The Pacific Ridge trail which begins in a residential area in Laguna, will take you directly to Crystal Cove. It is a great hike as the views it provides are spectacular, even on a foggy day. Be warned, it is also very challenging, as it is a lot of uphill and downhill movement. It takes about 2 hours to get down to Crystal Cove which is around 4.5 miles but the views are incredible. It takes you to a section of the beach that is very secluded and lovely. It makes it feel all the more rewarding :) read more

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Solid trail up in the Newport Coast Neighborhood of Pacific Ridge. Free parking if you park at the park or on the street. I would say a medium difficulty overall. I loved the variety of a different trail options and on a clear day you definitely have an ocean view. A highly recommended trail. read more

If you want to do crystal cove hike but don't want to pay for the parking then park at the pacific ridge trailhead. There are plenty parking spots and clean bathrooms nearby. If you hike on it for 1 miles you should reach crystal cove hiking trailhead. They are connected. We took the left side loop(shorter) and turned right into a single trail hiking area. That trial Was very secret and peaceful. covered with a lot of yellow flowers and greens. about 2 miles long. The end will lead you into the main trail. If you have bad knees and want to try the hidden trail make sure to bring hiking sticks. Give a 5 stars, will definitely come back read more

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Loved this trail. I went on a weekday morning and it was beautiful! Parked on the street (free parking) near the entrance of the trail. Do not park at the Coastal peak park parking as you may get a ticket. Stunning views. It isn't shaded so pack on that sunscreen! read more

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I did the Perimeter Loop trail a couple weeks ago for the first time and enjoyed it. Parking- park for free by Coastal Peak Park...it does get busy so plan accordingly Trail- we did the loop clockwise and most of the incline was in the 2nd half; most of the trail is pretty wide which is good because there are cyclists and this is a popular area for hikers; not too difficult of a trail but could be hard for some due to it being somewhat long at 9.5 miles...we finished in 3 hrs but ran 2-3 miles...probably give yourself about 4 hrs if walking all of it; some nice views of the Pacific *hiking shoes would be helpful but tennis shoes with good traction will get the job done; no shade do make sure to use sunblock and perhaps a hat; bring 1-2 liters of water; hiking poles not needed read more

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Gorgeous view, clean, accessible, and fairly challenging. Never had issues with anyone there. Only con would be a heard a rattlesnake once.

A gem man! Great hike and it goes straight to the beach. The view is crazy and so beautiful. You can see such beautiful hills and the ocean. Wow! It's so fun and you can get a good workout here! Some steep and rocky parts, but that's the fun of it! 10/10 spot. Great spot to hang out with friends and family. read more

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Just a word of advice: do not leave your personal items or cash in your car!! Their are people watching you when you leave your car and will break into your car, take your credit cards and cash!! I was just there Wednesday April 6, 2022 and someone broke my driver side car door lock. Luckily, I knew not to leave my wallet ID or iPhone in the car!! This was my time someone broke into on my car. read more

This place is absolutely stunning! My girlfriends wanted to do a trail run, so they brought me here on a Saturday morning to get some exercise. Street parking was not too bad and there's a bathroom right by the school at the entrance of the trailhead. We opted to do the rattlesnake trail loop and the views were amazing! It was an easy 5.5 mile loop with some hills, it does go from wide to narrow in some parts. There is no shade area, so definitely wear a hat and sunscreen. At some parts of the trail, the ground gets very uneven and rocky, so be careful to not twist your ankle. Carry tons of water as the weather gets pretty hot when the sun is out. I highly recommend this place for hiking, running, or just a leisurely walk. read more

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Great place to go hiking! There are multiple trails, so make sure to plan out where you want to go. My boyfriend and I decided to take a short loop. We weren't sure how long it would be, but estimated that it would be around 4 miles. The total ended up being 4.5 miles, which was not bad at all. We definitely want to come back and try one of the longer trails. We walked by some very pretty tall yellow wildflowers in Ticketron! It was my favorite part of the hike. The trails are hilly, so it was a pretty good work out. It's not too bad though. You can make it more challenging by walking quicker. Surprisingly, it was pretty empty on Ticketron and Red Tail Ridge. The pathways by the entrance have more traffic, but it's not too bad. Since there are so many different trails, I don't feel like it would get too crowded here. Parking was very easy since it's in a neighborhood. read more

