Adventures in Southern California: crystal cove state park

Alta Laguna Park

Alta Laguna Park is a fantastic neighborhood park located high in the hills overlooking Laguna Beach. Alta Laguna has a playground for the kiddies, tennis courts, restrooms and an absolutely amazing birds-eye view of the beach. It’s also a great jumping off point for some of the best mountain trails in Orange County.

If you plan on heading up to Alta Laguna for some mountain biking, you can park your car in the parking lot or on the street. You pick up the West Ridge Trail at the locked gate at the end of Alta Laguna Blvd. The West Ridge Trail is a wide, hard packed, dirt trail that snakes north, paralleling Laguna Canyon Road far down in the canyon below. The trail is in great shape and its wide enough to bomb the steeper sections at full speed. The trail is mostly downhill from Alta Laguna, so be prepared for some rigorous uphill riding on your return trip. There are several side trails that connect to Wood Canyon Trail at the bottom of the canyon. If you plan on riding all the way to the bottom to Wood Canyon, I would highly advise a two car shuttle to drive back to the top, unless you really want the exercise.

If you don’t want to ride all the way to the bottom, you can follow the West Ridge Trail from Alta Laguna Park for 1.5 miles and turn around at the water tower. The return trip from this point is not nearly as grueling as riding all the way to the bottom. Be sure to bring sunscreen and plenty of water because you will be completely exposed to the sun on the trail.

Directions to Alta Laguna Park:

From Route 1 in Laguna Beach, turn onto Legion Street. In a quarter mile, merge right onto Park Ave. Continue uphill on Park Avenue. You will come to a few confusing intersections and stop signs. Just keep on Park Ave. After 1.3 miles, make a left onto Alta Laguna Blvd and follow it for a quarter mile to the end. The park and the mountain bike trails are impossible to miss.

West Ridge Trail. Alta Laguna Park

Crystal Cove Arch

Crystal Cove is a huge state park located a few miles South of Newport Beach along Coastal Highway (route 1). Coastal Highway splits the park in half, separating the coves, arches, sea caves and pristine beaches from the mountain biking and hiking trails on the mountain. You never really lose sight of civilization in the park, but the only sound you’re likely to hear is the wind and surf. The beaches don’t get the weekend crowds in the summer that Newport and Laguna can get, but the amenities are limited to just the bathrooms adjacent to the parking areas. To really experience Crystal Cove, you’ll probably need a full day.

You can’t camp on the beach in Crystal Cove, but you can hike to the top of El Moro canyon and camp along the ridge at the Upper Moro campground. It’s a somewhat strenuous 4 mile hike up the mountain to the campsites, but you’ll be rewarded with awe inspiring views of the ocean. I’ve never camped there myself, but it’s on my to-do list for the summer. The campground is primitive, so you’ll have to pack in all of your provisions. Don't forget the bio-degradable toilet paper. My preferred hiking route is to climb up El Moro canyon on the El Moro trail to the top, follow the ridgeline south and then descend on the Moro Ridge trail. Watch out for mountain bikers and beautiful trophy wives in sports bras on the trails.

The Northern Part of Crystal Cove has an underwater scuba park, caves, arches, hidden coves and tidal pools. When the tide is out, you can scramble along the rocks from Corona Beach to Crystal Cove. This section of beach isn't technically part of Crystal Cove, but it has a lot of cool features to see. It’s a very delicate ecosystem, so try to keep out of the tidal pools. You’ll see crabs, mussels, clams, sea anemones, and the occasional seal sunning himself on the rocks. The caves in this section are the best in all of Orange County. For me, the large natural arch called Arch Rock is one the highlights of the park. It’s located past the northern most part of the park on the beach before you reach Corona. It can take some tricky rock scrambling to reach it from either direction and sometimes its unreachable because of the high tides. You can find the location on Google maps.