What a great beach! Tucked in South Laguna, it's just the right size not to accumulate huge crowds like Huntington, but larger and sandier than the one in 'regular' Laguna. I arrived at 9:30am and found ample parking. The crowds hadn't arrived although there were quite a few people still. I decided the interesting section was where I saw lots of short boarders congregating. South of the Lifeguard Post swimming is forbidden but the rough surf and large crashing waves are a short boarder's paradise and I was not only entertained, but somewhat inspired to try the sport. The food service never opened so I don't know the story there except bringing lots of water and snacks is advised. Just be responsible and tote out your trash. The sand was clean so I had no trouble laying down a couple of towels and soaking up some rays. It got hot by noon and so did the sand underfoot. The crowds grew and the number of cars orbiting the parking lot looking for a space made it difficult to back out when I finally did leave. First, however, I wanted to thoroughly scout the area and found the tunnel under Highway One to be the coolest place. The additional parking across the road was?full but sparsely populated so evidently everyone hit the beach. Only a dollar an hour to park, I stayed for almost three-hours. My new favorite spot! Next time I'll bring an umbrella and small cooler. read more

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Heard great things about this beach and they said it was a hidden gem. Well, it wasn't hidden cause it was crazy busy. There is limited parking in a small paid parking lot and some street parking. The waves here are crazy strong and can knock you out. There's lots of beautiful spots for photos. The sand is pretty rough with rocks. There's lots of big rocks to walk over to the other side of the beach. It's pretty good size beach and there's a cool cafe you can purchase food, adult beverages, smoothies, soda, and they will give you free ice water if you ask them. The garlic fries was bomb! The berry smoothie was good too. read more

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This is my favorite beach to go near Laguna Beach! First of all, plenty of parking space, and very cheap! About $1 per hour!!! Yes! I was surprised too! Second reason I like this beach, because it has a small restaurant, where you can have the best fish tacos! And fish and chips, too! This is pure happiness! There are plenty of space for sunbathing. The sand is nice and smooth! You can rent a chair and towel at the restaurant for a nominal charge. I, personally love walking on this beach! Can't wait to return again and again! read more

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Stay away from my beach! This used to be quite and peaceful, now it's overcrowded. Again it's mine! read more

Aliso Beach - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Loved this beach. It's more quiet than the main beach. That was what we were looking for. It's in the middle of "nowhere to walk to" though. There's a restaurant there, but if you want to shop, etc you'll need to drive from this beach to closer to main beach. There's a small cute playground by this beach. Perfect for kids! Plenty of parking spots (although it does get full). Only $1 for an hour! Inexpensive! Bathroom wasn't too gross. However they were out of soap! We didn't swim because the waves were too rough. Our kid enjoyed walking on the beach (he wouldn't have been able to roam freely at the Main Beach) read more

Aliso Beach - See how quiet this is? Just heavenly! - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Hands down, the life guards on duty are very good and attentive. The beach is dangerous with a slight drop at the shore.

Fire pits. That's what I find to be the best attribute of this beach. Sure, it is super-clean and not too crowded and has a great parking lot at $1 per hour. But there's nothing like roasting a weenie at sunset on the beach. One of the better beaches in southern CA. Pay for parking at any of the payment boxes around the parking lot that accept cash or credit. read more

Aliso Beach - Fire pits. Toast some marshmallows! - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

We ventured this beach today, arrived at around 11am and parking was a breeze. Didn't have to scour the land for a teeny spot in front of some resident's house (who probably hates beach visitors for that reason). . Parking is by the hour here, which is great especially since you're actually just paying for the amount of time you spend here. It's a smaller, less populated beach, unpretentious and beautifully simple. The shore is steps from the parking lot. So you'll save yourself the trouble of walking miles and miles of asphalt. This is a skimboarders beach, not sure if surfers come out here although I highly doubt it. Lot of families come around here to picnic, or bonfire, or just to have a hassle free beach day. One thing that stood out to me, and that I really liked were the bathrooms. Most of the time, beach bathrooms are dreadfully dirty and unkept. The bathrooms here were the exact opp... I think I found a new favorite local beach..... read more

