East County : 1,032 Acres Form County’s Newest Park

A 1,032-acre swath of rolling hills and canyons off Santiago Canyon Road east of El Toro has officially become the county’s newest regional park.

The property was part of the Whiting Ranch and was dedicated to the county in June, 1988, by the Foothill Rancho Co. as a condition of development. The Board of Supervisors this week formally accepted the property and designated it as parkland. The new park affords sweeping views of southern Orange County and contains large stands of oak trees, some dating back several hundred years.

When combined with the proposed Limestone Canyon Regional Park to the west, the Whiting Ranch area will become the second largest regional park and wilderness area in Orange County. Limestone Canyon, owned by the Irvine Co., contains about 5,360 acres. County officials are negotiating with the Irvine Co. for dedication of the Limestone property.

Only Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park off Ortega Highway east of San Juan Capistrano would be larger than the Whiting Ranch-Limestone park.

Rangers from O’Neill Regional Park in Trabuco Canyon will initially maintain and supervise the Whiting Ranch park, which will have a system of trails, but will not be developed to accommodate overnight camping.