Crystal Cove State Park
Crystal Cove State Park stretches along the coast between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach and combines 3.2 miles of shoreline, a protected marine area, the Crystal Cove Historic District, more than 2,000 acres of backcountry, hiking trails, camping and tide pools. Use this guide to choose the right entrance for the beach, cottages, tide pools, campground or trails.
Highlights include the historic beach cottages, four primary parking and access areas, 18 miles of trails, Moro Campground and backcountry campsites, and offshore waters popular for snorkeling and scuba diving. The Historic District is also home to Cottage #13, the cottage featured in the 1988 movie Beaches.
There is no camping allowed on the beach or near the cottages at Crystal Cove. However, there is a bluff top campground walking distance to the sand, and backcountry campsites located approximately 3 miles from the main parking lot accessible only by foot.
This California State Park has over 3 miles of Southern California’s world famous sandy beaches, 2,400 acres of rolling backcountry hills with views of the shoreline, plus offshore underwater areas for tide pool exploration and more marine life experiences. This Orange County protected area that boasts wide open public spaces and natural, untouched, and undeveloped seashore is truly magical.
See More Of The Best State Parks In California
Crystal Cove at a Glance
- Coastline: 3.2 miles of beaches and coves
- Backcountry: More than 2,000 acres with 18 miles of trails
- Historic District: 46 historic cottages, with a portion restored for overnight stays
- Main parking areas: Pelican Point, Los Trancos, Reef Point and Moro
- Day-use hours: 6AM to sunset; the Historic District remains open until 10PM
- Dogs: Allowed on paved areas only; not permitted on the beach or backcountry trails
- Camping: Moro Campground plus primitive backcountry campsites
Crystal Cove Details
Address: 8471 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: 949-494-3539
Website: https://www.parks.ca.gov/crystalcove and https://www.crystalcovestatepark.org/
Dogs: Dogs are allowed only on paved areas. They are not allowed on the beach or in the back country.
Hours: Beaches are open 6AM to Sunset, and the Historic District is open until 10PM.
Restrooms: Available on the bluff top near all parking areas.
Before you go: Trail conditions, closures, parking restrictions, construction and reservation availability can change. Check the official California State Parks Crystal Cove page for current conditions before visiting.
Parking
Crystal Cove has four primary parking and access areas along Coast Highway. Choose Los Trancos for the Historic District, cottages and Beachcomber Café; Reef Point or Pelican Point for beaches, overlooks and tide pools; and Moro for Moro Beach, the campground and backcountry trails. Pelican Point is the northernmost area. Standard day-use parking is commonly posted at about $15, but rates and special-event or peak-period pricing can change, so check California State Parks before your visit.
Pelican Point: Use Pelican Point to access multiple parking lots. The bluff top trails offer access to three overlooks. Beach access takes visitors down to Treasure Cove and tide pools to explore.
Los Trancos: The Los Trancos parking area features a tunnel to the beach and access to Crystal Cove’s historic district and beach cottages. Parking in Los Trancos also takes visitors to Crystal Cove Conservancy Headquarters, the Visitor Center and Interpretive Store, cultural center, the Beachcomber Café, the Film and Media Center, the Park and Marine Research Facility, the beach promenade, and Los Trancos Creek. The path from Los Trancos to the Historic District is about a half mile.
Los Trancos Shuttle: A shuttle operates between the Los Trancos parking area and the Historic District. Fares and operating details can change, so check current park information before visiting.
Reef Point: Reef Point Parking Area offers three access points to the beach. Here you’ll find a quarter-mile trail that takes visitors down to 3.5 Cove. To access Scotchman’s Cove, you can use the stairway. There is a ramp to Muddy Creek if you’re looking for great body surfing.
There are two large parking lots at reef point, walking paths along the bluff top, tidepools to explore, and an overlook point.
El Moro Day Use Area: Use this entrance to park for Moro Campground, the environmental study loop, access to multiple hiking trails, the beach tunnel, and more.
Crystal Cove State Beach
There are 3.2 miles of beach at Crystal Cove and is a popular spot for swimming, surfing, and tidepooling. The Crystal Cove Beaches can be accessed by parking at any of the designated parking lots and walking down to the sand from the top of the bluffs.
The beaches at Crystal Cove are:
Moro Beach - Park in Moro Day Use lot. Extends from Abalone Point to Muddy Creek.
Reef Point - Three access points from Reef Point Parking Lot take you to 3.5 Cove, Scotchman's Cove, and Muddy Creek.
Historic District Beach - Park in Los Trancos Lot to access the beach at the Historic District.
Pelican Point - Four lots with beach access points.
The beach can be accessed via ramp or stairs. The water off of Crystal Cove is considered a State Marine Conservation Area.
The State Marine Conservation Area is open to divers to explore the rich coastal habitat and the many marine species that make a home here.
