI.
ARC services include:
- Classes and clinics that follow a non-credit, class format for learning or developing sports.
- Club sports directed to clubs centered on interest in one sport or fitness activity and involve competition among other collegiate club teams (triathlon, soccer, cycling, rowing, etc)
- Intramural sports leagues designed for student, faculty, and staff competition (more information about this option later in the post).
- F45: a fitness 45 min class designed to support participants’ physical exercise and health goals.
- Certified personal training
- Massage
- Outdoor adventures, including kayaking and paddle boarding, that provide an opportunity to overcome a psychological or physical challenge or barrier
Intramural sports
If sports are your thing, you should definitely try intramural sports (https://www.campusrec.uci.edu/im/index.asp) It’s an awesome chance to socialize, make friends and have fun while moving your body. The ARC offers many intramural sports every quarter (fall, winter, spring, and summer) for all students, staff, and faculty, with an ARC membership, which are divided into leagues and tournaments.
Intramural sports are structured sport leagues and tournaments, which are designed for the everyday athlete. All activities are divided into different divisions of skill and competitiveness. Some of the options offered are:
-Fall quarter sports: arena soccer, flag football, volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, coed basketball, tennis singles, 7-on-7 soccer, ultimate Frisbee, and racquetball singles.
-Winter quarter sports: soccer, volleyball, basketball, or softball.
-Spring quarter sports: outdoor soccer, indoor volleyball, softball, basketball, racquetball singles.
-Summer quarter sports: softball, volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, 7-on-7 soccer, …
You have to pay around a $20 inscription fee to join a team in intramural sports. League games start in week 3 of the quarter and continue to week 7 or 8.
Playoffs begin in week 8 or 9 until week 10 or whenever necessary to finish the season. I really recommend you to play the stress away!
Running and biking trails:
If you like running, there are many paths you can explore in the immediate area around campus.
–Mason Park: it is located to the north of University Town Center (UTC), and is 1 mile from Aldrich Park. It has a small beautiful lake with a nice 1-mile trail, and 2.1 miles paved University Trail going east-west through the park. You can see ducks and swimming in the lake, as well as some boats that people like to play with during the weekends.
–Newport Back Bay Loop: this is one of my favorite and most visited trails for running or biking 1 mile away from campus. This 10.5-mile trail provides an exciting opportunity to discover a magnificent regional trail experience at the Bay. It winds around Upper Newport Bay, with scenic stops at places like Upper Castaways Park, the County of Orange’s Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, the new Back Bay Science Center at Shellmaker Island, and Big Canyon. The Back Bay Loop Trail also links with the 22-mile Mountains to Sea trail – this National Recreational Trail runs from Upper Newport Bay through Irvine past Peters Canyon Reservoir and into the rugged mountains of Weir Canyon north of Irvine Regional Park.
–San Diego Creek Trail: Nice and sometimes busy trail which begins in Newport Beach, joining the Upper Bay Trail near where San Diego Creek empties into Upper Newport Bay at the Jamboree Road bridge, then follows the creek upstream, crossing much of Irvine before it ends near the junction of Interstate 405 and State Route 133. It is nice to walk, run or bike. Sometimes gets a bit crowded but I really like to see many people enjoying outdoor activities.
–San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. This hidden spot in the heart of busy Orange County encompasses more than 300 acres of coastal freshwater wetlands, half of which have been restored to a natural state. It has around 12 miles of walking trails, the San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary has become one of Southern California’s most notable nature respites. You can run a 3-mile loop following Riparian View, Michelson Dr., Carlson Ave., & Campus Dr.
If you don’t mind driving for a little while, you can also go to some beach cities, such as Corona del Mar or Huntington beach, and run along the beach!
Some other ideas of Outdoor activities not related to UCI include:
-Harvard Skate Park
14701 Harvard Ave.
Irvine, CA 92606
Phone: (949) 724-6830
If you like skating you should visit this concrete skateboard park with many street obstacles.
-Irvine Park Railroad
1 Irvine Park Road
Irvine, CA 92869
Phone: (714) 997-3968 A
You can visit Irvine Regional Park in a train and also enjoy the park’s many other activities including the Zoo, paddleboat rentals, pony rides, and hiking.
-OC Hiking Club
2222 Michelson Drive Suite 2470
Irvine, CA 92612
Phone: (866) 596-4453
This is the largest hiking club in Orange County. It welcomes beginners to advanced hikers. You can meet people who enjoy connecting with nature; hike coastal hills, forests, lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, deserts, and mountain tops.
Locations for beach sports and activities:
Being so close to the beach makes UCI an awesome place to go surfing, swimming, snorkeling or just enjoying a beach day with friends. Some ideas of locations you can visit around UCI are:
-Newport Beach: a coastal city in southern California, is known for its large, boat-filled harbor. Balboa Peninsula has 2 piers, Newport Beach Pier and Balboa Pier, plus the Balboa Fun Zone, an old-school amusement park with a Ferris wheel and ocean views. Local beaches include the Wedge, known for its big waves, and Corona del Mar State Beach. It is a great destination for surfing. The Wedge, 15th Street, and 54th/56th Street, for example, are just a few places that have enticed surfers from all over the country to come to experience the swells for themselves.
-Corona del Mar: is a seaside neighborhood in the city of Newport Beach, California. It has free neighborhood street parking and it also has beach parking which is a bit more expensive. It is a great spot for swimming or playing volleyball at the beach. Fire pits for beach bonfires are also available although you’ll need to come early before nightfall to save a fire pit.
-Crystal Cove State Park: it is really close to UCI, it has great beautiful views, and it is a good place for snorkeling. The only inconvenience is the expensive parking fee (~$15). If you come with enough friends, may be worth it to share this expense.
There are many other spots you should check such as Huntington Beach, Dana Point, Doheny Beach, San Clemente, Santa Monica, Shaw’s Cove, etc.
Kayaking & Boating:
If you enjoy Kayac or stand up paddle the ARC provides paid sailing lessons and discounts on kayaks from the Marina Park in Newport Beach. You can check this website https://www.campusrec.uci.edu/outdoor/index.asp.
Moreover, along Back Bay, there are several rental places you can borrow kayaks, boards, or boats for a couple of hours.
Winter Sports: Snowboarding/Skiing
Although the weather is nice year around, if you drive for some hours you can find spots for enjoying the snow close to UCI. The best locations for enjoying winter sport around UCI are
–Big Bear Mountain: Mellow terrain at Bear Mountain is around 3 hours away from UCI.
–Snow Summit: Located in the heart of San Bernardino National Forest, Snow Summit is a short, scenic drive from the cities in Southern California. There’s a dedicated beginner’s area and the terrain is best suited for intermediates. Around 4 hour drive from UCI
–Mammoth Mountain: Huge size, long seasons, and all the amenities you’d expect from a high-end resort. It is a 6 hour drive from UCI.
Camping:
If you like camping Irvine area has some great national parks nearby. Joshua Tree is the closest (3-4 hour drive) and really cool. It also offers outdoor climbing as well as hiking and biking trails. There are many other national parks nearby: Death Valley, Angeles National Forest, and Sequoia National Park. If you have more tha 3 days you can plan a road trip to Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon which are awesome locations to explore.
I hope this post helped you learn about some of the outdoor activities that Irvine offers. I probably missed some information, there are too many opportunities that I encourage you to explore! Have fun outside and enjoy the treasure that we have just a few steps outside our campus:)