Sea Canyon Park

(40 reviews)

1.4 mi

This is a beautiful park, situated on a bluff overlooking Dana Point Harbor and Doheny State Beach,…read moreand a must visit if you're in the Dana Point area. The Pacific Ocean view is gorgeous. On clear days, you can look down the coast to northern San Diego County. The park features walking paths, shaded and sunny areas, picnic tables, playground, and rest rooms. It's perfect for large gatherings. In fact, we attended a family wedding here in the amphitheater, and the setting and setup were outstanding. BTW don't miss the stairs connecting the park with the beach below. If you're up for the climb up the hill, it's worth it.

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!

Public Art "Stairwave"

See all

View

Salt Creek Beach Park

(299 reviews)

0.9 mi

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.

Looking up from the beach

Sunset at the beach

See all

Heritage Park

(22 reviews)

1.3 mi

My friends and i came here around 2pm and the view of the ocean paired with the beautiful weather…read morekept us in the same spot for 6 hours! Great spot to get your steps in too- Saving this as "the perfect picnic spot". I used google maps to get here and it was a bit confused and took us to baby beach instead. Make sure to follow the street signs that lead to Nature Parks on Golden Lantern Road. That's all, have fun there!

Lovely views overlooking the Marina. Very steep park. You…read morecan take the stairs or the meandering trail. Lovely place for a walk.

View of the marina

See all

Shipwreck Park

(5 reviews)

0.9 mi

Unique adventure for kids. Wouldn't recommend for older kids over 12. Not that big and lots of…read moresmaller kids around.

This playground recently got renovated. It's at the corner of Golden Lantern and La Cresta. It's…read morestreet parking only and not a lot. There are no restrooms. It's fully paved with rubber surface. There is one play structure that's a very cool pirate ship. There's a slope with 1 infant swing and 2 saddle swings. There are 2 tables with seating. There are 2 benches by the play structure and 1 by the swings. However, they also have a palm tree lined "bench" on Golden Lantern side. This area provides some shade, otherwise, not shaded. It's near the ocean though so not very hot. It is gated and small so easy to keep an eye on kids. There are 2 trash cans and no water fountain. I recommend this park if your kids like pirate ships and for a relatively short play time.

Eating area on La Cresta corner

Swings

See all

Pines Park

4.8

(38 reviews)

2.9 mi

This is a beautiful little park tucked in to a Capistrano Beach neighborhood, which offers some…read morepretty special views of Dana Point and the ocean. On the beautiful day that we went, the ocean had these awesome multicolored azure hues like a tropical island. It's also a dynamite park to have a picnic, with plenty of shade and lots of grass. It's also great for little kids with plenty of space to run around and some low trees that are fun for them to climb. We enjoyed a great little picnic here after getting some poke for Kawamata Seafood! Five stars

Pros: Cute clean park with amazing views. Playground is on…read morethe smaller side but great for little ones. There are some nice open fields on the lower side and the upper side with nice ocean breeze. The Dana Point Trolley has a stop across from here. Someone mentioned bathrooms but to clarify, it's a small neighborhood park and there are no bathrooms here. Cons: It's been getting pretty crowded and there seems to often be a wedding happening on the weekends. Also watch your little ones because there are some cliff sides with no fencing.

See all

Creekside Park

4.4

(22 reviews)

1.5 mi

Creekside has a large dog park, with a separate area for small dogs and pups. Nice friendly…read moreoff-leash place.

Nice fenced in dog park no grass, but has gotten good covering a wood chips and some gravel. It's…read morea very long park next to us cycling trail. Fenston plenty of room for dogs to run around. Friendly people Parking is kind of limited and it's a walk to the dog area in the back of the park

Dog run

See all

Park goes on for miles

Strand Vista Park

4.9

(17 reviews)

1.1 mi

This was a great stop for us with our husky while driving between Carlsbad and LA. We came in the…read morelate afternoon and the large free parking lot was mostly empty except a few folks having car picnics and waiting to watch the sunset. There are several stairways down to the beach, but dogs are prohibited from going down. There is some grass but just around the edges of the parking lot, not like a big grassy field. There is also a memorial at one end and some pull up bars at another. Very peaceful place to stretch our legs and enjoy a beautiful view.

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!

Dana Point. PC: @younekgraphics

See all

Dana Point. PC: @younekgraphics

Sunset Park

4.4

(8 reviews)

2.8 mi

Nice park with easy parking. There is a bathroom but I didn't check it out…read more The playground has two sets for older kids and an open one for smaller kids. My 18 month old still enjoyed the larger one and going up its three levels. Lots of slides. A climbing wall. Sand pit. Tables. And the ground is the cushy kind (not rocks and not mulch). They do movies at the park sometimes and the open lawn area has a small hill which makes it easy for viewing. The downside is that you can hear the freeway from here. And it smells pretty strongly of mosquito repellent (which is probably a pro and a con).

