Great for families with little ones. Very calm water designated for small children. Parents don't…read moreneed to worry about their kids being swept away by waves. It was a sunny breezy day as my daughter and I visited this beach. Super busy for a Saturday afternoon. Parking is free, but can get filled up quickly. Plenty of grass and beach area to enjoy a picnic with your family. Then take a dip into the ocean. Perfect day to be spent relaxing on the sand. Water was a bit chilly, but nice clear water. Will definitely come back during the summer!

The name baby beach is not an understatement. That's exactly what it is, a baby beach. It's coved…read moreoff by the harbor making it a safe area for your littles to play and enjoy the water. After researching, you definitely want to check the water safety before coming, because it's coved it's prone to higher unsafe levels of bacteria. This week it was in the green and safe. My son has Autism and we decided to try this beach out because it was know for it's coved off location with no waves and it gets my stamp of approval for safety. The beach itself is also very small so if you have an eloper it gives a sense of relief as well. I did a 360 degree video to show you. I rated this beach 4 out of 5 because there's very limited parking and the beach is very small. During peak season or weekends it may be difficult to find parking and the beach area may fill up. Some positive things are, parking is FREE! The restroom and showers are located right at the entrance, and there's a life guard tower. If you're looking for a safe place to bring your kiddos for a day at the beach, check this place out. One other thing, make sure to pack plenty to drink and eat. There is nothing near by without driving.

This is a beautiful area! Overlooking a beach, this grassy slope is an excellent park for picnics,…read morechats, and fresh air. There is ample parking and a walking path.

My friends and I visited the Salt Creek Beach Park located at Dana Point. It's a favorite spot for…read morebeginner surfers. We saw almost a dozen surfers enjoying the water today. It is also a favorite spot for people to walk their dogs as long as as they keep their dogs on leash and away from the beach. Personally I always enjoyed the Salt Creek Beach Park. It has a large green slope facing the ocean, less crowded and not as commercial as the tourist hot-spot Laguna Beach. I saw on the beach a pond that flows into the ocean. I couldn't help but wonder whether it is the namesake Salt Creek I never found before. Whether it is or isn't, I had a great time today.

Our family visited Dana Strand Beach for the first time and had an amazing experience! We…read moreoriginally went to Doheny State Beach, and after talking with one of the state park workers, he recommended Strands Beach because it's a little less crowded and has beautiful crystal blue water. We're so glad we came! Parking was abundant, and while there are quite a few stairs to get down to the beach, it was incredibly peaceful and relaxing once we arrived. The bathrooms were also very clean -- honestly some of the cleanest public beach bathrooms we've experienced. Definitely a great spot for families and somewhere we'll be coming back to again. Highly recommend!

Unusual beach in Dana Point…read more We stopped by yesterday afternoon - parked on the Strand and walked 165 steps and a steepish slope down to the ocean (140 foot elevation drop according to my smart phone). There were rocks, tide pools, and sailboats on the horizon. What's not to like? Will be back!

beautiful campground right on the beach! clean bathrooms and…read moreshowers. sites are very close together and smaller than other state beaches, but each site has foliage to provide privacy. other campers were pretty loud into the night, otherwise pleasant and family-friendly.

It's a decent beach but pay attention to the water quality alerts as it can get pretty gross on…read moresome days. It's a nice beach to chill and for beginner surfers. Parking has gone up though. It's $7.55 per hour up to 2 hours or $20 for the day. It used to be only a few dollars per hour just last year. Some days the sand is covered in seaweed and you can't play near the water which sucks for the kids trying to build their castles. If you're looking to more chill. Grab a burger or drink. Then this beach is great.

This is such a hidden gem of a place. Parking is free. It's dog friendly for portions of the sandy…read morearea. The views are absolutely spectacular. It allows you to walk right over to Doheny State Park thereby saving you money for parking. I have forgotten my state park pass on occasion and have been saved because I parked here instead. There are picnic tanks that make it perfect to eat al fresco by the sea. I personally love picking up my grubs from Kawamata Seafood right up the hill. The two goes hand in hand. To me, there's no better way to enjoy the two simultaneously.

I love walking and like to get my steps in so this is a perfect place to be especially when it's so…read morehot inland. You can enjoy a nice ocean breeze and take pictures of the natural beauty!

