Chino Hills State Park is surrounded by the communities of Corona, Brea and Yorba Linda, so it is about 45 minutes east from LA, but that time will vary greatly by your location upon departure. All in all, it is not far at all if you live or are in the L.A area!
The best entry point for the park (there are more than one) is the one on 4721 Sapphire Road, Chino Hills CA 91709.
There is a $10 fee per vehicle if you want to park your vehicle inside the state park.
Some people park outside and enter the park as pedestrians on the trails, and this is free.
The park is open year long, but you should check the website before going because they will close trails after periods of heavy rain (following more than a quarter-inch of rainfall), due to the soil’s high clay content.
From October to March, it is open from 8am to 5pm, and from April to September they add 2 hours in the evening and close at 7pm.
Dog owners, note that dogs are not allowed on trails.
Chino Hills State Park is a beautiful open area of rolling hills. It is very peaceful and offers such an amazing disconnection from the noise and stress of the city!
The best time of year to visit the state park is in the early Spring (month of March), when wild flowers are blooming. The undulating hills are SO green it feels like you are in Ireland. And the California poppies and mustard flowers adding patches of orange and yellow are a feast for the eyes.
So obviously, the best things to do in Chino Hills are… hiking & taking pretty pictures!
Due to the mostly treeless wide expanses in the park, it is very easy to see where you are going and very hard to get lost. Many visitors will go to the park without a real plan and make their way back to their car without problems. But the trails are also very well marked, so if you would rather know where you’ll go before hitting the road, read on!
Note: I recommend that you follow the Chino Hills State Park’s Instagram account for updates on the bloom in the park to make sure you go at the right time.
This 5.8-mile loop trail (in orange on the park map above) is an easy to moderately challenging route and takes 2 to 2,5 hours to complete. It is probably the most popular itinerary in the park. It might feel more like a pleasant walk if you are a heavy hiker, but the views are so pretty, you will feel like you are walking in a painting.
From the park’s entrance on Sapphire Road, hike .6 mile south to the lollipop’s junction. The loop is 4.5 miles long and since the the flowers are best on the west side, I recommend going counterclockwise to beat the crowds and get to them early.
If you don’t have enough time for the loop, consider doing the “Short Loop Trail” by parking your car inside the park here: 16828 Bane Canyon Rd, Chino Hills, CA 91709
This will shorten the loop to a 2.4 miles total distance.
More info on this short version here: https://www.alltrails.com/fr/explore/trail/us/california/bane-canyon-short-loop-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map
Enjoy your day trip to Chino Hills State Park! Remember, there are not many trees and you will get a lot of sun exposure, so pack and dress up accordingly