Challen Park is an easy hill to climb that gives you an unobstructed view of Riverside and everything else. With only 140 feet of elevation gain from the bottom to the top and miles of trails, the 34-acre park is a must-do trip for nature lovers. In this blog, we’ll talk about everything that has to do with Challen Park.
Mark Steele's video shows the entire view that hikers will have at the summit. It's better when you're actually standing up there!
Before we get started, many people refer to this as Challen Hill Park - it is a hill after all.
The best place to park is along Challen Avenue on the northern side of the park. It is a dirt parking lot with a few dozen spots. There are no painted lines, so don’t take up a bunch of space. Furthermore, there is a water fountain and some benches, but no bathrooms.
Challen Park has mostly grass with a few trees and shrubs. This means little to no shade - bring water and sunscreen!
There is a trail that goes around the entire hill; it’s 0.80 miles long and isn’t too hilly.
The shortest trail going from the parking lot to the peak is 0.13 miles. You’ll see the trailhead in the middle part of the parking lot (there are a few trees here).
This park has so many trails that go everywhere. There are multiple that go to the peak. No matter which way you want to walk, there will be a trail. Also, there are numerous entrances to the park.
Taking a dog for a walk or biking down the hill are popular activities for locals.
The top of Challen Park is a bit rocky. You can climb on top of rocks to get a better picture or selfie. 25 miles away is Mount Baldy and the San Gabriel Mountains. A dozen miles away are the Santa Ana Mountains. I recommend going on a clear day so you can see all that there is.
Although it can get crowded, it’s beautiful to watch the sunrise and sunset from the top. Everything looks better when there’s an unobstructed view.
One review says, "Challen Park is a hotspot for people that want to exercise quickly. It makes for a great cardio workout with its uphill slopes. It is also a great place to take a quick hike, reaching the top you get some pretty awesome views of Riverside."
Before we end the blog, this area can look absolutely amazing if flowers are blooming!
Have an adventurous day at Challen Park!
El Dorado Park
El Dorado Park is only a few minutes of a walk north. It’s a long stretch of open grass, so it’s perfect for playing a game of football or just about anything else. It will also be much quieter than Challen Park but without the eye-catching view. The picnics here are wonderful!
Address: 4602 Challen Ave, Riverside, CA 92503
Hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset
Coordinates: 33.927901, -117.457503
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