Touring * Street *

From Interstate 5 in Irvine, exit at Culver Drive and head south. From Interstate 405 (the San Diego Freeway), exit north on the same road. At Barranca Road, turn west and enter the Woodbridge Shopping Center. Turn right on Lake Road and enter the parking lots to the right. You will see the trail on either side of Lake Road's sidewalks just before it crosses a bridge over the river. Park nearby.

In east Irvine, pretty North and South Lakes enhance the neighborhoods on either side of the Woodbridge Shopping Center, and have come to be known by area visitors as the Woodbridge Lakes. Because private shoreline property is closed off, skating a contiguous loop around either lake is a navigational chore, and only half of each route is near the water. However, what remains still allows for a few excellent skating opportunities. Near Lake Road, skate west on the San Diego Creek Trail (see page 381) to reach the concrete footbridge on the south side of the shopping center. At the other side, follow the path through a surprisingly barren field behind the Senior Center and then cross Alton Parkway on a wide concrete bridge. Turn left where the smooth, landscaped sidewalk branches and follow a shady corridor away from the water's edge. Make a right at the next intersection and skate next to a street named Springbrook South. Turn right at the tennis courts to return to the lakeshore. From this section of the gently rolling, grass-bordered sidewalk there is a fine view across the lake. Cross the pebbled sidewalk at the far end of South Lake and then reenter the development at the Woodbridge Shore cul-de-sac. Turn left on Quiet Moon, and at the end of the street, enter the trail at the edge of school property. If nobody is around, take rink-style advantage of the row of perfectly paved multiple basketball courts. Farther up, the path passes another school and then hits the street at Blue Lake South. Turn right to get back to the lakeside sidewalks. Cross the wooden bridge that arches ever so prettily over the water. The arch and the rough, loose-fitting wooden slats present a real challenge to skaters. At the far end, turn left to return to the shopping center. To explore North Lake, skate north from Lake Road to Barranca Parkway. Turn right and follow the sidewalk to the footbridge that crosses over Barranca to the south tip of the lake. Work your way up the great sidewalk that follows the lake's east shore until the barricades of a gated community prevent progress. The sidewalk turns away from the water to connect with bike lanes on the streets in the neighborhood. On the way back to Barranca don't bother crossing the wooden bridge: it will be too bumpy and steep for lower-level skaters, and the pavement on the other side is rough.