Barbara's Lake

What Barbara’s Lake is

OC Parks’ trail map of Laguna Coast Wilderness Park labels two small lakes in the James Dilley Greenbelt Preserve, on the far side of Laguna Canyon Road from the Nix Nature Center. One is Barbara’s Lake, and the other is marked Lake 1. The Laguna Canyon Foundation says Barbara’s Lake is the only natural lake in Orange County, and Sea and Sage Audubon’s birding guide uses the same words. The county’s park page lists bird watching as an amenity. The park as a whole is covered on the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park page.

How to reach it

OC Parks’ map shows these routes, and the guided hikes give their lengths:

• From the Nix Nature Center: the park entrance is beside the center at 18751 Laguna Canyon Road. Sea and Sage Audubon puts the lake about 3/4 mile away. The foundation’s bird walk is about 2 miles round trip with up to 50 feet of climbing. OC Parks’ Explorers Hike goes about 3 miles by way of Edison Trail, with a stop at an overlook above the lake.
• From the James Dilley Preserve: the Dilley Staging Area sits at the State Route 73 interchange on the map, with parking and restrooms. The foundation’s family hike from there is 2.5 miles round trip with 45 feet of climbing.

The trails on the map near the lake are Barbara’s Lake Trail (easy, 0.25 mile), The Lake Trail (easy, 1 mile), Mary’s Trail (easy, 0.25 mile) and Edison Trail (moderate, 0.9 mile). The first two carry the hiking-only icon. OC Parks calls its Edison Trail hike easy with minimal elevation gain. One foundation listing calls it easy-moderate and puts the climb at about 330 feet. The foundation says the hike is mostly exposed and can be hot in summer and fall, and its listings tell hikers to bring plenty of water, closed-toe shoes and sun protection.

Parking, hours and cost

Parking is $3 a day as of October 2026, and OC Parks lists the park as open 7 a.m. to sunset. The map header gives parking hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. without saying which lots that covers, so call the park office at (949) 923-2235 before a late visit. The foundation lists $3 a car at both the Nix and Dilley lots and calls parking limited.

Rules at the lake

OC Parks’ rules page says:

• No swimming or wading in the creeks or the lake, and no watercraft.
• No fishing, hunting, picking or collecting.
• No pets. Horses are exempt, though the lake trails are hiking only.
• No e-bikes or drones, and no fires.
• Stay on designated trails, which are marked with trail posts.
• The park may close in rainy weather. The park page says trails can stay closed three days or more after rain.

The Laguna Canyon Foundation says wet or muddy trail conditions may cancel its hikes, so check the foundation’s calendar for conditions after a storm.

Fall lake turnover

OC Parks’ FAQ explains why the lake can look cloudy and smell in fall. Through summer the surface warms while the lower water stays cool and loses oxygen. When the surface cools in fall, the layers mix, nutrient-rich water rises and decaying plants and algae can give off an odor. OC Parks says it can last a few days or a week or longer.

Birds on the lake

Sea and Sage Audubon’s guide lists Mallard, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe and Common Yellowthroat at the lake, plus other ducks and waterfowl, and Northern Shoveler in fall and winter. The bird watching page lists guided walks and the other places to look for birds around Laguna Beach. Bring binoculars, as the foundation advises on its bird walk.

Guided hikes

OC Parks and the Laguna Canyon Foundation both run Explorers Hike: Barbara’s Lake with advance registration, for ages 12 and older, and the foundation also leads bird walks and family hikes to the lake. Check each group’s event calendar for upcoming dates. For another canyon on the same map, see Laurel Canyon Trail.