Environmental Nature Center

Lovely place for young kids to have fun. Cool hands-​on exhibits, a few reptiles in tanks to view, and a couple of incredibly sweet and informed docents in the main building. The butterfly house has some monarch cocoons hanging in the middle, always love to see those!
The walking paths are the star. Every few hundred yards it’s like you’re walking in a different environment/​ecosystem. Even a stream and a little marshy lake. Really lovely! Perfect easy walk for small kids. Saw lots of lizards and birds. Maybe a mile total, just a guess. Very great place to spend and hour or so and get kids used to nature. A favorite activity!
(We usually eat afterwards at Pancakes R Us on 17^th.) :)

Thank you Darlene for the welcoming, warm, & more than informative introduction to the ENC, we truly enjoyed our time & will become regular visitors I’m certain!
Such a lovely, peaceful, & rejuvenating place for thinking, walking, & just enjoying nature in general in OC.
It felt like we were hiking in Big Bear, what a fantastic location to take in the morning for a brisk walk or wind down in the evenings, & for hosting special events.
Hopefully the community will be generous with the ENC for years to come, we will be, will have our support!
The delightful gift shop offers a variety of gifts & keepsakes, all environmentally minded or educational, absolutely a fantastic alternative to mainstream shopping for the holidays & to benefit the ENC while gifting meaningful beauty, books, toys, etc. for loved ones!

Beautiful spot to explore. I took my three year old there, and he had a fantastic time walking the trails. It’s rare to find a spot in OC with trees, ponds, little waterfalls, and all of that for a child to see. It is the perfect spot for a preschooler or young child to explore nature. The mature trees give plenty of shade on the trails, which is nice.

Disclosure: This is regarding my interactions with Sarah, the Facility Manager, when I was checking out the place as a possible wedding venue.
Not only is this place beautiful and I love what they’re doing teaching the kids about different environments, Sarah was so passionate about the place and what she did. And even though we didn’t end up going with ENC, it was definitely one of the top contenders and Sarah definitely helped with that. It was really good to see someone who loved what they did, and she wished me the best regardless of where I would have my wedding.

Super fail. 6:30AM and «Bo» the center’s director refused to let my family charge our electric vehicle because «…we have a big event and need to put up tents.» I tried explaining that we only needed two hours of charging but he refused. The irony and hypocrisy of a nature center refusing EV charging for pop-​up tents is overwhelming.

We went here a couple of months ago. It was much bigger than I thought it would be. Nice displays, and some nice trails. We are planning to go back in May when the Butterfly House is open.

It is free and close to home. The whole place including the trails takes no more than an hour to explore unless you plan to have picnic there.
The butterfly pavilion will reopen on May 3 this year.

This nature center has a small inside area with a few reptiles and frogs, and some exhibits. The outside area has nice, well-​shaded walking trails, perfect for little kids. We took our 1.5 yr old and our 4 yr old and both had a nice time walking on the trails. I would have liked it if there were more cover between the preserve and the surrounding houses/​school, to make it a little more private, and if there were more explanation of the plants in the preserve. But it’s nice that this space has been left as «wild» land so that people can appreciate a little bit of nature in an otherwise suburban area. I look forward to visiting the butterfly house when it opens in winter (starting in early May.)

It was a nice place to learn about the natural side and the history of Newport beach. Free admission. I saw a Bobcat while I was walking the trail nearby.

If you don’t live in Orange County… you should pass on visiting this Nature Center. We came from San Diego to experience the Butterfly Pavilion and were very disappointed when we arrived and closed the door behind us to find exactly 5 Butterflies in the entire «Pavilion». The facility had as many Butterflies outside (two) as they did in the tiny enclosure. The facility is new and still clean, but overall is geared towards those that are 12 and under.

This place is Wonderful and completely overlooked, a sanctuary that’s largely unnoticed. I stumbled in not knowing what to expect, and as I kept walking, was continually more and more overwhelmed. At each point I thought that surely, nothing can top this, but was ecstatically wrong. I almost don’t want to share how incredibly Perfect this place is because it’s just too good for the general public. So please, only come here if you have been looking and yearning for a nature haven to unwind in and feel that Orange County is depriving you of your common sense.
I don’t need to describe any more, because you go visit yourself.
… 500 STARS!!!

Super great place for the kids to learn nature, animal, plants and dig in the dirt.
Very enjoyable experience inside and out.

