Lace up your tennis shoes or grab the fishing gear.
Irvine residents are enjoying additional access to sports courts, regional parks and even Irvine Lake.
Tennis and pickleball courts have opened for singles play. “This is a wonderful park to play tennis with my son,” Ray Kakarlapudi told us between matches on a Friday evening at the Portola Springs Community Park courts.
“It’s great being outside and enjoying the fresh air.” Players at the next court put it this way: “Yippee ki-yay — it’s OPEN!”
Over at Mason Regional Park, Claudine Castro told us she had not been to the park in six years, but with the pandemic, she needed to exercise and get her steps in.
She said she picked Mason “because of its beautiful lake.”
Anglers also returned to the shores of Irvine Lake in hopes of landing a bass or bluegill at the 750-acre lake that recently resumed weekend hours (6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Others made their way to Upper Newport Bay. Denise Gratais said it’s her spot to go to because you can “hike, bike and kayak here” and that “my boys have done everything from Boy Scouts to chasing lizards” at the bay — one of the most picturesque locations in Southern California.
To stay up to date on park and preserve openings, visit cityofirvine.org/parks-facilities, ocparks.com and irconservancy.org.
Enjoying the Great Outdoors
“It is the perfect place to get in my steps. I like to walk along the path that circles the beautiful lake. It’s nice to get out into nature.” – Claudine Castro, Mason Regional Park
“I love the Irvine trails. It’s great to ride my bike through nature. I come out about once a week to exercise and enjoy the natural beauty and the views.” – Devin Corcoran, Bommer Canyon Trail
“My husband and I play a lot of sports, and we play pickleball together here. This park is so beautiful, and it’s so nice to be outside right now.” – Mary Kay, Portola Springs Community Park