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One of OC's best beaches. Reasons why it is theeee BEST: (in no particular order) 1. Parking - full parking lot right on the beach for $1/hr and if that is full you just go right across the street and park there. $1/hr as well. If you do have to go across the street don't worry about trying to run across PCH there is an underground tunnel that leads you straight through to the beach! 2. Fire pits!!! These get taken quickly so come early! First come, first serve. 3. Snack Bar!!! Because everyone gets hungry when they are playing in the water. They serve everything here! We were indecisive so we just got a bacon cheeseburger and let me tell you, for a little snack bar on the beach we weren't expecting much but it was damn good!!!! ***Con*** Bees all over the place. I have never seen so many bees at the beach, but they seemed to be all over the trash area and when we got our food and sat down they started to come near us. Made it pretty difficult to eat because I hate bees! 4. Most beautiful clear blue water. 5. Steps away from the beautiful Montage Hotel. We usually set up our stuff and lay out for a while and then we frolic along like all couples do and walk to the very end where the Montage beach is. Climb the rocks, great photo op and tide pools. 6. Almost always see dolphins. I think I am just lucky. LOL The only down side is that it is a small strip of sand so it can get crowded, but you can always go across the walk down towards the Montage and find a place to layout right in between. **CAUTION** Very strong riptides. I have had a wave knock me down quite a few times here. Face in the sand and embarrassing. But seriously though, Be careful :) read more

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By far the best place to watch a sunset, grab a coffee or wiggle your toes in the sand. Not for swimming, but walk the shore and explore, try some tai chi and check out Lost Pier Cafe for breakfast or lunch. Restrooms decent. Parking $2.50 per hour or free with Laguna Beach resident permit. read more

Whenever I decide to go to the beach my first choice is always Laguna. Laguna is my favorite because it is typically less crowded and much cleaner than the other alternatives like Huntington, Redondo and Newport. Aliso Beach and Treasure Island are the top two beaches to visit in Laguna. When we visited it was much busier than I originally expected. Regardless our party of 5 found a great spot close to the water! The waves on Saturday were really high which made playing around in the water really fun. After about an hour or so of swimming, we played football. The weather was perfect the whole time we were there, it was about 80 degrees. We spent a little under 3 hours at Aliso and with the extremely cheap parking we got it was well worth it. I will be back again before summer ends :)! read more

Aliso Beach - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Cons: Little to no parking. Lots of rocks/pebbles in the waves and sand. The beach area is kind of small. You are charged for parking. Pros: Beach is very close to the parking area. There's a playground for the kids and a restaurant for the family. There are Lifeguards on duty. Friendly people, fun in the sun. If your in the area and there's a parking spot open, stop by. read more

I can't believe I've never been to this beach! Parking is literally steps away from the shore, private designated parking lot, fire pits, play ground and all within your view. It's so small compared to other fire pit beaches and so it doesn't get too crowded. Closes at 10pm on Saturdays. Whenever I wanted to bonfire and s'mores... it was Corona Del Mar or Huntington! I never knew about this and now it's the new spot! read more

Aliso Beach - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

This is a beautiful place. Worth the drive if you're going down the Hwy 1. The waves are incredible, varying from stunning to awe inspiring. And there are a few designated bonfire areas but I imagine during high season, you better come early and be set to stay all day. Be courteous and keep this area beautiful by being s good stewart. Leave no trace and be respectful noise wise, and this will be a beautiful place to spend a say. Bring a picnic, guitar, binoculars, sunscreen, and enjoy. read more

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This is such a beautiful beach in Laguna! They have a large parking lot which is fairly affordable, as well as a small snack booth and bathrooms. Very clean and well-maintained, gorgeous views and a playground for kids! It does not get as crowded here as other beaches in Laguna, making this an ideal Destiination for a day out! read more

A nice little beach thats a bit tucked away, It's less crowded than say Huntington Beach, but it still fills up quite quickly. If you wanna get a fire ring..... you better get here by 6am (thats what one of the locals told me.) Also, it's a very short steep beach...... make sure you get a spot closer to the parking lot because when the tide comes in or all you stuff is gonna be wet.... there's a reason why there's a creek in the back..... The steep beach coupled with some strong waves can make going back on to shore a bit challenging, thats probalby why you don't see so many people playing in the water. Also if you do wade out to play in the surf, you may want to get some water shoes it's pretty rocky under the surf and it can be painful on the feet when you try to get back on to shore. read more

Aliso Beach is generally clean and filled with friendly crowds. Its playground is great for families with kids. The parking lot off PCH is right next to the beach. Parking is affordable at $1 per hr but can be limited, so get there early. There are restrooms on site, but to be honest, every time I have used them, they are not clean. There is no shade, so umbrellas are very helpful. Tip: if you book a photo session there, make sure your photographer carries liability insurance and an OC Parks permit. I was shooting a session on 07/01/2017 and was stopped by 5 rangers (riding bikes) to check my photo permit while another lady photographer a few steps from us hid her camera and left her clients behind :( read more

