Following renovations, the Cattle Camp at Bommer Canyon, nestled between the Turtle Ridge and Shady Canyon neighborhoods, in Irvine has opened to the public.
The 15-acre area formerly called the Bommer Canyon Community Park will now be known as the Bommer Canyon Preserve after it was rebranded as a preserve as part of the rehabilitation process.
Shaded by Sycamore trees more than 100 years old, the Cattle Camp, a remnant of Irvine Ranch, was first built in 1967 and needed repairs. To gather community feedback, Irvine launched the Bommer Canyon Community Park Rehabilitation Project in 2018, with a focus on restoring the Cattle Camp area.
Rehabilitation work began in 2021.
And now, after the renovations, the Cattle Camp features a 15-acre event space stage and backstage room, a new chuckwagon kitchen with modern amenities, an updated restroom building with flushable toilets, new picnic tables and ADA-accessible pathways.
“It’s designed to respect the historical integrity of the area so the building footprints are a little bit smaller, (and) they still maintain their old cattle camp theme and look,” said Stacy DeLong, a senior project manager for Irvine. “They’re red in color, they have a faux wood paneling on the outside, so we very much wanted to keep it in the theme of a rustic setting.”
Irvine worked with a historian to maintain the historical significance of the space, he said.
The total construction cost was $4.2 million, said DeLong, with the money coming from a “mixture of funds,” including a state grant and some city money.
The project was expected to be completed last year but construction, DeLong said, was challenging because it began during the pandemic and because of environmental constraints.
“There were a couple of occasions where there were some nesting birds so we had to stop work to allow them to complete their nesting activities before we could continue so that slowed things down a little bit,” he said.
Two different rounds of nesting birds were found, meaning work was stopped for about 13 months, said DeLong. The birds were red-shouldered hawks, and while they are not extinct, they are “far less numerous,” according to the National Audubon Society.
Now that the hawks have nested and vacated their nests, it will not affect the operations of the park, DeLong said.
Visitor Information
The trails from Bommer Canyon Preserve are open seven days a week. However, dogs and other animals are not allowed on the trails. Hikers can use the Cattle Camp picnic areas unless closed for a private or city event.
The city has also designated days for public use of the Cattle Camp. Visitors can enjoy Cattle Camp Open Access Days, to use the newly renovated picnic areas and access the parking lot (until capacity is full), on the third Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every month from 9 a.m. to 5 pm.
On those Saturdays, the Irvine Ranch Conservancy will hold Wilderness Access Day to allow hikers and bikers to explore trails in that area.
Grills or stoves (charcoal or propane), open flames, candles and smoking are not permitted. A permit and a reservation are required to bring alcohol. Glass containers are also not allowed.
Reservations for events
Irvine will begin accepting reservations for events at the Cattle Camp starting Monday, July 17, until the end of the season. Reservation season runs from April to October.
For more information, visit the Bommer Canyon Preserve Cattle Camp reservations webpage.
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