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Laguna Beach, CA

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Wood's Cove

3.7 (75 reviews)
Open • 6:00 am - 10:00 pm

Wood's Cove Photos

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Reviews With Photos

Mid afternoon at Woods,
 city had just emptied trash cans.
Mary H.

This beautiful cove went viral last year on social media and things have actually gotten worse. Once summer vacations started for 2024, this small beach has been jammed with visitors every day, the city has had to hire two lifeguards who are constantly preventing mishaps or saving people in the water. Because they don't have time to also enforce the city laws of no alcohol, no glass containers, no smoking (cigs, pot or vape), music must be kept at a whisper, and no tents over 6 feet, it's no longer a relaxing day at the beach but chaotic and stressful. Parents if you bring your children to this beach, keep an eye on them down by the water, adults will stand in the water get knocked down and are oblivious to the small children. It's very sad. We've been coming here for decades. We've tried coming down at the end of the day and the trash and plastic toys left behind is heartbreaking.

Deepa N.

Absolutely loved this beach. It's secluded and has a small stairway to enter the beach. Get there early & grab a spot because it is a smaller beach & shore area is limited.

Emily C.

Wood's Cove is a small beach but great for relaxing. There are several entry ways from the street with staircases that lead down to the beach. Even the path of the stairs going down to the beach is cute! The sand is also soft and great for relaxing, while the waves are perfect to play in or to just enjoy the cool water on a hot day. There's some street parking but some of the meters are broken and ate my quarters so I'd recommend to just use a credit card.

Riptide between the rocks
Adam D.

My son cut his foot on a submerged rock just under the sand. My daughter had to get rescued from the ripti Edit: Tried one last time to go to woods cove today. Couldn't even get from steps to the beach. Nothing but rocks.

Christopher L.

Wood's Cove is a lovely beach to lay out on the sand or dip your toes in the water. Getting to the beach is the trickiest part. There is public parking along PCH and Ocean Way, but on weekends and in summer snagging one of these requires eagle eyes, determination, resilience, and above-average parallel parking skills. Once you park, there are two steep staircases along Ocean Way leading down to the sand. The beach is about 100 yards long. High tide comes past the south steps and near the north steps but there's a sliver of beach left. The bluffs around the cove provide some shade in the morning, but as the day goes on the sun will find you. There are no public restroom facilities at Wood's Cove or neighboring Moss. The historic Bette Davis House overlooks the beach - you can identify it by the wrought iron "D" on the brick chimney. The Oscar-winning actor only lived there a few years (1947-1950), but the structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's on the market, and with a recent price reduction you can pick it up for a bargain at $17 million.

Emily T.

Such a beautiful beach!! I love that it's more of a secluded beach, making it less crowded and more quiet. It's dog friendly during certain months and hours as well which is a plus. There are rocks to climb on top of to see different views and the water is clean. Parking is not too terrible since not many people come here. There are metered parking on the streets nearby.

Kevin B.

Small beach area but it's beautiful and the water is so clear and clean. Get there early parking can be crazy

NiNa X.

One of my favorites beach on Laguna again! I find peace what I need, specially after sunset completely down, sky getting dark, people around less, I walk on the beach, close my eye, I feel alive . I smiling and dancing , I looked sky ,how beautiful you could be .

Zara A.

Woods Cove is a tiny (but very beautiful) little beach located on Ocean Way in between Pearl Street and Diamond Street. There are two entrances: - South Entrance: There is a garden that surrounds this entrance followed by series of stairs. - North Entrance: A set of stairs that leads straight down to the beach. It is slightly hidden but marked by a sign. Very limited street parking can be found on Ocean Way. If you cross Pacific Coast Highway, there's metered parking. This beach is located in a very quiet residential neighborhood.

Woods Cove from the street
Terri B.

Love to escape to this gem of a beach! High tide 8/25/19 Quaint little beach- two ways down from the street.

Odyssey being a doll

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5 months ago

I didn't enjoy this beach. The access to Newport Beach is much better. The street parking was non-existent.

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2 years ago

Very narrow limited with limited places to sit. Bottom is very rocky which makes it difficult to walk into water.

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Page 1 of 2

Ask the Community - Wood's Cove

Review Highlights - Wood's Cove

“Woods Cove is a tiny (but very beautiful) little beach located on Ocean Way in between Pearl Street and Diamond Street.”

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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Treasure Island Beach - Not sure. Mussels?

Treasure Island Beach

4.7(222 reviews)
1.2 mi

There's a section of the beach directly next to Goff Island that has amazing soft sand that is…read moredifferent from the sand from the stairs down to the beach and definitely not like Aliso Beach. The soft sand feels so good and the kids enjoyed playing with it as well. Being California Coast, don't expect ocean water to be warm as it'll never be warm and should not be since it'll be a destruction to the coastal ecosystem if it did. So, be prepared that it'll be cold to chilly depending on the weather of the day impacting change in temperature perception. Parking fills up quick so definitely come early during weekends and during sunset hours.

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.