Restrooms are a public health danger. Less than half were functional and disgusting. Parking is terrible. They let you in even when there are no spots so people just cruise the parking lot waiting for a spot. read more

My family and I have been here since 9am this morning and I just want to say all the lifeguards have been doing a fantastic job all day. The team has been monitoring/controlling the crowd to the best of their abilities. I just wanted them to know we see them and appreciate them for keeping everyone safe this holiday! read more

Aliso Beach is a true gem, and luckily for us, it's easily accessible to the general public. This beach is owned by Orange County, which means that if you purchase the OC Parks parking pass, you can park here all day long, year round, no problem. Just run your pass through one of the machines in the lots and display the print out on your dash board and enjoy your day! If you don't have the pass, the machines take cash or credit cards. This beach actually has two parking lots, one to the west of PCH and one to the east, which are connected by an underground pedestrian tunnel so you can safely cross PCH. Conveniently, there are restrooms and drinking fountains in both lots. There is no hand soap at the bathrooms near the snack stand, so bring your own. After you park, take the free Laguna Beach shuttle around to easily check out other parts of Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and Newport Beach and Laguna Canyon (the latter two run in the summer only). The northbound shuttle stop is on PCH in front of the spooky windowless Verizon building. There is a Visit Laguna Beach app that you can download on your smart phone with a Trolley Tracker feature to watch the progress of the next trolley. It seems like the trolleys arrive within about 10 minutes of waiting. If you enjoy long walks on the beach, stroll north to Montage/Treasure Island beach to see the lovely Montage resort and gorgeous Treasure Island park. Or stroll south past various residences, including the haunted, dilapidated Laguna Royale. There are several, regularly occurring, access points in the form of stairs leading up to PCH if you ever wish to take a break and head up for the free shuttle. if you have small kids, there is a nice children's play area adjacent to the main paring lot on the west side of PCH. The sunsets are so beautiful and spectacular here they will make you cry and there are mansions atop the hills so grand you will cry from envy. Bring tissues for both. read more

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A rare fire pit beach. Skim boarding beach. Great sunset beach. Dolphins in summer beach. Park close beach. Even great snack bar beach. Great kid beach. All in all this is a must if you live in So Cal. Great short hikes down the beach. Just south down PCH from the Montage resort. Right after the bridge make a right and you'll enter the parking lot. read more

Aliso Beach - Fire pits!!! - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Very clean and private beach usted to go all the time it's one of the only things I miss about Orange County

Weekdays M-Th only, this beach is quaint and serene. Fri-Sun it's loud, very busy, bbq parties, families and lots of kids. The water looks almost caribbean like on a clear day. The sand is ultra soft in this small stretch. Not like Baby Beach in Dana Point. Here waves tend to be 1'-3'ft. The main parking lot is basically on the sand, though it fills up quick. The over-fill parking lot is across the street (don't panic, no one is going to make you play Frogger across PCH Hwy). There is a safe, yet damp (freakishly scary at night/light at the end of the tunnel), underground walkway, that leads you directly onto the beach. Overall, it's a beautiful beach to lay out and take in the view. read more

Aliso Beach - The Underground Tunnel. Used for beach access from the overfill parking lot across PCH or the usual wannabe catwalk. - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Nice beach. Easy parking $1 a hr or max is $14 for all day. Multiple bathrooms and pretty clean for a beach bathroom. Outdoor shower. read more

I came across this beach while I had family in town and we were driving through Laguna Beach on PCH. This beach is beautiful, with clear blue water, big waves and lots of space to hang out and enjoy the sun. They even had firepits placed sporadically along the beach, which I thought was a great feature if you want to bring a group out and do some grilling. Another nice feature was that parking was dirt cheap. $1 'til 8pm when we were there. One caveat, which can be a dealbreaker if you plan on actually going IN the water, apparently this beach has some contamination issues. Here's a link to wikipedia with more information on this subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliso_Creek_(Orange_County)#Bacterial_pollution Stay out of the water and start a bonfire with some friends or family. You'll have a great time. read more

Aliso Beach - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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How can you go wrong by visiting the beach. Fire pits available. Bathrooms available. Have to pay for parking by a machine, but it's not too much. There is a little cliff to walk around. You can put up a volleyball net on the poles that are available. It's much more private than laguna if you want to drive a little farther. I do love laguna, but this is also a very special place. Great to watch the sunsets and rainbows. The dumpster by the bathrooms did smell a little. read more