This is one of my favorite trailheads (and trails) in the Crystal Cove area. I usually walk 1.3 miles down to the No Name Trail and take that down to the No Dogs trail, which ends at El Moro school. Not only is it gorgeous, but it's fairly moderate in most parts and you can reach Crystal Cove beach from Pacific Ridge (and avoid parking fees). I do suggest bringing extra water, since it gets pretty warm up there and some of the uphill climbs can be challenging. Overall, it's a great hike and highly recommend! read more

Pacific Ridge Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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The Cypress Pacific Ridge Trailhead , starts in a residential area near Coastal Peak Park and offers great access into the Crystal Cove California State Park trails along the mountain side of Newport and Laguna coasts wilderness park. (Also, check out my review of the trails for more info). There is signage along the way to provide maps with options for more or less challenging routes as you enter the park as well as indicating that there are no dogs allowed. If you want a great natural cardio, leg and glute workout, then the trails are just the place. And although you can enter Crustal Cove State Park from the Laguna Beach side, Cypress Pacific Ridge Trailhead provides great local access to the trails with free parking, water fountains and restroom facilities at Coastal Peak Park near the playground. read more

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Enjoyed this trail a lot since there are several paths to choose from. Our group got to the park @548am and already a lot of ppl here. We hiked through sun rise and took the easy trail to go through the tunnel and enjoyed the beach to ourselves before it gets crowded. Heading back, we took a more elevated trail as if the heatwave on Saturday wasn't bad enough @830am. Be sure to enjoy the scenery and the ocean and what Cali has to offer. :) read more

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Ahhh... probably one of my favorite trailheads in all of Orange County! I love the fact that you can make your hike easy (just along Bommer Ridge) or a challenge (by going into the Canyon). The important thing to remember is that what goes down must go up...! :) If you hike down into the Canyon, you'll have to trek back up a trail. Good for a work out though! This trailhead keeps you either in Laguna Coast Wilderness, or you can venture into Crystal Cove. Parking is in a semi-residential area; gets busy on weekends. Be cautious of mountain bikers! YE 2017: 76/100 read more

Rather than celebrating Black Friday we decided to do #OptOutside with some friends. FEELS: It's in a high-end suburban area and close to a park. A peaceful place with a nice view of the city, mountains, and the beach. PARKING: If you come early in the morning like before 8am, you're good. It's a popular place for bikers and locals but not the most sexy place to be. OVERALL DIFFICULTY: 2.5 stars. For those interested in hiking or biking, here is a nice place for beginners. This is a nice place for minimal epic scenery but good for working out in a place not too hard to get lost. There are hills but the hike is pretty much a make your own in regards to you choose the paths (not force one). Great place for people of all ages. TIPS: * No dogs allowed * Bring a hat, it can get lost. read more

Pacific Ridge Trailhead - And so the adventure begins - Hiking Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Like the hike to Crystal Cove and back. Sorry to say lack of miles between intersections info on top map led to misestimation of distance (8.5 miles actual vs 7 estimated). Would suggest adding "miles between" info, which is available say 2 miles in, but not at start. Beautiful scenery - million dollar views every quarter mile. Trail is like a narrow groomed ski slope. Thanks for a delightful 4 hours out in nature. read more

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I am so freaking out of shape... In the past, I always felt like hiking was just walking but then again back in the day I was a multi-sport athlete and younger. *sigh. Always, I tried the easiest trail with some alumni for a hiking day. I thought either I'm going to enjoy this or it's going to be killer. At first I thought how bad can it be, we are just walking down hill. Then I saw a bunch of people riding bikes and other families caring small children. I'm sure I can walk and talk with my friend and be just fine. I was wrong. I was so tired just walking down hill. You could imagine how much more difficult it was to walk back up the hill. Actually, the adrenaline was pumping and after a couple hours were going to try a more difficult trail. I thought I'm good to go; however, after sitting down for about 15 minutes in the shape when it was hot AF my body would not get up. I thought don't be wimp, but I really could not get up. I was stiff and my body was trying to tell me "you are not ready for this" and "do you even cardio bro?". Well, let's just saying walking back to my car after my muscles tensed up was difficult. I was going to walk over to the Pokemon Gym near the entrance, but I struggled. I really enjoyed my experience. I want to go back again on a colder day. I went a few months ago when it was still warm and sunny. I think a cold overcast day would be preferred. I rather hike when it's freezing or at least a cool breeze. I want to find the trail that goes to the beach. Hiking is still more fun than the treadmill. I just need to get my lazy butt back out there. read more