Photos
Treasure Island Beach - Treasure Island Beach, Laguna Beach, CA

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Treasure Island Beach - The walkway down to the beach

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The walkway down to the beach

Heisler Park - It's at the top middle of photo as seen from west Main Beach Jul 10, 2026

Heisler Park

4.8(334 reviews)
1.5 mi

We are incredibly fortunate to have discovered the breathtaking beauty of Heisler Park. My sister…read moreand I visited this coastal sanctuary every day during our Laguna Beach staycation back in August, walking over from our nearby hotel. This spot has held a magical captive hold on our hearts since we were teenagers; over the years, we discovered we had both independently drifted to this exact location time and time again. The winding walking paths and sweeping ocean vistas are all you need to truly embrace the essence of the California coast. The park is a tapestry of hidden beach coves, dramatic cliffs, swaying palm trees, and unforgettable sunsets. Years ago, my sister captured this magic in a lovely oil painting of the staircase leading down to one of the coves on Cliff Drive. Following our trip, she surprised me with the original artwork. I cannot wait to hang it on my wall at home so I can forever look back on the beauty of this place. It is a cherished haven that I will hold close to my heart forever.

Five. Stars. What else is there to say? Just look at my photos. The views speak for themselves…read more Heisler Park is absolutely beautiful. The ocean views, the beaches, the landscaping, and how clean and well-kept everything felt made this such an enjoyable place to visit. There are gorgeous views seemingly everywhere you look, and it's the kind of place where you can easily spend a while just walking around and taking everything in. What I especially love is that you don't even need to come here specifically to swim or spend the day at the beach. You can simply find a spot, sit down, watch the waves, listen to the water, and enjoy the scenery. If you do want the beach, it's right there, but the park itself is worth visiting regardless. There really is something for everyone here, whether you want to walk, relax, take photos, enjoy the beach, or just stare out at the Pacific for a while. One of those places where a long review almost feels unnecessary. Beautiful views, beautiful beaches, clean surroundings, and an incredible setting. FIVE. STARS.

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Heisler Park - Bunny

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Heisler Park - July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Heisler Park

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Victoria Beach - Pirate tower

Victoria Beach

4.5(231 reviews)
0.7 mi

Such a beautiful beach! There is the Pirate Tower here, which is fun to see. However, if the tide…read moreis high they close the rocks and you can't go over there (which is what happened when I visited). The water is super blue and beautiful here. Very clean and nice beach.

Victoria Beach is one of many hidden or secret beaches in Orange County. This is an extremely…read morepopular spot for photoshoot and there were tons of people coming here with their professional photographers. [Where is the beach]: Use the pin on Yelp's map as the guidance as the pin on the Google Map misled our party to a completely different beach. This hidden beach has two entrance - one via Dumond Dr (116 Dumond Dr) and one near the intersection of Victoria Dr & Sunset Terrace (2703 Victoria Dr). Please note that the entrance via Dumond Dr is under construction so it's easier to enter by taking the stairways near 2703 Victoria Dr. [Parking]: There's a street sign telling visitors to park on PCH and not residential streets. Unfortunately all parking on PCH is street parking only and our party got a bit lucky finding a spot near The Drake (2894 S Coast Hwy) - fall season so less crowd. [Dogs]: Dogs are allowed BEFORE 9:00 AM and AFTER 6:00 PM from June 15 - September 10. Dogs are allowed during regular beach hours from September 11 - June 14. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. [What to see]: Unlike other beaches in Orange County, there's actually a structure called the Pirate Tower and apparently it was built in 1926 for the family of William E. Brown (a state senator representing California's 37th district). [Conclusion]: I personally still prefer Table Rock Beach a bit better than Victoria Beach due to slightly easier parking, easier to navigate, and prettier beach, but the pirate tower is certainly unique.

Photos
Victoria Beach - PC: Luzye Photography

PC: Luzye Photography

Victoria Beach - PC: Luzye Photography

PC: Luzye Photography

Victoria Beach - Pirate tower

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Pirate tower

Crescent Bay Beach

Crescent Bay Beach

4.5(131 reviews)
2.3 mi

While on a vacation, I ended up deciding to stay the night around Laguna Beach at a hotel off the…read moreCoast Highway. I was very fortunate to have had Crescent Bay Beach right next to that hotel. It is a fantastic, low-key place to read a book, go on a walk/run, and just relax on the beach and enjoy how chill and not crowded it is. I recommend going early in the morning to watch the sunrise. The sand is nice enough to go bare foot in as well. If you are looking for a beach to go to that isn't one of the main beaches that get overly crowded, I definitely recommend Crescent Bay Beach.

If you're looking for one of the most beautiful beaches in Laguna Beach, Crescent Bay Beach is…read moredefinitely worth a visit. Located at Crescent Bay Drive & Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, this picturesque cove is known for its crystal-clear water, rocky shoreline, and abundant marine life. If you visit during low tide, you'll find plenty of tide pools where you can observe small sea creatures, making it a great spot to slow down and appreciate nature. Parking, however, can be a bit of a nightmare. I was lucky enough to visit with someone who lives in the area and knew all the different places to check for parking. Without her, I honestly don't think I would have found a spot. We ended up parking farther away than I would have preferred, and the walk to and from the beach included some pretty steep hills, but once we arrived, it was absolutely worth the effort. The scenery is stunning, the beach feels peaceful despite its popularity, and it's a wonderful place to relax, explore the tide pools, or simply enjoy the beautiful California coastline. Just plan ahead for parking, wear comfortable shoes, and give yourself a little extra time to get there.

Photos
Crescent Bay Beach - Beach

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Crescent Bay Beach
Crescent Bay Beach

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Wood's Cove - beaches - Updated October 2026

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