UPPER NEWPORT BAY ECOLOGICAL RESERVE LOOP
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Activity: Day Hike
Date: 11-1-19
Distance 5.25 miles, 60’ elevation gain, 2.5 hours, rated Easy
Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve Loop is actually over a 10 mile hike. I hiked half of the loop on this day and I hiked the other side of the bay about 6 weeks earlier. It was a very pleasant outing and a nice way to appreciate nature. The sky, the bay, the marsh, the birds… very enjoyable and a good way to get some miles in and bask in the sunshine.
I started at the Trailhead that you see on the map I have enclosed in this posting. The roadway is shared by vehicles in one direction, and bikers, joggers, and walkers in each direction. Heading in a northerly direction along the bay it is not long before you come across Big Canyon Trail, which is a nature walk within a hike. Along the Big Canyon pathway you will have plenty of educational signage to learn about the bay, the vegetation, birds, as well as the the watershed.
The later part of the hike you will gain some elevation as you head up to Vista Point, which is about the top of the bay and the top of the loop. I retraced my way back enjoying a nice afternoon and a lovely couple of hours of so.
Big Canyon Loop Trail is a nature walk within a hike. 
Wide pathway shared by cars in one direction, bicyclists, joggers and walkers. 
Thanks for joining me on this little jaunt at Newport Beach’s Back Bay, the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve is for the birds, literally. If you are a birder than you will love this place as thousands of birds migrate through this reserve. If you aren’t you will enjoy the exercise, the gentle breeze, the bay and the day. Please COMMENT, LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW. Also checkout the menu above as there are many places to explore that will get your adventure juices flowing. Please note that they are all separate sites and thus must be followed independently.
Happy Trails,
Roger Jenkins, Pursuing Balance Through Adventure
Orange County Hiking 