If you haven’t had the opportunity to go up in The Great Park Balloon yet, you’re missing out. The Great Park Balloon is the largest tethered balloon in the country. That’s right…tethered. Very securely tethered on a thick metal cable. It’s not the hot air balloon ride that I’d initially imagined – an Orange County version of James & The Giant Peach – but the view is spectacular. And for right now its free.
I went up on the Great Park Balloon for the first time last week. It was my second attempt with fellow-blogger and real estate agent Vicki Lloyd of Lake Forest. Our first try resulted in a disappointing cancellation due to wind concerns. The air balloon operators check wind speeds frequently to ensure safety. If there are gusts that exceed the maximum allowable wind speed, the ride is temporarily shut down. If the wind and gusts continue, or the forecast is that it will continue, operators will close the ride for the day. Before you leave the house, be sure to call the Visitor’s Center at (866) 829-3829 for up to date flight info. This can save you an unnecessary drive as wind speeds are constantly changing and even if there’s not a hint of a breeze in Rancho Santa Margarita, there may be breeze at the Great Park.
In a way it was nice to have a test run the first day. First of all, since we are veteran Orange County real estate agents, and know the Saddleback Valley and Irvine Valley areas like the back of our hands, we didn’t bother to look at a map or print out directions. We had seen the balloon hundreds of times and are familiar with the former El Toro Marine Base. So we just got in the car and drove. Imagine seeing this enormous, 210,000 cubic foot orange balloon in the middle of a maze and driving toward it from several angles but never being able to find the right route in. If you love driving around in circles then just jump in the car and go, for everyone else I highly recommend taking 30 seconds to pull up the directions or plug the address into your navigation system. Once you actually get near the Great Park Balloon area, follow the trail of big orange painted balloons on the asphalt and it will lead you directly to the parking lot.
The 118′ x 72′ balloon can carry up to 30 passengers at a time to a maximum height of 400 feet. That doesn’t sound too amazingly high, but it feels high when you’re up there. You can literally see forever on a clear day so a camera is a must. The ride is approximately 10 minutes, but if there is a smaller crowd you may get lucky and get an extra five minutes.
Great Park Balloon hours:
- Sunday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Monday – Closed
- Tuesday – Closed
- Wednesday – Closed
- Thursday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Friday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Saturday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
When you arrive at the Great Park Balloon, follow the signs to the Visitor’s Center to register and receive your boarding pass. Take a few minutes to enjoy the Visitor’s Center and learn more about the Orange County Great Park.
For more information please check out the Orange County Great Park website.
