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    Boat Canyon

    4.7 (6 reviews)

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    Lovely views up here...
    Sidney S.

    These are things you should notice anyway. To live only for some future goal is shallow. It's the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top. Here's where things grow...but of course, without the top you can't have any sides. It's the top that defines the sides -- Robert Persig After the ridiculous struggle on Koko Crater, it was clear I needed to add more hills to these walking/hiking workouts. I'd lost the hill strength I had when I was hiking every evening in Nor Cal. Miss those Morgan Hill nights hiking Harvey Bear, Coyote Lake, Uvas Canyon, Calero, Santa Teresa Peak and Mt Madonna. What a wonderful area it was to live and work in! Boat Canyon is the perfect add on to hiking the Crystal Cove backcountry or Laguna Canyon trail system. By taking the Bommer Ridge trail from Coastal Peak park, I was able to create a 3.5 hour, 10 mike hike with plenty of hill work. The hike down to the bluffs overlooking the ocean also provides great views although with no shade do this hike in the morning or evening, or on a cooler day like I did. Will continue to add other routes and other hills out here and Boat Canyon is a worthy addition!

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    Nancie M.

    This is such an amazing short hike to get a spectacular view of so much coastal area from San Clemente to Newport you are in the center of the most amazing scenic territory. The hike itself is short but a worthwhile climb up terrain make this spot ideal. No dogs and well groomed trail with parking in a residential area. Live here forever and never came up here. Go the Ranch afterwards a short 5 min drive from this spot and enjoy your day with a nice glass of wine.

    Trail head... first big hill

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    4 months ago

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    Thousand Steps Beach - 8/13/22 - Can you spot baby fishies? There were some in here.

    Thousand Steps Beach

    4.5(807 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    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.

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    Thousand Steps Beach - Steps Down

    Steps Down

    Thousand Steps Beach
    Thousand Steps Beach - 1000 steps lifeguard at top of the steps on PCH

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    1000 steps lifeguard at top of the steps on PCH

    El Moro Trails & Crystal Cove State Beach - A California Towhee trying to hide lol

    El Moro Trails & Crystal Cove State Beach

    4.4(213 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    I did a nice 10 mile trail run. Trails are well marked and easy to follow. Lots of up and down so…read moreit's perfect training for trail racing. The only downside is the $15 parking fee. If I had to pay $15 every time I wanted to run trails, I would go broke!

    Excellent hiking trails with vast ocean views, great birding opportunities, and access to the…read morelovely Crystal Cove beach after your hike - very nice place to enjoy nature and get some fresh air! I could even see all the way to Catalina last time I visited. The El Moro Canyon trails are found inside Crystal Cove State Park and there are quite a few of them. They're well maintained with lots of info signs so they're easy to follow - but they're also all on AllTrails. I did the Short Loop Trail on my last visit which ended up being just over 3 miles long with 500 feet elevation gain. Most of the gain is in the first part as you take the "Poles" cut through and it's a real butt burner - but fun and worth it! A great workout. The birding is excellent here - you get a nice mix of riparian habitat and coastal birds as well. After my hike, I relaxed at the beach a bit and it was a lovely way to wind down. There are some tide pools at the north end and plenty of space to relax on the sand as well. There's a pedestrian underpass to get to the beach so you don't have to cross busy Hwy 1 - and this is the most unpleasant part of the park - you have to wade through some pretty icky standing water to get to the beach. It's ankle to calf deep and the ground is very uneven so I highly recommend water shoes - who knows what's submerged in there :P But everything else about the park is great - lots of clean bathrooms, outdoor showers to rinse off the salt and sand, shaded picnic tables, a huge amphitheater, and plenty of paved parking. Day use fee is $15 and you can pay by QR code or at the entrance.

    Photos
    El Moro Trails & Crystal Cove State Beach - These cacti are about to burst into blooms!

    These cacti are about to burst into blooms!

    El Moro Trails & Crystal Cove State Beach - Blooming cactus along the trail!

    Blooming cactus along the trail!

    El Moro Trails & Crystal Cove State Beach - Anna's Hummingbird along the trails!

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    Anna's Hummingbird along the trails!

    Boat Canyon - hiking - Updated May 2026

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