Back Bay aka: Upper Newport Bay State Ecological Reserve

If you go down Irvine, and then turn on University (towards the bay) there is like a nature center that you can go in, and there is outdoor paths.

ALSO… i find this to be the best park of the back bay, if you go on the pacific coast highway, then turn on Jamboree (going inland) then take a left onto Back Bay dr., well it is a great drive, it hugs the backbay all the way to the fletcher jones dealer.

But I’m glad for the time I do, even if only in passing—combined with UC’s arboretum further up the bay, the reserve has kept this area as it was before all the development. One of the most far-sighted decisions ever made in Orange County, believe me! Credit to the folks who got it created and still work hard to get others to appreciate it.

This 892 acre preserve of wetlands are the largest in coastal Southern California, and have survived despite their proximity to some of the highest prices real estate in Orange County. Hear you can enjoy outdoor sports like kayaking, canoeing, hiking and cycling. The bay is open to water craft as long as they travel five miles per hour or less. This estuary is home to cormorants, grebes, ducks, and herons – nearly 200 species of water birds.
From: http://www.onlineguide.com/entertainment/Your_Town/newportbeach.html

See also: Mountains to Sea Trail

Some great pcitures here