Tide Pools
Crystal Cove State Park has four amazing tide pool areas along its seashore. For the best tide-pool viewing, park guidance recommends a low tide of about 1.5 feet or lower; negative tides are especially good. Arrive roughly an hour before the predicted low tide so you have time to explore safely as the water recedes. Due to the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the earth there are two high tides and two low tides in California every day. When the water recedes at low tide rocks are revealed with pools of ocean water trapped along the shoreline. Inside of these crevices is a thriving marine world filled with many living organisms such as crabs, anemones, limpets and if you are lucky, even sea stars.
Protect tide-pool wildlife by observing without touching, moving or collecting marine life, shells, rocks or other natural material from the tide pools. Park guidance allows limited collection of sea glass and driftwood from appropriate beach areas; otherwise, leave natural features where you find them.
There are four tide pool viewing areas in Crystal Cove State Park: Reef Point, Rocky Bight, Pelican Point, and Treasure Cove.
Crystal Cove Cottages
One of Crystal Cove's most distinctive features is its Historic District. The seaside colony developed primarily between the 1920s and 1940s, leaving 46 historic cottages that preserve a rare piece of Southern California coastal history.
The 46 cottages are part of the federally listed Historic District. The Crystal Cove Conservancy has restored 24 cottages for overnight use, including individual cottages and dorm-style accommodations. Cottage #13 was transformed for the 1988 movie Beaches and is now the Beaches Film & Media Center. Its porch can be visited year-round, while interior access is offered on select dates and tours. See more in our guide to movies filmed in Orange County.
Restored cottages can be reserved for overnight stays through the Conservancy and ReserveCalifornia. Reservations are released on a rolling basis up to six months ahead and are highly competitive. Current rules include a seven-night maximum per calendar year. Additional cottages are being restored as part of the ongoing Phase III restoration project, so visitors may encounter weekday construction activity while park facilities remain open.
Learn More About Crystal Cove Cottages
See A Map Of the Historic District and Crystal Cove Cottages
The Crystal Cove Conservancy Headquarters and Park Interpretive Center are located in the historic district, as well as the exhibit cottage, Park & Marine Research Center, and Crystal Cove Visitor Center. The store is open daily from 9AM to 7PM.
Trails & Hiking
Crystal Cove State Park is a popular hiking area for locals. The 2,400 acres that comprise the park have over 18 miles of designated trails spanning the coastline and into the mountains. As you climb into the hill-filled backcountry, you're rewarded with views of the Pacific Ocean. The trails weave around endangered coastal sagebrush plants, so when trekking make sure to stay on the trails and off the plant life. Dogs are allowed on paved areas but are not permitted on the beach or backcountry trails, including the primitive backcountry camp areas.
Crystal Cove Trails To Hike
- Moro Canyon Trail: Take the Moro Canyon Trail for an easy 3 mile out and back. Find the trail head near the dirt trail by the campground, cross the bridge and continue along the trail. Turn around and head back when you reach the junction with Poles and West Cut Across.
- Bluff Top Trail: This easy paved route follows the coastal bluff and offers ocean views, overlooks and access toward Pelican Point. Stay on designated paths and use marked beach-access routes when heading down to the shoreline.
- Crystal Cove State Park Historic District: Not really a hike but more of a relaxing stroll through history. This easy trail will take you around the 12-acre historic Irvine Ranch Lands. Here you can see the 46 cottages built between 1920-1930 which you can still rent out today.
- No Dogs, Poles, & Moro Canyon Trails: The rating is moderate as you make your way up and down the rolling hills. The length of the entire loop is about 3 miles and promises great views at the higher points in the trail.
- Park Perimeter: This is a great backcountry trail that will take you right along the boundaries of the State Park. The trail length is about 9 miles and rated strenuous for a great workout. Find a full description of the hike details here.
Crystal Cove State Park Hiking Trails Map
Observation Platforms & Viewpoints
There are a number of viewpoint and observation platforms along the bluff top trail to take in the beautiful ocean views.
- At the northernmost end of the Bluff Top Trail at the end of Viewpoint Path
- At Pelican Point at the end of the Boardwalk
- At Pelican Point at the end of an unnamed trail
- Two At Reef Point, one overlooking 3.5 Cove and one off Starpath trail overlooking Scotchman's Cove
- Moro Cove Overlook is at the southernmost end of the Bluff Top Trail at Reef Point
Camping
Crystal Cove State Park has multiple campground options within the park. One developed campground is RV friendly, while three backcountry primitive camps offer a “roughing it” experience.
Each campground requires reservations and a permit fee to use. To reserve a campground visit www.reservecalifornia.com, or call (800) 444-7275. Remember, there is no camping allowed on the beach or near the cottages at Crystal Cove.
Campground Details
- Moro Campground: This campground is large with 57 family picnic table campsites. If you have an RV or trailer there are 27 sites specifically for you, while the remaining 30 are for what is described as “low impact” soft sided trailers, van conversions, and tents. Restrooms, hook ups, and coin operated showers are available. And the best part? Pups are allowed in the developed campground area! Max length for RVs is 38' in hookup sites and 25' in non-hookup sites.
