Laguna Niguel Regional Park adds four pickleball courts, reopens after upgrade

Laguna Niguel Regional Park now offers a bigger target for everyday pickleball players: 12 public courts instead of eight, after OC Parks resurfaced every tennis and pickleball court and converted one existing tennis court into four new pickleball courts. The upgraded complex reopened on May 13, 2026, giving Orange County players more places to get on court without paying a fee.

The change matters because it is not just new paint or fresh lines. The project rebuilt the playing environment, from resurfacing the existing courts to adding dedicated pickleball space in a park where demand has already been building for years. OC Parks said the courts are first come, first served, which should make the extra four courts especially valuable during peak times when waiting for open play can turn a quick outing into a long one. The park is at 28241 La Paz Road near Crown Valley Parkway.

Vice Chair Katrina Foley of the Orange County Board of Supervisors attended the ribbon cutting, underscoring how far pickleball has moved from a niche amenity to a county recreation priority. OC Parks said a countywide study of community interest in pickleball helped identify Laguna Niguel Regional Park as a natural fit, and the agency noted that the park was the first OC Parks facility to initially feature pickleball courts.

For players, the practical upside is straightforward. Laguna Niguel Regional Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in spring and summer, then 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in fall and winter, so the expanded court count gives locals more flexibility for early play, after-work sessions and weekend meetups. Parking costs $3 per vehicle on weekdays and $5 on weekends, a useful detail for anyone planning to make the park part of a regular rotation.

The new courts build on a local timeline that goes back to January 10, 2018, when the City of Laguna Niguel and the County of Orange dedicated four outdoor pickleball courts after residents pushed for more places to play. That earlier addition helped establish the park as a pickleball hub; this latest expansion turns it into one of the more usable public clusters in Orange County.