As part of our trolley tour down south OC, we visited the scenic Bluff Top Trail. Not far from…read moreDana Strand Beach and a short walk from the bus stop (Del Prado & Violet Lantern). It's still as stunning as before with fun photo ops everywhere on a sunny day. The trail is an easy walk path within the neighborhood, and I loved the ocean view and taking pictures of the arches.

5 for views, 2 for challenge! The Dana Point Too Trail is near the Del Prado Lantern District in…read moreDana Point. It is Cliffside behind a number of very nice homes and condos. This is a beautifully kept up and manicured trail with safety rails and a variety of places for photos such as a wooden bridge and some historic ivy covered arches. The view of Dana Point Harbor is breathtaking. The trail is very short with some serious stairs, so for distance you're not getting much challenge but for stairs you get a little. Overall, it is a beautiful find in an area where it's nice to be able to take a little walk before or after grabbing a drink and a bite to eat! I just wouldn't put on my hiking sneakers and sunblock to make a day of it.

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!!

A great hike for a great view of Laguna Beach. It's just 1 mile total round trip, but it's very…read moreinclined, so it's not exactly easy, and on a hot day, you gotta bring plenty of water or you'll overheat. There are some trees on the way up that give a tiny bit of shade, but there's not much breeze until you reach the very top where there is one bench.

This hike is moderate because it is short. It's about a mile round trip but the stairs can be…read morebrutal, especially if you are short. The views are worth it. There is only bench at the top.

Salt Creek Beach park is great for many reasons. People go for the surf or to have fun with the…read morekids on the grass, to listen to live music, for a picnic.... They've shown the movie Endless Summer numerous times, they host OC Summer Concerts and more. Parking is plentiful. (unless you arrive late for a big event!)

Parking is a travesty but it's because the park is amazing. 30 minutes to circle around and wait…read morefor someone to leave! There's a basketball court, shower for your feet, bar at the bottom on the sand, and benches and tables.

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.

Viewpoint plus! Worth the stair stepper to heaven. Amazing pano view no matter what the weather is…read morelike. We caught the sunset with bonus of the Green Flash on this particularly beautiful and brisk day. What an artist God is. Mind you, my knees did not love the climb to Hilltop Conversation Point. But I had to see the sea from there. Harbor Point was a breeze. Lovely spot with easy parking. Close to the Chart House.

This is a short trail with a viewpoint that offers up a great view of Dana Point harbor…read more This trail is part of the Headlands Conservation trail system. Most people miss it because they only hike the trail from the interpretive center. Because of the smazing views of the harbor. I sawrecommend this over the interpretive center trail. There are two access points for this trail, right behind the Chart House restaurant, and the other one is right next to the entrance gate of the "The Strand" mansion development. - Dirt trail, not sand trail - Perfect hike during sunset - No dogs allowed

Pretty far walk from the parking lot to the beach but once there the steps going down is not too…read morebad. Because of the distance the bathrooms and showers are awkwardly placed closer to the parking lot and you might be dry already by the time you make it back. On the right side is a shallow sea cave, the cave itself isn't so deep but the rock formations around it are super unique and interesting. There is a viewpoint on top we saw people at so you can park a lot closer than we did. On the left you can go all the way down to another beach. There is an interesting rock shelf along the way. Some of the waves were quite high so I recommend coming with swim shorts if you are coming all the way to this area. The rock shelf area has mini tidepools to check out, depending on the weather you might also see a mini waterfall.

This is an amazing place to go and have fun! Parking is on…read morethe street so u gotta wait if it's to busy, Please make sure to pick it up your trash lets keep clean this amazing place I would come back again for sure !

Beautiful! The way it was easy but I found the way back more challenging haha probably because I…read morewas tired. The sky was beyond beautiful the day I went and it is now a core memory. Towards the end, there were beautiful wildflowers that I was not able to capture due to low storage on my phone :|

Great trail! We came out on a Sunday, and we were shocked that it wasn't too crowded! We saw plenty…read moreof bikers, runners, walkers, and a good amount of dogs! Definitely a dog friendly trail. This area was nice because there was a larger loop, but many trails within that loop where you could branch off to another trail. We did las Ramblas to the patriot trail, with the flag on top. I would say this is a very easy hike, but beautiful scenery!

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!

Spectacular ocean views and lots of free parking! Whether you're taking a walk along the bluff or…read moreheading down the steps to watch the waves crash against the shoreline, this is a top-tier Dana Point spot.