A new chapter for Inside the Outdoors

Nearly six years after the Bond Fire swept through Rancho Soñado, the Orange County Department of Education is returning to the longtime home of Inside the Outdoors to begin construction on a new environmental education center.

The rebuilt site will include outdoor learning areas, an amphitheater, updated indoor classrooms, administrative spaces and improved access for students, buses and emergency vehicles. Construction is expected to begin in October 2026, with completion anticipated in December 2027.

The project will restore Rancho Soñado as a central hub for hands-on environmental learning while creating new spaces for future generations of students.

A place with deep roots

Rancho Soñado covers roughly 110 acres in the Santa Ana Mountains. The property was granted to the Orange County Board of Education in 2003 through the Trust for Public Land with the intent that it be preserved and used for outdoor education. Rancho Soñado became Inside the Outdoors' official home in December 2006.

On Dec. 2, 2020, the wind-driven Bond Fire swept through the property. Two of the site's three structures were destroyed, including the residence of the Inside the Outdoors operations manager and her family. Many of the program's animal ambassadors were also lost. No OCDE employees were injured.

Inside the Outdoors continued serving students after the fire through field trips at other locations and programs delivered directly at schools. In 2025-26, the program served approximately 120,000 young learners through its classroom and field-trip offerings.

What's being built

The new Rancho Soñado Inside the Outdoors Education Center will become a launching point to help students explore the surrounding landscape across the 110-acre site in Silverado Canyon.

The center's accessible indoor and outdoor learning laboratories will serve as a home base for visiting school groups, inspiring curiosity and inviting students to dig deeper into what they discover.

The rebuilt education center will include:

• A 2,168-square-foot administrative building
• A 3,637-square-foot multipurpose building for environmental education, special instruction and lab sciences
• A 1,709-square-foot outdoor dining pavilion, with nearly 4,000 square feet of roofed area
• A 4,382-square-foot covered area for outdoor instruction, training and special events
• A 133-seat amphitheater
• Four 823-square-foot educational pavilions positioned throughout the property for environmental presentations and student learning
• Parking for 50 vehicles and four buses, along with three ADA parking spaces
• Native and drought-tolerant landscaping

An educational pavilion will be fully accessible for people with disabilities.