This hike is no joke. It's not just a round loop that doesn't require navigation. There are multiple trails you can get lost in so be sure to get a copy of the at the trailhead (this May or May not be from experience!). Definitely can get 10 mile hikes down easily at this place. There's also this gorgeous view of the ocean throughout the trails. As many other reviews have mentioned, rarely any spots of shade. Be sure to bring water and sunscreen. read more

Beautiful trail especially in the morning and evening, beautiful view all around there is no shade so cover up and apply sunscreen! Free parking but gets full easy so come before the crowd. This doesn't have a physical address, use the Coastal peak address and just go straight ahead and you will find the entrance, this pics is the trail to the right! read more

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This was a great hike. The views were the best part. I would recommend taking a good pair of shoes, as it can be loose and muddy in parts.

Great trail, you can head 4 miles down the ocean. Views are incredible. Parking is pretty easy, but gets busy on the weekends. Restroom at the top and bottom only. If you get to the bottom and keep going to the left there is tunnel that takes you under PCH to the ocean. Watch out for rattlesnakes when it's sunny, I've seen many on the path. Just wait for them to slither away. Hills can be tough on the way back from the bottom. I recommend planning 2-3 hours if you go all 8 miles. read more

Such a beautiful trail! I'm an amateur hiker and I found this trail to be just challenging enough.

By far my favorite place to run. So many trails to explore without getting bored of seeing the same one over and over. Despite being bordered by the 73, 133, and PCH, these trails make you feel like you're far away from civilization without really having to go very far at all. If I lived in one of the neighboring communities, I'd be here all day erryday. read more

Pacific Ridge Trailhead - Hello, friend - Hiking Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Great trail, amazing ocean views and friendly hikers. Plenty of parking as well. read more

Pacific Ridge Trailhead is one of my most favorite spots to adventure! You can go countless times and explore new trails every time! If you'd like to walk leisurely there's plenty of trails for that, on the contrary if you want to challenge yourself with a more strenuous hike, that can also be accomplished! This is a great go-to spot for mountain bikers, trail runners, and outdoor enthusiasts! Have fun!! :) read more

Crystal Cove is a great place to hike! We went on a Sunday and arrived at 8am. Google maps took us to the road, but you have to drive up another half mile before you actually see the beginning of the trail. The trail is right across from Coastal Peak Park on the corner of Ridge Park and East Coastal Peak. If you're lucky, you'll find parking here...we actually had to park half a mile away. It seemed really crowded as we were parking, but once we got on the trail, it was nice and didn't see a lot of people. We started on Bommer Ridge Trail to Red Tail Ridge to Ticketron to No Name Ridge to No Dogs to Moro down to the parking lot through the tunnel to the beach! Then all the way back! In my opinion, this was a more than moderately difficult trail. Yes, it was more on the harder side, not dangerous, but difficult because it was so long with lots of hills up and down. The way back was excruciating, I didn't think I'd make it, but I did! We took 2 liters of water per person and ran out about half mile to the end, but we had more water at the car! I tracked it on my Samsung Health app and it was more than 9.5 miles and took us about 5.5 hours. I really like this hike. Nice bathrooms at the park and when we finished there were bathrooms down by the beach. Everyone was friendly and courteous! People stayed a good distance apart and less than half the people were wearing masks. Weather was hot, but the ocean breeze felt good once you got closer to the beach. Watch out for the mountain bikers! They seem experienced and also very cautious, but hikers need to do our part and stay to the right when you hear them coming. Will definitely come back, but take a shorter hike next time! read more

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I started my hike for crystal cove loop trail covering 9.5 miles from here instead of parking at crystal cove state park which saves $15 but sure to start early as it gets busy here especially on weekends read more

