Crescent Bay Beach

What it’s like

Crescent Bay is a cove about a quarter mile long at the north end of Laguna Beach, where Cliff Drive meets North Coast Highway. Sand fills the middle and rock closes both ends. About 120 yards off the north point sits a large rock the city calls Seal Rock, because seals and sea lions rest on it. Swimmers and kayakers are not allowed on it and should keep their distance from any marine mammals.

The city lists skimboarding, skin and scuba diving, bodysurfing, bodyboarding and tide pooling as the popular activities, along with sand games. The shorebreak is strong and rip currents can form. The city says crowds of 2,000 to 4,000 people are not uncommon.

Crescent Bay is one of four beaches the city recommends for public restrooms and outdoor showers. The others are Main Beach, Treasure Island and Aliso Creek.

Getting there and parking

Cliff Drive meets North Coast Highway at the north end of town, and the beach lies below Cliff Drive. The Coastal Commission lists a ramp down from Cliff Drive at Circle Way, plus stairs and a path to the beach.

Parking is on the street. The Coastal Commission lists on-street parking off Cliff Drive. The city’s parking page lists enforcement from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., but its lot list gives 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the off-season through June 2027, so check the meter. Meters and pay stations take cards, coins and bills, and you can pay through the Laguna Beach Parking App. The parking guide covers permits and lots, and getting around covers the trolley.

City beaches open at 5 a.m. and close at 1 a.m.

Tide pools and reserve rules

The city lists tide pooling among the activities at Crescent Bay, and the rock sits at the cove’s north and south ends. Pools show at low tide, so check a tide chart first. Wear waterproof shoes, because the rocks are sharp and hard to cross in flip-flops. The city’s tide pool page names Main Beach, Shaw’s Cove and Treasure Island as popular tide pool spots.

The city’s Good Tide Pooler Rules apply: collect nothing, leave animals where they sit, step with care and do not turn rocks over.

All of Crescent Bay lies inside the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve. The reserve runs 4.4 miles along the shore, from Abalone Point to Goff Island. State rules make it unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource there, and fishing of any kind is not allowed. A photo caption on the state’s reserve page places Crescent Bay inside it.

Good to know

Crescent Bay Point Park sits at the west end of Crescent Bay Drive. It is a blufftop overlook with on-street parking and no way down to the beach. The city keeps it open from 5 a.m. to midnight.

The city warns that high surf makes the point north of Shaw’s Cove dangerous for people walking between Shaw’s Cove and Crescent Bay.

Alcohol, smoking and fires are not allowed on the beach. The city asks you to swim near a lifeguard and with a partner. It says its crews answer emergency calls on weekends from people hurt on the rocks.

Up the coast, the gated communities of Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove reserve land access for residents and their guests. The streets above the cove, Cliff Drive among them, sit in North Laguna.