Orange County Parks
Orange County Parks is the parks and recreation department of the County of Orange, California, managing 23 regional and wilderness parks, 5 beaches, 9 historic sites, and the OC Zoo, while curating the COPA collection of 6 million fossils and serving residents and visitors through recreation, education, and community programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Orange County Parks does
Orange County Parks (OC Parks) is the parks and recreation department of the County of Orange, California, headquartered at 13042 Old Myford Road in Irvine. The agency manages a portfolio of 23 regional and wilderness parks, 5 beaches, 9 historic sites, and the OC Zoo located within Irvine Regional Park, alongside the County of Orange Paleontology and Archaeology (COPA) collection of over 6 million fossils and artifacts. OC Parks serves Orange County residents and visitors with outdoor recreation, nature-based education, and community programming including the Jr. Ranger Program available at 20 facilities.
The agency's product surface spans physical access to parklands and beaches, an online reservation and permit system for campgrounds, picnic shelters, weddings, filming, and special events, plus structured educational offerings through the OC Zoo (school tours at $3/student, preschool programs at $5/child) and interpretive programs at historic sites. Core technical components are limited: OC Parks uses an online booking system, county-managed social media channels, email newsletters, and physical installations at John Wayne Airport for visitor engagement, but is not a technology company. Recent capital projects include the May 2022 opening of the OC Zoo Large Mammal Exhibit (2 acres, $9 million project cost) and May 2026 resurfacing of tennis and pickleball courts at Laguna Niguel Regional Park.
OC Parks' revenue mechanics are mixed: most facilities are free to enter, with usage-based revenue from parking ($3 weekday / $5 weekend per vehicle at regional parks), annual subscription passes, facility rental fees, OC Zoo education fees, and filming/special event permits. The majority of operations is publicly funded through the County of Orange general fund and tax support, supplemented by competitive grants such as the $1.9 million Proposition 68 per capita grant and the federally awarded Save America's Treasures grant for the Helena Modjeska Historic House restoration. Customer segments span general public/families, school and educational groups, event organizers, and researchers accessing the COPA collection.
Orange County Parks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Orange County Parks
- Legal name
- Orange County Parks (County of Orange)
- Website
- https://ocparks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Orange County Parks is the parks and recreation department of the County of Orange, California, managing 23 regional and wilderness parks, 5 beaches, 9 historic sites, and the OC Zoo, while curating the COPA collection of 6 million fossils and serving residents and visitors through recreation, education, and community programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Orange County Parks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Parks and Recreation
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE), Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH), Campgrounds & RV Parks (Developed Sites) (THAGAOAA)
Keywords
Where Orange County Parks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Orange County Parks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Parking and Entry Fees: Revenue from daily parking fees at regional parks and beaches. Most regional parks charge $3 per vehicle on weekdays and $5 per vehicle on weekends. Beach parking varies by location.
- Annual Passes: Sale of annual parking passes for county parks, beaches, or combined park and beach access.
- Facility Reservations: Rental fees for campgrounds, picnic shelters, group areas, weddings, receptions, meetings, and conferences at park facilities.
- OC Zoo Programs: School and group tour fees ($3 per student or adult), preschool program fees ($5 per child with one parent), and discovery cart activities.
- Special Event and Film Permits: Fees for special events, filming permits, and photography permits at park facilities.
- Public Funding and Tax Support: Government funding from Orange County general fund and public tax revenues supporting park operations and maintenance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Weekday Parking at Regional Parks |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Weekend Parking at Regional Parks |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Pass - Parks Only |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Pass - Beaches Only |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Pass - Parks and Beaches Combined |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | School and Group Zoo Tours |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Preschool Programs |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Camping Fees |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Irvine Regional Park Entry (for OC Zoo access) |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Orange County Parks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Orange County Parks (OC Parks) is the parks department of the County of Orange, California. It manages 23 regional and wilderness parks, 5 beaches, 9 historic sites, and the OC Zoo. The agency provides outdoor recreation, educational programs (such as the OC Parks Jr. Ranger Program and OC Zoo school tours), reservation and permit services for facility rentals and special events, and curates the County of Orange Paleontology and Archaeology (COPA) collection of over six million fossils and artifacts.
Product overview
OC Parks operates as a unified parks and recreation management agency for Orange County, California, offering a portfolio of regional parks (such as Irvine Regional Park, Mile Square Regional Park, and Ralph B. Clark Regional Park), wilderness parks (including Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park), beaches (Capistrano Beach, Salt Creek Beach, Dana Point Harbor), historic sites (Heritage Hill Historical Park, George Key Ranch Historic Park, Helena Modjeska Historic House and Gardens), and the OC Zoo. The agency also provides reservation and permit services for facilities and special events, runs the OC Parks Jr. Ranger youth education program at 20 facilities, and maintains the County of Orange Paleontology and Archaeology (COPA) collection of over six million fossils and artifacts. Notable recent improvements include the OC Zoo Large Mammal Exhibit opened in May 2022, featuring mountain lions and a jaguar in a 2-acre habitat.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Regional Parks
- Wilderness Parks
- Beaches
- Historic Sites
- OC Zoo
- OC Parks Jr. Ranger Program
- County of Orange Paleontology and Archaeology (COPA) Collections
- Facility Reservations and Event Permits
- Annual Parking Passes
Quantifiable outcome
- 2026 Summer Concert Series: 9 free concerts and 12 free movie screenings across OC Parks June 5 to September 3, 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Orange County Parks
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Orange County Parks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Orange County Parks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and historic.