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Love this hike!! The trails are fairly easy. You can see the city, ocean, or both depending on the trail you pick. GPS stops you at the middle of the road but just continue to drive up to the very top to the end of the road. Street park is so easy and the neighborhood around it is very nice They offer free maps and you can choose several different hikes. Bommer trail takes you to laguna beach and other trails lead you to Newport Beach read more

As a newbie hiker, I have little to compare this trail to but I love this place. There is plenty of street parking. There are a variety of trails to chose from. There is plenty of information available at the top of the trailhead. Exploring the trails on two different occasions, I like the varieties of the inclines, scenery, and paths to choose from. Bommer Ridge Trail is the most popular trail -- wide path with plenty of hikers, mountain bikers, and random State Park trucks. I did another hike on No Name Ridge, Rattlesnake, Red Tail Ridge, and Bommer Ridge trails-- which is less-traveled and AWESOME. I loved the scenery and varied trail types... and sometimes steep inclines. read more

Pacific Ridge Trailhead - Info and trail map at entrance - Hiking Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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We went on a group hike with our boot camp here. The view alone is worth it and it's an easier hike than others I have done in the area, any age or fitness level can easily complete this hike. Parking can be a little tough as we went on Saturday morning. We did the 6 mile loop and enjoyed the views on the way down and back up to the top. The breeze is great too!! Worth trying out if your in the area. The hike time was about 1.5 to 2 hours walking and less if you run a portion of it. read more

Pacific Ridge Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Favorite hike! 8 mile hike ain't no thing when you have this gorgeous view! There is no shade at all, so be sure to wear a hat and bring plenty of water! There are a few different trails but I like to do the most difficult one. It is definitely a killer but worth it in the end. This isn't a loop, I usually start from the top on Pacific Ridge and hike down No Name Trail and take a break half way at Crystal Cove beach area where you cross the tunnel, then come back up which seems 10x worse but you'll get through it, eventually. I love to go early mornings before it warms up, makes a huge difference. read more

Beautiful and pristine trails, but I'm bummed I drove all that way and paid tolls to get there only to find out dogs aren't allowed :(

Not a lot of shade but it's a great hike! Walking towards the ocean the whole time (depending on what trail you decide) lots of moderate hills so it was a challenge for me! My boyfriend barely sweat and was barely winded when I was (in the beginning) but by the time we ended the hike, about 6 miles round trip, he felt he got a solid workout in. We didn't make it to the end because we went on a really hot day but we'll be back! read more

Beautiful dirt trail in the spring with wildflowers, mustard rolling green hills and the ocean in front of you too!

Such a beautiful hike with clear easy trails to follow. Had some great opportunities for amazing photos and views. Plus such a nice ocean breeze! read more

I did this trail run loop from the top of the Pacific Ridge Trailhead. There were plenty of parking even when I started around 8AM on a Saturday. I drove almost an hour to get here. You start in the residential area along Pacific Trail Ridge to No Name Ridge and then to No Dogs trail to get to Crystal Cove. Once you get there, you'll go through a parking lot and then back on the trail. Just stay on the trail from there until you get to another parking lot where you'll get to a bridge on your left. From there stay left towards BFI where you'll hang a right (a single track to Moro Ridge. From here, it is mostly uphill for about a mile. Pass Lower Moro Ridge Campground and then Upper Moro Ridge Campground to Bommer Ridge Trail (hang a left here) back to the starting point. I actually took the Missing Link trail which I probably should not have since it is single track and there are mountain bikers. This entire loop is about 9.5 miles but I had to backtrack a bit due to being my first time on this trail so I ended with 10 miles. There are plenty of warning signs for rattlesnakes but I didn't see any. Just watch for holes in the ground where they might be hiding. Have fun... read more

great trail! has a good number of inclines for a nice morning hike and there's even a point where you can see the water. came earlier in the am and noticed there were more bikers than when i've come later on in the afternoon but there's more than enough room for hikers&bikers. not much shade tho, so come early or on a milder day if you don't want to get too hot! read more

One of my favorite runs in OC. Beautiful views and enough variety to keep it interesting.

Great hike with almost endless ocean views. Not too difficult for the beginners.

Amazing views, tough trail (I'm a noob). Get here early before the sun rises or you will be sweating your butt off! Make sure to bring lots of water and your phone for those breathtaking panorama views! read more