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.

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.

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!

This is a good location for day or overnight camping. Buy a permit on their website…read more Other amenities are volleyball courts, picnic tables. BBQ grills, and a café. Doheny is available to rent for group gatherings, festivals. Classes are offered for surf lessons, beginners are welcomed. Notes: - Gift Shop - Aquarium - Clean bathrooms - Clean shower stalls - Parking lot $15 day - Fire Pits in designated areas Sincerely, Rosemary

This is my first time here!! Wow! This place is so clean and have so many amenities here!! There…read moreare so many benches and tables and bbq area for people!! There are volleyball nets already up for people!! Seems like this place is less congested than beach's in Santa Monica/Malibu.

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!

First-time visitor to this harbor…read more The harbor was beautiful, clean, and relaxing The walking and biking trails were well maintained, and the grassy areas were perfect for sunbathing and picnics. Free parking is available throughout the harbor, and clean restrooms are available as well

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.

This is a breathtaking beach. The views are like pictures from a magazine. It's definitely a…read moreromantic and scenic view to walk around and enjoy the day. However, this is not a kid friendly beach if kids want to go inside the water and play. There are lots of safety rules. Especially last week since waves were so high. Parking was such a disaster. I do not recommend following the parking structure because you will get stuck and I believe it fit about 30ish cars. Find parking along the street. It was my first time going and I observed and saw people just standing getting feet wet. The lifeguards told me that this is one of the most dangerous beaches in the county. People still laid out and kids brought sand toys to play on sand. I think I went on a bad week. We'll have to try another time. It's such a beautiful beach with clear blue water! Till next time.

It's a beautiful beach, clear water, blue skies…read more That's the good. The bad? Bureaucracy has ruined the beach going experience. You don't need that many rules for a beach. I do suppose that how you keep a beach beautiful but the cost is the freedom to actually enjoy the beach. Oh and the sand is rough, like hurts to walk on. Someone actually said today that it feels like walking on sand paper

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 !

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!

As of Nov 5 2025 there is no more parking in the park or street. You will be fined if you are…read moresleeping in your vehicle and no parking from 11pm to 7 am. Word has got out about this gem and too many junkers are so obvious, are lining the streets to sleep and day living in the parking lot of this quiet upper class neighborhood beach community. It was a great place to enjoy but some people spoiled it for all by not respecting the neighborhood.

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.