Neighborhood Highlights
Laguna Niguel Regional Park
If you’re looking for outdoor activities for the entire family, this is the place. The 227-acre Laguna Niguel Regional Park includes an extensive trail network, a playground, horseshoe pits, volleyball and tennis courts, picnic areas, and hiking and bike trails. Are you a fan of the pickleball phenomenon? The park has a pickleball court, too. The park is also home to the 44-acre Laguna Niguel Lake, a popular fishing and boating venue.
Niguel Botanical Preserve
Get in touch with nature in this 18.2-acre botanical garden, and take a leisurely stroll along four miles of walking trails. With 2,000 plant species, the Preserve features garden-worthy plants collected from five areas around the globe with a similar Mediterranean climate. One of Laguna Niguel’s treasures, it’s open to the public seven days a week, 365 days a year, and dogs are welcome.
Laguna Art Museum
Laguna Niguel borders the city of Laguna Beach, home to the oldest art museum in California. The unique aspect of this museum is that it only displays art from California artists, and works that depict the state and its history. Whether you’ve been a California resident all your life, or you’re visiting for the first time, experience California and immerse yourself in an eclectic collection of 3,000 works dating all the way back to the 19th century. The museum is also right across the street from the renowned Heisler Park.
History of Laguna Niguel
The name Laguna Niguel is derived from the Spanish word “laguna,” a reference to the tidal lagoon that once formed at the mouth of Aliso Creek, and the word “Niguili,” the name of an Acjachemen village that occupied the area. During the 1700s, Spanish missionaries established Mission San Juan Capistrano and primarily used the land to raise sheep.
In 1895, Rancho Niguel was purchased by the Moulton Company, which used the land for raising sheep and orchards. In 1959, Laguna Niguel became one of the first master-planned communities in California. Laguna Niguel has remained true to its agrarian roots, as more than one-third of the city is designated as open space.
