In honor of Park and Recreation Month and America 250, the City of Irvine, in partnership with Hoag, invites residents to explore the City’s award-winning parks, community facilities, and libraries through the annual Park & Recreation Month Challenge, beginning July 1.
Residents can pick up a Park & Recreation Month Field Guide at any Irvine Public Library branch or download one at cityofirvine.gov/parks. The guide includes 11 locations across the City, each featuring activities designed for all ages.
After completing an activity, residents will receive a stamp in their Field Guide from City staff. Additional special challenges will offer even more opportunities to collect stamps throughout the month.
Prizes are available while supplies last. Those who collect six stamps can earn a 2026 Park & Recreation Month drawstring bag, and those who collect 12 stamps can receive a special-edition America 250 enamel pin.
In May, Irvine earned national recognition (Open in new window) as one of the nation’s premier park systems, ranking No. 2 in the United States for the second consecutive year and No. 1 in California in the Trust for Public Land’s annual ParkScore Index. The report also found that 94% of Irvine residents live within a half-mile walk of a park. The monthlong Park & Recreation Month Challenge celebrates this achievement by encouraging residents to explore Irvine’s top-ranked parks while discovering new opportunities for recreation, learning, and play.
Park and Recreation Month has been celebrated nationally since 1985 through the National Recreation and Park Association, with the goal of raising awareness of the essential services provided by parks and recreation opportunities in communities across the country. In California, July is also recognized by the California Park & Recreation Society as Parks Make Life Better! Month.
A full list of parks and activity challenges is available at cityofirvine.gov/parks (Open in new window).
The community can also follow the City of Irvine on social media for updates, reminders, and highlights throughout the challenge.
- Facebook: facebook.com/cityofirvine (Open in new window)
- Instagram: instagram.com/cityofirvine (Open in new window)
- X: x.com/city_of_irvine (Open in new window)