Great location, great park plenty of grass area to play soccer or games. They have a bathroom for…read morekids to use and adults. The playground is big and my son enjoys this park very much. I enjoy the park also nice to have a picnic at.

It's not a dog park, but some people let their dogs off leash. I don't suggest it, because there are no fences around the park at all.

Little kid playground

See all

Dana Point Arches

5.0

(12 reviews)

1.2 mi

I saw this on instagram and decided to check it out. It's a cute little spot with great views…read more Not really big but you can't beat the view!! If you are nearby, definitely worth stopping by.

Stumbled upon these beautiful arches while walking my dog. Feels like you're in Europe! The view of…read morethe marina is beautiful on a clear day. Nice stroll to take after lunch in Dana Point.

I am photographer

See all

Badlands Park

(46 reviews)

2.2 mi

Oops my secret is out! This is probably one of my most favorite spot to go for a walk or a mini…read morehike! Even better, if you're there when it's sunny because the ocean views are breathtaking!! This is also dog friendly since there are poop bags provided at intermittent part of the trail. Please keep in mind that this is in a neighborhood so there will be houses really close to the trail (almost like we're in their backyard) and private property that you can't enter. There are signs to guide you so just stick to the signs and you'll be ok.

Hidden gem in LN. Quick hike around the area to the park area to see the interesting…read moregeology/history. Hike also wraps around the mountain side, giving you a view of the ocean.

Hiking on one of the trails

See all

Scenic Ocean Views

San Clemente Aquatics Center

3.6

(24 reviews)

5.8 mi

I signed my son up for private swim lesson ( kiss ) my son is 3 1/2, they have affordable pricing…read more83.00 for 4 swim lessons private 4 15 minute classes. My sons has learned in the one week he attended. Our second week he been sick with a cold. Jackie has been so kind, caring, and respectful. We can't wait to keep attending. The pool area is beautiful. This location is nice and convenient for us so we came here. Thank you guys for being so awesome.

My boys absolutely love this aquatic center. I wish they were open longer hours because of how much…read morefun they have. They are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-4.

See all

Salt Creek Beach Park

(299 reviews)

0.9 mi

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.

Looking up from the beach

Sunset at the beach

See all

Badlands Park

(46 reviews)

2.2 mi

Hidden gem in LN. Quick hike around the area to the park area to see the interesting…read moregeology/history. Hike also wraps around the mountain side, giving you a view of the ocean.

Hiking on one of the trails

See all

Scenic Ocean Views

Dana Strand Beach

(121 reviews)

1.1 mi

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!

See all

Dana Point Headlands Conservation Area

4.5

(43 reviews)

1.4 mi

This was the highlight of my visit in Dana Point. Priceless beautiful views of the ocean, beaches,…read moreDana Point Harbor, and lushes landscapes. There's four conservation parks which makes the nearly 64 acres of the headlands. Will take approximately about an hour to two hours of completion to walk the trails. You'll come across scenic overlooks, beach access, and the Nature Interpretive Center. Glad we came on a breezy day and not have the sun beaming on us. We took lots of pictures with ocean and beach background setting. Beware of rattlesnakes and mice as signs are posted up along the trails, but we didn't encounter them. If you are in Dana Point, put this on your list of sights to see.

The educational center wasn't open yet, but there were open bathrooms in the back. The path is soft…read moredirt and would need to walk single file. There are a few benches and beautiful views. Just keep in mind it ends in a different gate area and it's a longer walk back if you don't reverse and go back to where you started. The gate does close at sunset, so don't get stuck in there!!

Hiking Surface

See all

Capo Beach Jet Ski Rentals

(190 reviews)

1.6 mi

This place is awesome!…read more Blake was supper friendly and very knowledgeable about jets skis. I really appreciate him going above and beyond to ensure we had fun and were safe. Parking was super easy and there was no waiting! I called them to make sure they had availability and within 5 minutes of parking I was on the jet ski getting an quick tutorial before heading out on the water. I've been on a jet ski before, but not like these. They have two modes: ECO and SPORT. ECO is fun and great for beginners and cruising, but if you're experienced you can switch it to SPORT and really fly! Super stoked with the entire experience, thank you!

We've never jet skied before and looked for a halfway point between LA and San Diego so we could…read morerendezvous with our daughter. It was easy to find since they sent specific gate instructions. The hunk at the boathouse was the owners son and he was adorable. We had a great hour cruising around the gorgeous Dana Point coast line. We then had a great lunch overlooking the harbor where sea lions and dolphins were galavanting. Go here if you want to spend a terrific afternoon enjoying the sun and water.