Why you should experience Buck Gully Reserve in Newport Beach, California.
Buck Gully Reserve is a quiet coastal canyon where rugged hillsides, native habitat, and winding dirt trails reveal one of the last untouched natural corridors remaining along the Newport Coast.
Located along the edge of Corona del Mar in Newport Beach near the intersection of Poppy Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway and just minutes from Little Corona del Mar Beach and the blufftop parks overlooking the Pacific, the reserve begins almost invisibly within a residential neighborhood before quickly dropping into a surprisingly wild canyon landscape. The moment you step onto the trail, the sounds of the city fade. Chaparral-covered slopes rise on both sides while coastal sagebrush, cactus, and wild grasses line the narrow path. Hawks circle high overhead and the occasional rustle in the brush hints at rabbits, lizards, and other canyon wildlife moving quietly through the habitat. The trail gently descends toward the ocean, opening occasional glimpses of blue water beyond the canyon mouth. It feels like discovering a hidden stretch of Southern California that existed long before the surrounding neighborhoods were built.
What you didn't know about Buck Gully Reserve.
Buck Gully Reserve protects one of the few remaining natural coastal canyons preserved within the Newport Beach city limits.
For much of the twentieth century, the steep canyon terrain made the area difficult to develop compared to the surrounding blufftop communities. As Newport Beach expanded, local conservation advocates pushed to preserve Buck Gully as a natural open space corridor linking the inland hills to the Pacific Ocean. The canyon now supports native coastal sage scrub habitat, an ecosystem once widespread across Southern California but now increasingly rare due to urban development. This habitat provides refuge for birds, reptiles, and small mammals that depend on undisturbed vegetation and canyon shelter. The reserve also plays an important role in protecting watershed drainage that flows toward the Pacific, helping maintain the natural environmental balance of the surrounding coastline.
How to fold Buck Gully Reserve into your trip.
Buck Gully Reserve fits naturally into a coastal day exploring the quieter corners of Corona del Mar.
Begin with a morning walk down the canyon trail as sunlight filters across the chaparral hillsides and the air carries a faint scent of sage and ocean salt. Follow the winding path toward the lower canyon where the terrain gradually opens and distant ocean views appear between the slopes. After the hike, continue toward the nearby blufftop parks and scenic overlooks along Ocean Boulevard where the Pacific stretches wide beyond the cliffs. The canyon walk adds a striking natural contrast to the manicured coastline nearby, revealing a side of Newport Beach shaped more by wild terrain than waterfront homes.
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