I like all the beach in Laguna beach, this one is I found in yelp when I try go a new one . When I went there , it's 617 pm, sunset almost gone. When you walk to the beach , big waves comes and leaves, kids screaming like birds when waves floods... it's so close to ocean, you felt could walk in the waves .... golden over the ocean, it's quite beautiful. read more

Aliso Beach - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Cleanest beach and most secluded. Love it! I love how they moved the pits to a certain location, instead of being scattered around, like when I came here for a few bonfires in high school. It is so peaceful and really laid back. Parking is pretty cheap! I love this beach. Great place to sit and read or tan and basically do nothing but enjoy the scenery! read more

Great beach for people who can't handle the climbing down bluffs or many stairs. Lot is even with the sand. Water is beautiful. Tide pools to explore in the south side. No shade, so bring your umbrella. Very weird wave breaks, so its more popular as a skim boarding place than boogie boarding or swimming. There are lifeguards. Lies between Monarch Beach and Laguna. Have fun, go! read more

Parking - plenty ($1/hr park and pay machines) in a parking lot right next to the beach making it easy to get in and out of and away from main PCH traffic. Sand - a bit rocky at times making it a bit rough to walk on. Fire pits - there are a few that are next to the sidewalk. You might want to come early as they appear to go by fast during the summer nights. If you want to get away from the masses, walk down the beach more to the left ... less crowded at times. Overall, nice family beach. Sun, sand, ocean .. what more could you ask for? read more

Never have had a problem parking, and it is cheap ($1/hr) Clean bathrooms Healthier options at the Snack Shack SHAVED ICE! This beach is quiet, has little tidepools and such a good vibe and clean turquoise waters. The playground is awesome for little kids, too. read more

Aliso Beach - So serene - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

We attempted to go to Thousand Steps beach, but the lack of parking rerouted us about half a mile up the street to Aliso Beach. You can easily find a parking spot in their lot and pay a dollar an hour, or just park on the street. Aliso is an expansive beach with ample restrooms and sinks. Scenery is gorgeous, as is the rest of this part of the coastline. read more

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Enjoyed the peace and tranquility during my "me time" visit to this beach. It's a nice, smaller beach with ample parking--$3. Mellow crowd...enjoyed watching the surfers. Will be back for sure. read more

Aliso Beach - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

This beach is really nice and clean. It does get full with surf skimmers on weekends, at least the weekends I've gone. You can spot Dolphins playing in a distance if you get lucky. I've also seen a whale a few times. On weekends it gets really packed, and if you want a fire pit, come extra early at 8am, as everyone else does since there are only 5 or 6 pits. If you want to cook, You can bring a small grill but you must put it either inside the pit or in a grassy / concrete surface, according to the lifeguards on duty. Parking is cheap at $1 per hour. There are plenty of parking spots on the beach. There is also limited street parking. read more

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This Orange County beach is beautiful. Soft sand, clean water, views for miles! Parking lot & CLEAN restrooms a plus! They even have "The Sands Cafe" with everything to eat from breakfast, lunch & dinner. Get this fellow Yelpers, they even serve smoothies & Hawaiian shaved ice with a few umbrella covered tables. We brought our lunch, chairs, towels & umbrella, but don't forget the sunscreen. Come on a week day... No crowds at all. They even have fire pits for the bonfire lovers. read more

Aliso Beach - This beach is beautiful. Soft sand, clear water, views for miles. Parking lot & restrooms a plus. - Parks Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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If you have a dog you will love this place. It's not advertised as a dog beach. But everyone takes their dog here. It's beautiful. Very quintessential Socal vibe. There's a parking lot, parallel parking, and an additional parking lot with a grass field and bathrooms across the street. It's about a 1/2 mile from the grocery store on PCH and about a mile from fast food or restaurants. I've noticed this section of the beach ks oriented towards families and sunbathing. North about a mile is better for serious surfers. read more

This place never lets me down, the vibe it host is AMAZING! My only wish is that there was possibility to overnight camp!!

Very beautiful beach. Also there is a convenient parking, a children's playground and an opportunity to make a bbq on the beach. read more

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Great scenic beach, I wanted to stay and never leave. It's beautiful rock landscapes beautiful houses overlooking the grand Pacific coast. An absolutely amazing experience and view. We ate at The Sands Cafe and enjoyed our ceasar salads, the fries taste amazing and we love that they use paper straws. I will be back. read more

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Beautiful Beach, even on a cloudy day..... I will def. come back here when the sun is out b/c it is clean and it feels safe. read more