O'Neill Regional Park is located in Trabuco Canyon and bordered by the community of Santa Margarita and City of Mission Viejo. The park's terrain varies from canyon bottoms to hills reaching over 1,400 feet in height. The park supports a diverse variety of native plant communities including riparian, oak and sycamore woodland, coastal sage scrub, chaparral and grassland. The park's prime natural resource is Trabuco creek which naturally meanders nine miles through Arroyo Trabuco.
Rancho Trabuco
O'Neill Park is part of the old Rancho Trabuco, granted to Santiago Arguello in 1841 by The Mexican Governor Alvarado. In 1843, the land was sold to Juan Forster and an additional grant increased the size to almost 29,000 acres. The land eventually became the property of James Flood, a wealthy San Francisco businessman, and Richard O'Neill Sr a former butcher and packing house owner. Both had immigrated to California during the gold rush.
O'Neill Ranch
Flood and O'Neill were also co-owners of other lands including Rancho Santa Margarita y las Flores in San Diego county and Rancho Mission Viejo in Orange county. O'Neill worked the property into a successful ranching empire. Upon his death, the land was divided among his children. One of his sons, Jerome became a well known rancher. Upon his death in 1926, he left equal parts of the ranch to his sister and brother. His brother, Richard Jr. eventually received the Orange County portion which included Ranchos Mission Viejo and Trabuco. Richard Jr. died in 1943 and left his interest to his wife and children The family still owns a good portico of these ranch holdings today.
O'Neill Park
In 1948, the O'Neill's donated 278 acres of canyon bottom to the County of Orange to be designated as parkland. Through other aquisitions from the O'Neill family, the Vendanta Society, Rancho Mission Viejo and the Santa Margarita Co., O'Neill Park now enco~nixuscs over 2,000 acres of canyon bottom and shrub covered hills Future land aquisitions will al)ow O' Neill Park to grow to provide more recreation opportunities and protect valuable habitat, essential to the wildlife of Orange County. The park is a unique blend of oak, sycamore woodlands, gassy meadows, riparian, chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitats.
Day Use
7a.m. - Sunset
Day use activities can be enjoyed in the Oak Grove, Featherly and Mesa areas. Activities include family and group picnic areas as well as a playground and trails. Facilities have picnic tables, BBQ's, wafer end restrooms The Oak Grove and Featherly areas offer the shade of oak and sycamore canopy, along Trabuco Creek. The Mesa provides overlooks with views of Live Oak Canyon, Upper Trabuco Canyon and the Cleveland National Forest.
Reserved Group Day Use:
Camping
Camping registration: 7a.m. - 12a.m.
Individual tent and RV camping are available along Trabuco Creek in the campground. Campsites have barbecues, fire rings, picnic tables and water as well as rest rooms with hot showers.
Group Camping:
Group camping is available for youth and adult
groups by advance reservation only.
Individual Campsite:
No reservations, first come first served.
Youth Group Camping:
Group reservations required 15 days in
advance.
Recreation
Visitors can enjoy hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding on park
trails and roads. Wildlife habitat and bird watching can be appreciated as well
as photographing the wildflowers of spring. Interpretive programs are available
through the Park Rangers. If you have a desire to get involved in the park,
inquire about our Volunteer program. Become part of the team to preserve and
protect the park and it's resources.
All facilities at the park have disabled access.
Open daily from 7:00 a.m. to sunset.
Camping registration, 7a.m. - 12 a.m.