- Primitive Camping: Although Crystal Cove is a gorgeous beach you can not actually camp on its sandy shores. All three of the primitive campgrounds require at least a 3 mile hike up into the hills from the parking area. Other things to remember when camping is there is no water available and any fires are limited to only backpack stoves. You can not beat the sites and privacy of these campgrounds. That alone makes the hike worth it. The three sites are:
- Lower Moro
- Upper Moro
- Deer Canyon Campsites
See a Map of Crystal Cove Moro Campground
Dining at Crystal Cove
The Beachcomber Café: 15 Crystal Cove, Newport Coast, CA 92657. Check the restaurant's official website for current hours and reservations.
Inside one of the restored beach cottages, Beachcomber Café offers a relaxed atmosphere with ocean views serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just looking for a place to grab a few drinks and appetizers after a day at the beach? The Bootlegger Bar is open until 9:30PM every night.
Crystal Cove Shake Shack: 7703 East Coast Highway, Newport Coast, CA 92657. Check the restaurant's official website for current hours.
The Crystal Cove Shake Shack is the perfect beachside road stop to grab a bite. They've got everything from breakfast burritos and burgers to soups and seafood. But their shakes are what the kids (and everyone, really) want. The shake shack has a small parking lot and an outdoor-only seating area, and there's sometimes a line of cars waiting to get in, proving it's worth a stop. Not just for the great food, but also for the ocean views.
Crystal Cove History
Long before Spanish colonization, Indigenous peoples including the Gabrielino/Tongva and Juaneño/Acjachemen indigenous peoples called this territory home. Here they fished the deep waters of the Channel Islands in large, wooden plank vessels for food, gathered acorns to pound into paste with mortar and pestle, and lived in community villages along the coastline. But in 1769 when colonizers came to set roots; this tribal life drastically changed much like the rest of the New World.
By the early 20th century, Crystal Cove had become part of a changing coastal landscape shaped by ranching, farming, recreation and filmmaking. When looking out upon the shoreline, movie cameras, actors and actresses, and a sprinkling of tents as the first feature film to be filmed here, Treasure Island, was being captured. Quaint beach cottages would be built as Japanese farmers began planting hundreds of crops on the hillside. The 1950s brought the peak of tourism to the area and the El Moro Beach Trailer Park was established into a permanent mobile home facility in 1956.
Crystal Cove State Park was established in 1979. Preservation efforts by California State Parks, the Crystal Cove Conservancy and community supporters helped protect the coastline, backcountry and Historic District while restoring the cottages for public use and interpretation.
Movies Filmed at Crystal Cove
Crystal Cove has been used as a filming location since Hollywood's early years. Notable productions associated with the park include Treasure Island (1918 and 1934), The Sea Wolf (1920), Stormswept (1923), The Wreck of the Hesperus (1927), Sadie Thompson (1928), Rain (1932), To Have and Have Not (1944), Herbie Rides Again (1974), Creator (1985), Beaches (1988) and A Few Good Men (1992). Cottage #13's role in Beaches remains the park's best-known movie connection. See additional locations in our Movies Filmed in Orange County guide.
Crystal Cove Shopping Center & Restaurants
Address: 7845-8085 East Coast Highway, Newport Beach, CA 92657
At the southern end of Crystal Cove is the Crystal Cove Shopping Center. Here you'll find a number of retail, service, and dining options including:
Dining:
A Crystal Cove (949) 990-4574
Bear Flag Fish Company (949) 715-8899
Javier's (949) 494-1239
Marché Moderne (714) 434-7900
Mastro's Ocean Club (949) 376-6990
Modo Mio Rustic Italian Kitchen (949) 497-9770
zpizza (949) 715-1117
Pressed (949) 715-9406
Shopping:
Aston Martin (949) 999-9007
Banana Republic (949) 494-4626
The Butchery (949) 715-3383
Casablanca Bridal (949) 715-8228
Coastal Cool (949) 494-4545
COVO (949) 715-6900
Fetneh Blake Concept (949) 494-3787
Gap/Gap Kids/Gap Body (949) 494-0792
Levik's Jewelers by the Cove (949) 715-3899
Novecento Boutique (949) 715-1700
Piajeh (949) 715-4800
Tidelli Outdoor Living (714) 715-0604
Trader Joe's (949) 494-7404
Williams-Sonoma (949) 464-2168
Services:
Chase Bank (949) 607-0053
EyeXam Optometry
LaserAway (949) 432-7300
Hotels Near Crystal Cove
The Resort At Pelican Hill
22701 S Pelican Hill Rd., Newport Coast, CA 92657
855-315-8214
Marriott's Newport Coast Villas
23000 Newport Coast Dr., Newport Coast, CA 92657
949-464-6000
Hyatt Regency Newport Beach
1107 Jamboree Rd., Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-729-1234
VEA Newport Beach
900 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-640-4000
Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina
1131 Back Bay Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-999-3100
Crescent Bay Inn Laguna Beach
1435 N Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949-494-2508
Hotel Joaquin
985 N Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949-494-5294
There are so many ways to enjoy Crystal Cove State Park from hiking to camping, tide pools to junior lifeguard programs. Whatever you choose to do you will really, truly enjoy your visit!
Happy adventures!
Find The Best National Parks In California
