Sienna Ridge, Mission Viejo

If you would like the amenities of nicely planned, quiet suburban community set close to nature, then Painted Trails of Mission Viejo may be what you’re looking for. Located at the northern part of Mission Viejo, Painted Trails, a composite of 4 small neighborhoods, is set against the wild landscape of the foothills with Oso Reservoir at its door step.

Having passed this half-hidden community about a hundred times on my commute on the 241 Toll road, I decided to take look inside. It’s a small, lusciously landscaped community with mostly larger family homes.

What struck me immediately was that within a few short blocks there were at least a couple of good size parks that seemed to be linked by a system of trails. I explored Painted Trails Park and was impressed with its offerings of sports courts and field, a community pool and spa area, and picnic areas. Its companion, Wandering Park, looked to offer similar amenities.

I drove up to the Sienna Ridge neighborhood overlooking Upper Oso Reservoir and was treated to some amazing view of city lights and mountain vistas.

The one thing I noticed was that there were no schools in the immediate area. I later learned that the kids actually attend schools in other towns such as Rancho Santa Margarita and Lake Forest. While these are great schools, it would seem to take away from the community aspect when your kids are spread out in schools outside of the area.

The community is somewhat isolated from the main shopping pockets and there are no commercial offerings inside of the community. This may not be all bad and they do have quick access to the Foothill Ranch Town Center in one direction and the El Paseo Shopping area of RSM.