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.

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.

Love walking around this park with or without dogs…read more The place is packed just about anytime you visit. It's right near several resorts. So if you have reactive dogs or get overstimulated easily, this place is a no go. Parking easy especially if you have an OC Park pass. Dogs can't access the beach but you can walk around the paved area. There's very little to no shades in and around the park. Sunscreen and hats a must if you burn easily. I wish someone could tell me where on earth I can go that's by the sea in SoCal or otherwise that's not overcrowded all the time. I am just about through with seeing unruly kids or loud talking adults everywhere I go. Asking for a friend.

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.

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.

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

Local park, surrounded with beautiful houses with unique architecture, gorgeous ocean view, clean…read morewith a small play ground for kids...Walkable and relax...There is a park benches with no shades...I wished the benches were under trees to cool down...Full of playful squirrels and so many dog owners...Very friendly vibes...and its a good place to bring your coffee here and chill. We went to Kawamata seas food and as always we came here to eat our yummy poke...Enjoyed the view and food...There is also parking spot on the street....never get crowded.

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

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!

Gorgeous views of the ocean from the parking lot (which is free to park). Access to the beach (lots…read moreof stairs but just take it slow). The stairs are very well maintained and don't have to worry about them being slippery or sandy.

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.

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.

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.