The Hill Formerly Known as “Suicide”
The view from the top of the soon-to-be-renamed hill in January, 2020. Photo/Kevin Chen
Update: Chaparral Park Hill (formerly known as Suicide Hill) has officially been renamed Sunset Point. Read more about the name change here!
On January 28th, a small item was added to the Irvine City Council agenda ahead of its monthly meeting. It suggested a discussion to rename “Suicide Hill” in Turtle Rock.
Why would a group of elected officials take time from the busy work of managing a city during such extraordinarily difficult times? Because Irvine cares.
A memo regarding the discussion added, “We have heard the concerns of residents over the nickname of the well-known hill above Chaparral Park … and agree that a more inspiring name would be appropriate.”
An unnamed member of the community brought this issue to the Council and it was added to the agenda for discussion at the February 9th meeting. According to the minutes from that meeting, the Council voted four to one to rename “Suicide Hill.”
The hill in question begins with a civilized stairway behind Chaparral Park. The stairway starts surrounded by dense foliage that clears as visitors climb ever higher to an overlook. If you’re looking for a workout, the stairs alone can do it.
Sightseers can sit on the overlook’s bench to appreciate the view or continue on a more rugged, unpaved path up a steep hillside. The climb levels off to reveal a vista with a full three hundred and sixty degree view of Irvine and the surrounding area. On a clear day, hilltop hikers can take in the ocean coastline, neatly ordered homes dotting the surrounding hills, and snow capped mountains all from one spot.
The downhill hike can be daunting, and sometimes leads to sliding down steep, sandy areas. It is the route back down the hill that originally prompted its nickname. Local lore implies that the hill was named “Suicide Hill” due to the difficulty of the hill trails.
The city’s renaming survey asks Irvinites to weigh in on suggested names or offer their own. The deadline for survey entries is March 26th. Survey results will be announced March 30th.
The hill holds special significance for many Irvinites. High school seniors gather before the first day of school each year. Groups can be seen making their way to the top for fireworks every Fourth of July. And my family summits each New Years Day, either for sunrise or sunset, to see the sunlight paint our city in dazzling golden light. We never refer to the hill as “Suicide Hill.” There have been far too many lives lost to suicide in Irvine to make light of it.
This special hill is too beautiful and peaceful to carry such an ugly name. It’s high time we gave it a name it deserves.
Take the city’s survey and help rename the hill!