ThreeBestRated.com
BEST RATED SANTA ANA, CA HIKING TRAILS

3 Best Hiking Trails in Santa Ana, CA

Expert-recommended Top 3 Hiking Trails in Santa Ana, California. All of our hiking trails actually face a rigorous 50-Point Inspection, which includes customer reviews, history, complaints, ratings, satisfaction, trust, cost and general excellence. You deserve only the best!

Black Star Canyon Trail - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Adventure Image
Black Star Canyon Trail - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Trail Image
Black Star Canyon Trail - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Scenic View Image
Best Hiking Trails in Santa Ana CA - Black Star Canyon Trail video
7+ YEARS IN TBR
CALL

BLACK STAR CANYON TRAIL

(4.8 Score)
13333 Black Star Canyon Road, Silverado,
Santa Ana, CA 92676 Directions

Since 1879

Specialty:

✓ Riding ✓ Dog-friendly ✓ Running ✓ Hiking ✓ Forest River ✓ Wildflowers ✓ Nature Trips ✓ Mountain Biking ✓ Wildlife ✓ Bird Watching ✓ Cave ✓ Views ✓ Waterfall ✓ Out-and-back Trail ✓ Dog-Friendly

"Black Star Canyon Trail has a total length of 6.7 miles and is generally considered an easy trail route. The elevation gain of the trail is 846 feet. The trail is an out-and-back type. The falls drain just three square kilometers of land, so there is usually high flow only during the rainy season, and the trail is 6.5 miles round trip. The trail offers a wide array of opportunities for visitors to explore the beautiful variety of wildflowers and interesting rock formations in the nearby mountains. Black Star Canyon Trail also offers numerous facilities, including kid-friendly hikes and pet-friendly areas.

2026 Update: Black Star Canyon Trail offers general admission free for all visitors year-round."

Reviews | Play Video | Write a Review

Contact:

(714) 973-6696

Call for Hours

TBR® Inspection Report:

Santiago Park - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Park Image
Santiago Park - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Trail Image
Santiago Park - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Scenic View Image
Best Hiking Trails in Santa Ana CA - Santiago Park video
7+ YEARS IN TBR
CALL EMAIL

SANTIAGO PARK

(4.7 Score)
600 East Memory Lane,
Santa Ana, CA 92705 Directions

Since 1938

Specialty:

✓ Hiking ✓ Trees ✓ Watching Birds ✓ Biking ✓ Trails ✓ Walking ✓ Bowling Center ✓ Tennis Courts ✓ Camps ✓ Baseball Diamond ✓ Playground ✓ Nature Trail ✓ Flowers ✓ Baseball Field ✓ Cycling Lanes ✓ Kid-friendly Hikes

"Santiago Park is an elegant 23-acre green space with ecosystems including oak woodlands, vernal lakes, riparian zones, and coastal sage scrub. The trail's total length is 10.1 miles, with an elevation gain of 597 ft. This is a point-to-point type of trail. The City of Santa Ana Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency operates the park. The trail also features an archery range, a lawn bowling facility, tennis courts, a baseball field, and playground equipment. Santiago Park has an exhibition hall showcasing local wetlands, wildlife, and cultural history. Public restrooms, picnic tables, and wheelchair accessible parking facilities are also available.

2026 Update: Santiago Park features a biking path and a playground. Wheelchair accessibility available."

Reviews | Play Video | Write a Review
License #6267609

Price:

Resident Recreation Use Hour $60
Non-Resident Recreation Hour $80

Contact:

(714) 647-6902 (714) 647-6575

Mon-Sun: 6am - 10pm

TBR® Inspection Report:

Carl Thornton Park - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Park Image
Carl Thornton Park - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Recreation Image
Carl Thornton Park - Santa Ana, CA Hiking Trails - Tourist Spot Image
Best Hiking Trails in Santa Ana CA - Carl Thornton Park video
CALL EMAIL

CARL THORNTON PARK

(4.6 Score)
1801 West Segerstrom Avenue,
Santa Ana, CA 92704 Directions

Since 1985

Specialty:

✓ Hiking ✓ Baseball field ✓ Basketball court ✓ Dog-friendly ✓ Picnic area ✓ Running ✓ Full-body workout ✓ Soccer ✓ Softball ✓ Walking

“2026 Update: Carl Thornton Park features 32.83 acres with a picnic area, fitness court, playground, lake, and ball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, drinking fountain, and more recreation activities for youths and kids. Kiwian's playground barriers are free to access. Dog friendly and wheelchair accessibility available.children's play area. Recreation activities include bike trails and parking stalls. Visitors can see unique bird species.”

