the low intertidal zone, many kinds of seaweeds thrive, including the intriguing sea palm. Animal life, however, is usually concealed beneath the rocks. Look for sea stars, sea urchins, sponges, worms, chitons, snails, abalones, and hermit crabs. If you’re very lucky, an octopus may come your way. Remember that all marine life, shells, and rocks are protected.
Giant keyhole limpet
On your way up toward Little Corona Beach, you pass two picturesque sea stacks just offshore, both pierced by wave action. The first is known as Ladder Rock and the second Arch Rock, but either could just as well have been called Bird Rock for the ever-present pelicans and other avian life. Ladder Rock is 0.3 mile up the coast, and Arch Rock is another 0.3 mile beyond.
If you are traveling with small children or are becoming weary of navigating slippery rocks, the sea cave in the cliffs near Ladder Rock is a good turnaround point because you have seen the best of the tidepools and rock formations. If you still have energy, continue up the coast to the small Cameo Shores Beach, which, except during low tides, is only accessible via a locked gate from the private community. Continue past more tidepools to Shorecliff Beach, then past even more to Little Corona Beach by Arch Rock.
You can retrace your steps from Little Corona Beach, or use roads to complete a loop by walking up the beach access trail and veering right onto Poppy Avenue to reach the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) in 0.4 mile. From here, Pelican Point is 1 mile southeast on the highway. If you didn’t arrange a bicycle shuttle, you could take OC Transit Bus #1 to avoid walking along the busy road; the bus stops at Poppy Avenue and at Pelican Point Drive, where a trail shortcuts back into the state park.
trip 3.2 Crystal Cove Beaches
Distance 2–5.5 miles (loop)
Hiking Time 1–3 hours
Elevation Gain 100’
Difficulty Easy–moderate
Trail Use Good for kids
Best Times All year
Agency CCSP
Permit CCSP parking fee required
DIRECTIONS There are three separate entrances to the bluff-and-beach section of Crystal Cove State Park: Pelican Point, Los Trancos, and Reef Point. All three are clearly marked with large brown signs posted on the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach. For the longest loop, enter via Pelican Point on the west side of the PCH opposite Newport Coast Drive, turn right beyond the entrance station, and park in lot 2.
Hemmed in by 80-foot cliffs on one side and the restless surf on the other, Crystal Cove State Park’s 3 miles of sandy beachfront seem strangely detached from the busy world above. Aside from the quaint beachfront-cottage community at Crystal Cove, recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, the midportion of the beach is largely free of encroachment by man-made structures. Come early in the morning, or anytime on a cold or rainy day, and you may have the beach all to yourself. The bluff tops represent the first (other than the one being cut now at beach level) of several successively higher and older marine terraces extending back into the interior San Joaquin Hills. Stay on the designated paths so as not to trample the sage scrub plant and wildlife community that has been reestablished here. Much of this vegetation looks brown and drab in summer and fall, when it is dormant, but it turns green and colorful during the rainy season.
Crystal Cove State Beach
The tops of the bluffs are excellent for watching gray whales migrate along the shore from December through February, although it is not unusual to see whales spouting just off the coast at other times of year. Using binoculars, scan the ocean surface out to a distance of 1 or 2 miles. Early- to mid-morning light (sidelight) is best for this.
Below the cliffs on the gently shelving beach, you can scuff through warm, squeaky sand above the high-tide line, tiptoe through beached kelp along with flocks of nervous shorebirds, or cool off in the undulating wash of the surf. Swimmers and surfers should beware of the rocky reefs submerged at higher tides. During low tides, the rocky reefs are exposed, promising tidepool discoveries.
To explore the entire length of the beach, park at one of the lots at Pelican Point, pick a trail down to the sand, and follow the beach southeast. Pass the historic district, where you can find upscale refreshments at the Beachcomber Café near the mouth of Los Trancos Creek. Pass between the rocks and cliffs at Reef Point, and continue east over Moro Beach to the lifeguard headquarters near Abalone Point, nearly 3 miles from the start. On your way back, take the trail up to Reef Point and walk along the bluffs, enjoying the overlooks. Pass the bustling Shake Shack in the historic district, and continue back to your vehicle. For a shorter loop, you can trim off either end.
trip 3.3 Emerald Vista Point
Distance 4.6 miles (loop)
Hiking Time 2½ hours
Elevation Gain 800’
Difficulty Moderate
Trail Use Backpacking, cyclists, equestrians, good for kids
Best Times October–May
Agency CCSP
Permit CCSP parking fee required
DIRECTIONS Crystal Cove State Park’s visitor center and backcountry trailhead is located just east of the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), 2 miles north of Laguna Beach and 3 miles south of Corona del Mar. The entrance driveway is well marked, and a traffic light has been installed here for safety. Follow the road as it veers right and passes the entrance station. Continue past Moro Campground and down the hill, then turn left (east) and drive to the trailhead parking near a picnic area at the end of the road.
On the most transparent winter days, the view from Emerald Vista Point spans more than 200 miles of Southern California coast and extends out to sea for a distance of 100 miles or more. Beyond Dana Point to the southeast, the low profile of San Diego’s Point Loma can be traced along the curving shoreline, while offshore the diminutive Coronado Islands (just south of the international border) barely rise above the ocean haze. Southwest and west stand two big islands, San Clemente and Santa Catalina, the former a gently rising blister on the ocean surface, the latter a bold headland sprawling across 25 degrees of ocean horizon. Over the top of the upthrust Palos Verdes peninsula and through the often murky Los Angeles Basin to the northwest, you can sometimes spy the Santa Monica Mountains and the faint blue coastline reaching west toward Santa Barbara.
If you plan to make this a backpacking trip, make a reservation at reserveamerica.com for Crystal Cove State Park Primitive Tent Camping (Lower or Upper Moro trail camps), or get