Come here over and over and over. Something new to see/​experience every time. Just finished the Full Moon Walk with the fam — cool, right???

If you’re an nature/​environment enthusiasts, come check out the Environmental Nature Center sometimes! It’s in the heart of Newport and easy to find.
I appreciate how the ENC is so committed and dedicated to the preservation of the native plants, wildlife habitats and education.
This 3.5 acre landscape is built for easy hiking trails, a learning center, a peaceful santurary. There is a butterfly pavillion, which is only accessible certain time each year. I had the opportunity to check out the butterfly pavillion (I LOVE butterflies!!!), but was disappointed that there weren’t many bufferflies. :(And, it’s a pretty small pavillion.
The hiking trails was easy trails so it’s perfect for easy stroll for family and kids.
There is an education center inside that offers programs related to natural science and sustanability. It is very hands-​on so it’s great for the little ones. You can event post birthday parties there by reserving the available rooms!
Another feature I really dig about this center is they’ve been offering Summer Nature Camp for little kids since 1977! What a great way to get your little ones interested in outdoor learning environment and appreciate the nature!
So whether you have little ones, or not, come check out the center sometimes. =)

Free fun, so many hands on stuff to do for the kids and the butterfly exhibit we had to ourselves!!!

This is a great little nature center in the middle of Newport. The hiking trails were perfect for my 4.5 yr old twins. The butterfly pavilion was nice too. We saw many chrysalis and several butterflies. Loved the little education center inside. Very hands on, just wish the inside was bigger and more things to learn/​do. Perfect placeto take kids for a picnic hike. Will be back!!!

Came to visit this neat little center with the kiddos. Great place for an afternoon walk under the trees. I was surprised to see how far back the trails extend. The trails are mostly shaded, as there are lots of trees. My favorite section of the ENC is the ‘redwood forest’ section tucked in a corner, which really seems like a mini enchanted forest. Very neat. Wish there was more of this! Oh, and they also have a bit of poison oak. No biggie, it is clearly identified, but be mindful of kids who might think all plants are poisonous from that point forward (as we did in our group, haha).
They have a butterfly house, with plenty of butterflies to observe (cacoons and all). Yes, there is someone hanging out to watch visitors carefully, but its necessary. Butterflies are very delicate and kids are … well, not that gentle! :) My own included. I think its great that we are able to bring our kids (and ourselves) to experience these beautiful creatures up close.
This place was not very busy the day of our visit. We saw lizards, butterflies, squirrels, and lots of birds. They have a tree with a huge chunks of fungi growing at the base, kinda neat. They also have a nature center with various features to keep the kids entertained, and a great way to keep cool with the miserable heat we have been blessed with lately.
Overall, great place. And, the ENC is FREE!

As I was gathering my camera from my car, I noticed a girl wearing a purple and pink princess dress standing next to her mother in the parking lot. So I asked her mother what they were doing. Her mother replied that her daughter was a princess today and they were going for a walk in the magic forest.
That describes the ENC. It’s a magic forest with a beautiful nature center. The staff is very helpful. And there is always something special happening.
I strongly recommend the Environmental Nature Center.

This place is a gem in the middle of suburbia. With the fresh smell of the outdoors, lush trees and plants, a running stream and poison oak, you really feel like you are far away from home.
I LOVE this place… i wanna go right now!
Pros:
— FREE
— Awesome little hiking trial
— Perfect for the kids
— Usually not very busy typically quiet
— Fun nature center with things for the little ones to explore
— Picnic tables
— Butterfly House (seasonal)
— Live crayfish (they are protected and can’t be hunted but we do catch and release without harming them.)
— Meeting rooms for whatever you need to meet about
— Perfect for an after school getaway or a «my kids are in school yay» getaway.
— Cute gift shop which supports the center
— Within walking distance of my house!
Cons:
— Closed on Sundays (boooo)
— Close too early (5 pm)
— Poison Oak but it is made clear on where it is with a big sign and it is only in a small spot.
— No overnight camping unless you plan it with the park rangers and I don’t know the full details on that even.
— foliage is sometimes out of control and you have to blaze the trails a bit. But that is also part of the fun unless you are with a paranoid 5 year old.
— It is a far walking distance from my house so I usually drive :)

Located right across the street from my apartment.
I love when they have special events, especially when they have music/​live bands. I can hear the music so clearly. I have been inside the museum but not in the back.
The museum is very creative and informative.