Reviews | Play Video | Write a Review

Price:

Residents Per Hour $10
Non-Residents Per Hour $21

Contact:

(714) 571-4200

Mon-Sun: 8am - 10pm

TBR® Inspection Report:

Video

Write a Review for Carl Thornton Park

Our Review Process:

  • All reviews matter:We publish both positive and negative reviews to provide a balanced perspective.
  • No censorship: Businesses cannot pay to remove or modify negative reviews.
  • Verification process: All reviews are checked for authenticity and compliance with our community guidelines before publication.
  • Fair representation: We display reviews of all ratings (1–5 stars) to help users make informed decisions.
  • Independence: We are not affiliated with the businesses we review and receive no compensation for favorable ratings.

Your honest opinion helps others make better choices. Whether your experience was excellent, average, or disappointing, we want to hear from you. For more details, check Community Review Guidelines.

Contact Business

BLACK STAR CANYON TRAIL REVIEWS

Amazing hike with breathtaking scenery! The trail offers a mix of adventure and challenge, with stunning canyon views and a rewarding waterfall at the end. Some rocky sections require a bit of scrambling, but that just adds to the excitement. We went on a Sunday, and while there were other hikers, it never felt too crowded. Highly recommend for nature lovers and adventure seekers.

Gorgeous falls when the water is running. But when it is flowing on the weekends, the trail is like a conga line.

Took the rope up around the falls, and back down the fire road. Great hike! Only 9mi.

These reviews are provided for information purposes and to help you make informed decisions.

To share your experience, click here or send it to reviews@threebestrated.com.

We will display both positive and negative reviews. All submitted reviews are published after verification for authenticity and compliance with our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Community Review Guidelines.

SANTIAGO PARK REVIEWS

Great park, very relaxing place and great place to get in touch with nature, feels like a real woodland area that you would find in the country, yet right in the heart of the city. City does truly an amazing job of cleaning and maintaining this big park. It runs along the Santa Ana creek there are however limited restroom facilities one restroom is located across the street from the discovery cube. The next open working restroom is located in Hart Park next to the 22 fwy the total extreme opposite end of the park. Again as mentioned by others the need for bathrooms here is a real issue. Unless you don’t mind people doing that right out in public or in the bushes. I mean they are not going to soil themselves so that’s the only other alternative. Otherwise this park is amazing and I highly recommend it to families and the kids will love it. Pets too i witnessed many people walking dogs and there is room to exercise.

Really happy and extremely excited to see the city help recreate santiago Park in a way that will only enhance on its true beauty. The energy and effort the city is putting in amazing and I personally can't wait for it to be finished and open.

Both playground areas are really enjoyable for my children. We come to this park almost everyday.

CARL THORNTON PARK REVIEWS

This park has all the amenities including a lake with ducks and turtles basketball courts several children's play areas walking trails one of my favorite parts.

This park is big with nice lake and clean restrooms Restrooms: Restrooms are clean park.

It has been upgraded and it is awesome for all kids.

TBR® Inspection Score Report

BLACK STAR CANYON TRAIL Total Inspection Points: 114/120
Social Media: 6
Current Evaluation: 8
Business Images: 10
Exact Services: 10
Experience: 10
Legitimate Ratings: 10
Location Proximity: 10
Reviews Accuracy of : 10
Reviews Study: 10
Special Features: 10
Specialization: 10
Video: 10

TBR® Inspection Score Report

SANTIAGO PARK Total Inspection Points: 113/120
Pricing: 8
Exact Services: 9
Legitimate Ratings: 9
Location Proximity: 9
Reviews Study: 9
Specialization: 9
Business Hours: 10
Business Images: 10
Contact Info: 10
Experience: 10
Reviews Accuracy of : 10
Video: 10

TBR® Inspection Score Report

CARL THORNTON PARK Total Inspection Points: 110/120
Exact Services: 8
Experience: 8
Pricing: 8
Social Media: 8
Reviews Accuracy of : 9
Reviews Study: 9
Business Hours: 10
Business Images: 10
Contact Info: 10
Specialization: 10
Video: 10
Website Source: 10