One of my favorite places to stroll. They are revitalizing dining and shopping here but I'm…read morereviewing just strolls on the harbor. I recommend this to everyone. Walk along the harbor, look at the boats, and spot birds and sea lions. You'll see them lounging on the dock or boats and hear them barking every night. Be sure to walk down to the bridge and cross over. There are nice, grass areas with benches, picnic tables, etc. It's a beautiful view. Enjoy the beauty! There is a ton of free parking, clean public bathrooms, and the beautiful coastline. Then add in the dining, shopping, whale watching tours, paddle boarding, canoeing, sailing, and wading at Baby Beach.... This is a wonderful place to visit.

we come here during the holidays bc it is just so festive!…read more unfortunately, this year the harbor is under construction. but! the "merry kiss me" sign is over by the wharf this year. once the project is complete it will be the destination spot bc it will be soo gorgeous and upscale! plans for retail, restaurants and parkscapes. i believe they are building hotels as well. goodbye free parking lol.

Finally got a chance to visit the famed Treasure Island Beach. It was everything we had hoped for…read more We visited at the start of Spring Break so we were concerned about parking. It was very busy but we were able to find city parking along PCH. A short walk later, we found ourselves strolling down to Treasure Island Beach. I really appreciated it being handicap accessible right to the sand! The view was beautiful. Lots of space to lay out. Very clean. Great place to swim and take in the awesome tide pools. We were surprised to find to marine scientists available to describe the various species that live in the tide pools onsite on a Sunday. They were great. The beach was perfect. Will need to return with more time.

It's been 50 years since I've been on this beach. I used to live next door at Blue Lagoon. The…read morebeach is pretty much the way I remembered minus the wooden pier. The trailer park is gone too. I like Laguna, there's so many hidden beaches.

Thousand Steps Beach is gorgeous and the cave makes it totally worth all of the steps down to it…read more There are only about 219 steps (not a thousand). The steps are no joke though. They are pretty steep and concrete. I wouldn't recommend them for little kids. Make sure you go at low tide. They close the cave area when the tide comes in. The cave is on the far left side of the beach. You have to go over rocks to get there. It can be slippery. There were lifeguards on duty. It's so fun to explore inside the cave. We parked on PCH. There is no parking lot. I definitely recommend going in the morning. It's hard to find parking if you try to go in the afternoon/evening on a weekend/holiday. There is a crosswalk and stoplight at 9th Ave. to cross PCH and then the entrance is right there. There is a bathroom, but it is the typical beach bathroom--not very clean. There's a volleyball net on the left side of the beach. There are no restaurants/cafes. Bring whatever you want with you.

1000 Steps Beach in Laguna Beach (off PCH and 9th) is absolutely worth the visit! First off, don't…read morelet the name intimidate you, the stairs are not literally 1000 steps one way or even round trip... unless you decide to go up and down a few times, then yeah, you'll definitely hit that number!! We went on a Monday and it was pretty busy lots of college-aged people, maybe even some high schoolers, but the beach itself still felt pretty secluded, and there were hardly any kids around maybe like a handful of them. It was overcast when we went, which actually made it perfect, not too hot and super comfortable. Parking is street parking only, just make sure to read the signs carefully. Once you head down, you'll find restrooms and showers right at the bottom of the stairs, which is super convenient. The restroom is clean earlier in the day (before noon), but like most beach spots, it gets a bit wet as the day goes on. There's plenty of space to set up and relax. One thing to watch out for--seagulls! They will go after your food, so definitely cover it with towels if you're hopping in the water. The stairs themselves are pretty narrow, and people usually stick to one side going down and the other going up, so just be mindful and take your time, they tend to also get wet as the day goes on so it's a little slippery.

Best place to park and watch the sunset! Best place to get in a morning walk! Best place to meet…read morefriends for a hike and then a coffee or breakfast in Dana Point! Best place for sandcastles and playing in the waves! Stairs down to the beach and then a steep climb back up but totally worth it! Clean restrooms at the top and bottom! And if you can't handle all the stairs, there is a golf cart service to get you down into the Strands neighborhood to make the climb much more manageable! I'm here almost daily hiking through and enjoying the ocean breezes - and often see dolphins while beach walking!

Gorgeous views of the ocean from the parking lot (which is free to park). Access to the beach (lots…read moreof stairs but just take it slow). The stairs are very well maintained and don't have to worry about them being slippery or sandy.

Lantern Bay Park is an absolutely beautiful park overlooking the Dana Point Harbor and right across…read morefrom the Cliffs By Marriott Hotel. The views are stunning and there is a ton of space. They have some nice picnic benches, a playground, public restrooms, and a great wide open space. Today I saw many picnics, flying kits, people playing with their dogs and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. In addition to a wonderful open space, they also have free street parking as well as a free parking lot!

This is a huge park which intersects the Laguna Cliffs Marriott with the rest of Dana Point. It's…read morefun to hang out and it's nice and shady from the trees. Dogs are welcome to hang with a beautiful view of the harbor.