Afoot and Afield: Orange County. Jerry Schad

steps from Little Corona Beach, or use roads to complete a loop by walking up the beach access trail and veering right onto Poppy Avenue to reach the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) in 0.4 mile. From here, Pelican Point is 1 mile southeast on the highway. If you didn’t arrange a bicycle shuttle, you could take OC Transit Bus #1 to avoid walking along the busy road; the bus stops at Poppy Avenue and at Pelican Point Drive, where a trail shortcuts back into the state park.

      trip 3.2 Crystal Cove Beaches

      

      Distance 2–5.5 miles (loop)

      Hiking Time 1–3 hours

      Elevation Gain 100’

      Difficulty Easy–moderate

      Trail Use Good for kids

      Best Times All year

      Agency CCSP

      Permit CCSP parking fee required

      DIRECTIONS There are three separate entrances to the bluff-and-beach section of Crystal Cove State Park: Pelican Point, Los Trancos, and Reef Point. All three are clearly marked with large brown signs posted on the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach. For the longest loop, enter via Pelican Point on the west side of the PCH opposite Newport Coast Drive, turn right beyond the entrance station, and park in lot 2.

      Hemmed in by 80-foot cliffs on one side and the restless surf on the other, Crystal Cove State Park’s 3 miles of sandy beachfront seem strangely detached from the busy world above. Aside from the quaint beachfront-cottage community at Crystal Cove, recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, the midportion of the beach is largely free of encroachment by man-made structures. Come early in the morning, or anytime on a cold or rainy day, and you may have the beach all to yourself. The bluff tops represent the first (other than the one being cut now at beach level) of several successively higher and older marine terraces extending back into the interior San Joaquin Hills. Stay on the designated paths so as not to trample the sage scrub plant and wildlife community that has been reestablished here. Much of this vegetation looks brown and drab in summer and fall, when it is dormant, but it turns green and colorful during the rainy season.

      Crystal Cove State Beach

      The tops of the bluffs are excellent for watching gray whales migrate along the shore from December through February, although it is not unusual to see whales spouting just off the coast at other times of year. Using binoculars, scan the ocean surface out to a distance of 1 or 2 miles. Early- to mid-morning light (sidelight) is best for this.

      Below the cliffs on the gently shelving beach, you can scuff through warm, squeaky sand above the high-tide line, tiptoe through beached kelp along with flocks of nervous shorebirds, or cool off in the undulating wash of the surf. Swimmers and surfers should beware of the rocky reefs submerged at higher tides. During low tides, the rocky reefs are exposed, promising tidepool discoveries.

      To explore the entire length of the beach, park at one of the lots at Pelican Point, pick a trail down to the sand, and follow the beach southeast. Pass the historic district, where you can find upscale refreshments at the Beachcomber Café near the mouth of Los Trancos Creek. Pass between the rocks and cliffs at Reef Point, and continue east over Moro Beach to the lifeguard headquarters near Abalone Point, nearly 3 miles from the start. On your way back, take the trail up to Reef Point and walk along the bluffs, enjoying the overlooks. Pass the bustling Shake Shack in the historic district, and continue back to your vehicle. For a shorter loop, you can trim off either end.

      trip 3.3 Emerald Vista Point

      

      Distance 4.6 miles (loop)

      Hiking Time 2½ hours

      Elevation Gain 800’

      Difficulty Moderate

      Trail Use Backpacking, cyclists, equestrians, good for kids

      Best Times October–May

      Agency CCSP

      Permit CCSP parking fee required

      DIRECTIONS Crystal Cove State Park’s visitor center and backcountry trailhead is located just east of the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), 2 miles north of Laguna Beach and 3 miles south of Corona del Mar. The entrance driveway is well marked, and a traffic light has been installed here for safety. Follow the road as it veers right and passes the entrance station. Continue past Moro Campground and down the hill, then turn left (east) and drive to the trailhead parking near a picnic area at the end of the road.

      On the most transparent winter days, the view from Emerald Vista Point spans more than 200 miles of Southern California coast and extends out to sea for a distance of 100 miles or more. Beyond Dana Point to the southeast, the low profile of San Diego’s Point Loma can be traced along the curving shoreline, while offshore the diminutive Coronado Islands (just south of the international border) barely rise above the ocean haze. Southwest and west stand two big islands, San Clemente and Santa Catalina, the former a gently rising blister on the ocean surface, the latter a bold headland sprawling across 25 degrees of ocean horizon. Over the top of the upthrust Palos Verdes peninsula and through the often murky Los Angeles Basin to the northwest, you can sometimes spy the Santa Monica Mountains and the faint blue coastline reaching west toward Santa Barbara.

      If you plan to make this a backpacking trip, make a reservation at reserveamerica.com for Crystal Cove State Park Primitive Tent Camping (Lower or Upper Moro trail camps), or get a permit in person at the visitor center. The camping fees are hefty considering the scrubby, waterless campground with a strenuous approach to a ridge miles from the beach.

      Prickly pear cactus at Emerald Vista

      From the top of the trailhead parking area, take the wide path up El Moro Canyon, then very quickly turn right on the narrow BFI Trail (“Big F. Inline”), and go up a grassy slope to the south. After sharply gaining about 200 feet of elevation, you connect with a service road winding up the west spur of El Moro Ridge. Continue climbing up the service road for 0.7 mile, then make a sharp right on a spur leading south to a small antenna facility on the shoulder of the ridge. Your views of Emerald Bay, the city of Laguna Beach, and out over the ocean are most panoramic here.

      For a longer, more leisurely descent, follow the service road 0.7 mile farther north along El Moro Ridge (signed MORO RIDGE ROAD), then veer left down the East Cut-Across road to El Moro Canyon in 1.2 miles. Turn left there, and go down-canyon 1 mile to reach the wide trail leading out of the canyon and back toward the visitor center.

      If you are backpacking, you’ll travel farther north up El Moro Ridge. Add another mile for the round-trip to the Lower El Moro trail camp, or 2.8 miles round-trip if you’re heading to the Upper El Moro trail camp.

      trip 3.4 El Moro Canyon Loop

      

      Distance 8 miles (loop)

      Hiking Time 4½ hours

      Elevation Gain 1,400’

      Difficulty Moderately strenuous

      Trail Use Cyclists, equestrians