Crystal Cove State Park
Laguna Beach, CA 92651-1043
Phone: (949) 494-3539
- Hours:
- Daily 6am-Sunset
Editorial Review for Crystal Cove State Park – by Citysearch Editors
In Short
This still-pristine region of Orange County coastline features three-and-a-half miles of beach and 2,000 acres of undeveloped inland woods. Not only popular for swimming, surfing, sunbathing and scuba diving (there's an entire underwater park), the inland area is where locals and in-the-know out-of-towners enjoy hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. Visitors can explore tidepools and sandy coves as well as fish and camp. Just be forewarned: It's not beach camping. After you park your car in the El Moro lot, you must hike inland about three miles, mostly uphill.
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Insider Tips
ParkingAn all-day parking pass is $10 and annual passes are $125.
The ExtrasTent sites are a strenuous three-mile hike from the parking lot, away from the beach. Sites are primitive, but there are pit toilets available. A telephone is in the parking lot.
User Reviews for Crystal Cove State Park
08/17/2008 Posted by BigDave35
I shouldn't be telling the world this because then it will get too crowded, but this place is a gem! You can't go wrong by going here. Its kept like nature intended and is one of the most beautiful locations in the world.
07/03/2008 Posted by RiverBoatQueen
Crystal Cove's 3.5 mile stretch is more of a day walker's beach than a swimmer's beach. Lots of people come by and pay the 10 dollar parking fee, just to don a fanny pack and bottle of water to walk all or part of the Crystal Cove length. Starting at the bottom, where the old El Morro Trailer Park people got booted out, a day hiker will see beautiful blue waters of Laguna Beach - I love how brilliant tourquoise blends into a bright royal blue out in the ocean. Occasionally a school of dolphins frolic nearby; sometimes a snorkler will swim around but no surfing is seen because the waves are consistently flat. Lots of rocks are in the water, and they become more numerous and striking the farther north one walks. Midway through this walk, hikers will see the Historic District, which is a crowded bunch of tumble-down, old homes. The Crystal Cove Society renovated some of the nicer beach cottages and regular people can rent these homes at reasonable rates - providing the tenets don't mind ghosts wandering those rental units at the dark side of Midnight! My friends stayed at the biggest rental cottage and after the strike of midnight, the kitchen cabinets started to open and close. The kitchen door flew open, and there wasn't much of a breeze outside! My friend got so creeped-out, but stayed hidden in bed, under a fluffy blanket and pillow. One of the gardeners there talks about a surfer kid who is seen wandering up the steep staircase late, late at night, when there is a full moon. But other than that, the place is quiet and no bad people even know where Crystal Cove is. Past the Historical cottages, the hiker will see more beautiful blue waters and at the northern-most end of the hike, there is a huge rock formation that resembles something right out of the Grand Canyon! There is a golf course there, and it's the point where Newport spoils the pure & wilderness of Laguna's Crystal Cove wilderness. ENJOY!
Pros: Off the path of familiarity - people just don't know about it.
Cons: Please don't go if you have a heart or breathing problem.
