Considered one of the best places to live in the country, there’s so much Mission Viejo has to offer. From the beautiful Orange County weather to the famously low crime rate and a masterfully structured community, it’s pretty clear how the city earned this title. This also means that there’s plenty to see and explore in Mission Viejo, whether you’re a proud local or a curious tourist! Here are 5 attractions we think everyone in the area should make time to check out.
Mission Viejo Lake
If a lake is going to share your city’s namesake, it can’t be a disappointing one—and Mission Viejo Lake delivers! It’s one of the city’s most popular spots for outdoor recreation and is known for picnics, swimming, boating sunbathing, and a great concert series. (Yours truly saw Gladys Night there.) Shaded seating, beaches, and boat ramps are all available to make sure you have a relaxing time in front of this beautiful body of water.
Visitors are limited to Lake Mission Viejo Association members (which includes the vast majority of Mission Viejo residents) and their guests, but don’t fret, even if you can’t enjoy the lake proper you can have a meal at a restaurant with a lake view or enjoy a walk along a lovely walking path parallel to the lake. Or, worst case scenario, just make friends with one of the people lucky enough to live along the lake and swing by their house for a cocktail.
Click here for directions
Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park
If you’re looking for a deeper dive into nature, the Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park is a perfect and popular choice. The park opens at 7 am and closes at sunset, which conveniently also makes for some stunning twilit sights and experiences during opening and closing hours.
The clearly marked paths can take visitors through bridges and streams, as well as the butterfly garden. If you visit closer to closing time, you might be able to catch sight of some of the animals that avoid the paths during busier hours.
The Oso Creek Golf Course
Enjoy hitting the links? If so, the Oso Creek Golf Course is a great place to do. Taken over by the city of Mission Viejo in 2019, the course boasts beautiful views of Saddleback Mountain and is nestled along Casta Del Sol, a beautifully manicured development which houses Mission Viejo’s loveliest seniors. (I can attest to that personally.)
As of June 2021 the course also offers the Terrace on the Green restaurant – a nice, but not crazy expensive spot to relax and enjoy the view or strategize how to improve your golf game. The Terrace on the Green offers breakfast (of which the options are limited in MV) and sources many of its products from local California sources.
Click here for directions.
A Hidden Vine on the Lake
What’s better than taking in the beautiful sights of Mission Viejo Lake? Taking in the beautiful sights with a glass of wine, of course! A Hidden Vine on the Lake is located on the shores of the lake, and is a great place to enjoy the view while sipping on some of the region’s famous bottles of wine.
Experts can help guide you through the tastings, and guests can also enjoy carefully selected pairings of bread, cheese, and charcuterie. Every once in a while, everyone just needs to kick back and enjoy the sunset with a glass of wine!
Click here for directions.
O’Neill Regional Park
For a national-park-type experience without the long drive, outdoor enthusiasts will love O’Neill Regional Park. Just a short drive from downtown, this park is a favorite location for hikers, fishers, bikers, bird watchers, and anyone that’s looking to get lost in nature for an afternoon.
From museums to tasty wine and twilit hiking trails, there’s more than plenty to do while in Mission Viejo. These are our favorite attractions to visit while in town, did we miss your favorite? Let us know!
Want to learn even more about the great city of Mission Viejo? Check out our post about our favorite parks in MV.
We hope you enjoyed our article on the best attractions to see in Mission Viejo, CA. This city is truly a beautiful and safe place to live filled with great people, great attractions, and great businesses.
Why do we care so much about Mission Viejo? Because this is where our headquarters are. (And some of our staff has been coming here to visit since the early 80s.) Who are we? We are My OC Bookkeeper. We provide local bookkeeping services to businesses in Mission Viejo and all over Orange County. (And Southern California in general for that matter.) If you are interested in teaming up, call us at 949-345-0639, email us at admin@myocbookkeeper.com, or contact us here.
4 Comments
Your article states that Lake Mission Viejo is outside city limits. That is incorrect, it is within city limits. Also, you really should indicate that it is a private member-only attraction.
Also, the Fire Museum is in Lake Forest, not Mission Viejo.
You’re absolutely right. Do to some internal circumstances a non-Mission Viejo resident wrote the first draft of this particular article. We’ve made some modifications based on your suggestions.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on our article on the best parks in Mission Viejo, hopefully you will find it up to par: https://www.myocbookkeeper.com/4-best-parks-in-mission-viejo-ca/.
Enjoy Mission Viejo Doug!
California Fire Museum? The address given for directions is to the Postal Annex in Lake Forest, the city adjacent to Mission Viejo. This can be seen clearly in the Google Maps Street View. Was this a ploy to see if anyone was actually reading the article?
Haha. Yes, an excellent point. This error has since been corrected, although we like the way you think. For more on Mission Viejo feel free to check out our article on its best parks.
Enjoy Mission Viejo Gerald, something tells us you will.