Irvine Ranch Wildlands and Parks

Hiker in Limestone Canyon
© Stephen Francis

For 136 years, the Irvine Ranch and its rugged, scenic canyons were off limits to all but cattle, cowboys, and descendants of its namesake - rancher James Irvine. In 1992, much of this private Orange County wilderness went public, offering its urban neighbors the opportunity to explore coastal sage scrub and oak woodland habitats that have nearly disappeared from southern California. This land sharing came about as a result of an unprecedented partnership between a private landowner, The Irvine Company, and land conservationists from The Nature Conservancy.

Location
Orange County

How to Prepare for Your Visit
In order to protect the ranch's resources, public access is limited to docent-led tours. These include guided tours for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians, as well as programs for children, birders, and artists. The tours must be reserved in advance as space is limited. Check the Irvine Ranch Conservancy Web site for a list of activities and reservations.

Size
50,000 acres, 34,000 of which are managed by The Nature Conservancy.

What to See: Plants
Coastal sage scrub, chaparral, oak and sycamore woodlands, rare Tecate cypress, blackberries and monkeyflowers.

What to See: Animals
Bobcats, red-tailed hawks, coyotes, mule deer, meadowlarks, California gnatcatcher, the coastal cactus wren, the orange-throated whiptail lizard, and the San Diego coast horned lizard.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
This was a chance to preserve coastal sage scrub and oak woodland habitats that have nearly disappeared from southern California. The remote canyons of the 13,000-acre northern boundary, east of the city of Orange, are notable for "The Sinks" area of Limestone Canyon, a huge, steep-walled sandstone ravine that resembles a mini-Grand Canyon. The land harbors some of the county's richest oak and sycamore woodlands, as well as streams and springs, laced with blackberries and monkeyflowers and shared by animals of all sizes - from mountain lions to rare lizards. The ranch's 12,000-acre Weir, Gypsum and Fremont Canyons, adjacent to Cleveland National Forest, are home to many native animals and plants. These include the rare Tecate cypress, found only in three other areas of California. The 14,000-acre southern boundary, with its hills, meadows, wooded canyons and sweeping views of the Pacific, connects Crystal Cove State Park and the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. The Irvine Ranch wildlands and parks are home to bobcats, red-tailed hawks, coyotes, mule deer, meadowlarks, and an abundance of other wildlife.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Nature Conservancy's involvement with the Irvine Ranch began in 1992 when The Irvine Company engaged the Conservancy to help develop and implement a stewardship plan for the ranch that addressed compatible public access, habitat management and restoration. Since then, The Nature Conservancy has enabled thousands of visitors to experience the reserve and has provided for the management and restoration of the ranch's sensitive natural habitats.

Much of The Nature Conservancy's management is focused on restoring the ranch's habitats to good health after 150 years of overgrazing by sheep and cattle and an unnatural fire regime. The goal of the restoration program is to re-establish a balance of native shrubs and trees - primarily coastal sage scrub and oak and sycamore woodlands - that are found when the land is in a healthy, sustainable state. Restoration methods include fencing areas to exclude cattle, the removal of invasive, non-native plant species such as mustard plant and artichoke thistle, and active replanting. Through these efforts, the dwindling coastal sage scrub habitat has been restored to 60% of the ranch.

In November 2001, Donald Bren, Chairman of The Irvine Company, proudly announced an additional gift of 11,000 acres of company-owned land, increasing the Irvine Ranch wildlands and parks to more than 50,000 acres. The Nature Conservancy has agreed to expand its stewardship role into a second decade.

The Nature Conservancy's activities on the Irvine Ranch wildlands and parks are underwritten by the Bren Stewardship Fund, a $30 million commitment to support the long-term management, biological monitoring, and restoration of the natural resources on the Irvine Ranch wildlands and parks, and to facilitate expanded public access to the lands.