- Rudolph & Sletten, Inc.majorDesign-build contractor awarded contract by Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2019 to provide design and construction services for the OC Zoo Large Mammal Exhibit Project.
- Jeff Katz ArchitecturemajorArchitecture firm awarded contract by Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2019 to provide design and construction services for the OC Zoo Large Mammal Exhibit Project.
- OC Public WorkscoreCollaboration partner with OC Parks on the Design Build delivery method for the OC Zoo Large Mammal Exhibit Project, providing cost-effective alternative to traditional design-bid-build process.
- California State University, FullertonhistoricAcademic partner that prepared and cataloged the County's COPA collection from 1999 until approximately 2018 through a collaboration lasting nearly 20 years.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Orange County Parks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Operates the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, a much larger zoological institution in Southern California. Relevant peer for the OC Zoo's educational programming, species care, and conservation mandate, though significantly larger in scale and budget.
- California State Parks: State-level agency operating 280+ park units including state beaches, historic parks, and recreation areas throughout California. Broader geographic mandate than OC Parks but directly comparable in core services (park access, camping, education, historic preservation).
Direct peers
- San Diego County Parks and Recreation: County parks agency operating regional parks, lakes, and historic sites in San Diego County. Comparable governance structure (county department), revenue model, and program offerings including camping, picnicking, and educational programming.
- East Bay Regional Park District: Special district operating 73+ parks and 1,330 miles of trails in the San Francisco Bay Area. Comparable as a public-sector regional parks operator with similar revenue mix (fees, passes, grants) and programming.
- Santa Ana Zoo (Preston B. Plumb): Small municipal zoo in Orange County focused on Central and South American fauna. Directly comparable to the OC Zoo in scale, educational programming (school tours), and community zoo model.
- Santa Barbara County Parks: County parks department operating regional parks, beaches, and campgrounds along the Santa Barbara coast. Comparable governance and service portfolio with an emphasis on coastal recreation.
- San Bernardino County Regional Parks: County regional parks department managing multiple regional parks, campgrounds, and recreation areas. Comparable in scale, funding approach, and programming mix to OC Parks.
- Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation: The peer county parks agency in Southern California, operating an even larger portfolio of regional parks, beaches, golf courses, and recreation programs for LA County residents. Directly comparable in mandate, funding model (county general fund + user fees), and service mix.
- Riverside County Regional Parks: Operates a portfolio of regional parks, campgrounds, and historic sites across Riverside County. Comparable in serving a large Southern California inland population with usage fees, camping, and outdoor recreation.
Regional players
- City of Irvine Parks & Recreation: Municipal parks operator serving Irvine residents with community parks, facilities, and recreation programs. Comparable in local recreation programming and educational offerings but smaller scale and municipal rather than county-level.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Orange County Parks social profiles
Digital presenceOrange County Parks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Orange County Parks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Orange County Parks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Orange County Parks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Orange County Parks
What does Orange County Parks do?
Orange County Parks (OC Parks) is the parks department of the County of Orange, California. It manages 23 regional and wilderness parks, 5 beaches, 9 historic sites, and the OC Zoo. The agency provides outdoor recreation, educational programs (such as the OC Parks Jr. Ranger Program and OC Zoo school tours), reservation and permit services for facility rentals and special events, and curates the County of Orange Paleontology and Archaeology (COPA) collection of over six million fossils and artifacts.
Is Orange County Parks a public or private company?
Orange County Parks is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Orange County Parks founded?
Orange County Parks was founded in -1. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Orange County Parks based?
Orange County Parks is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Orange County Parks make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Parking and Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are annual Passes, facility Reservations, OC Zoo Programs, special Event and Film Permits and public Funding and Tax Support.
Who are Orange County Parks's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and California State Parks. Direct peers are San Diego County Parks and Recreation, East Bay Regional Park District, Santa Ana Zoo (Preston B. Plumb), Santa Barbara County Parks, San Bernardino County Regional Parks, Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and Riverside County Regional Parks. City of Irvine Parks & Recreation is listed as a regional player.
Does Orange County Parks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Orange County Parks.
What industry is Orange County Parks in?
Orange County Parks's product category is Public Parks and Recreation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAH, Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration, with a secondary code of THAJAEAE, Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions). Its NAICS code is 71219 and its SIC code is 7900.