Sleepy Hollow Beach

What it’s like

Sleepy Hollow Beach lies south of the center of town. The Pacific Edge Hotel overlooks the sand, and a stairway from Sleepy Hollow Lane leads down to it. The city describes a sand bottom with shorebreak surf, and the beach is popular with swimmers and bodysurfers.

A reef at the south end offers waves for bodyboarding, and the city says swimmers should avoid it. Several submerged rocks and the rocky reef lie toward the southern part of the beach. Rip currents can form near that reef and along the rest of the beach.

The city says there are no public restrooms here. Main Beach, a short walk away, has several, with restrooms and outdoor showers at both ends of that beach.

Getting there and parking

The stairway sits on Sleepy Hollow Lane, south of the signal at Legion and Coast Highway. The Coastal Commission puts stairs at the north end of Sleepy Hollow Lane and lists a run of stairway beaches south of it, at Cleo Street, St. Ann’s Drive and Thalia Street.

The city says the closest parking is the metered parking on Coast Highway. The Coastal Commission lists on-street parking for the run of stairways from Sleepy Hollow Lane to Thalia Street. Meters and pay stations take cards, coins and bills, and you can pay through the Laguna Beach Parking App. 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. The city says some parts of Laguna Beach have three-hour meters and others have limited neighborhood parking. 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 Coastal Commission lists tide pools and wildlife viewing along the stretch from Sleepy Hollow Lane to Thalia Street. Check a tide chart for low tide, and wear waterproof shoes.

The Good Tide Pooler Rules apply here too: no collecting, no touching animals, no stepping on plants or animals and no turning over rocks.

The city lists Sleepy Hollow in the marine protected area. The state’s Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve runs from Abalone Point to Goff Island, and inside it nobody may injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource. Fishing is not allowed. The city’s page for the beach repeats both rules.

Good to know

Dogs must stay on a leash. Between June 15 and September 10 they can use the beach before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m., and from September 11 to June 14 they can use it at any hour.

The city bans alcohol, smoking and fires on its beaches. It notes that some beaches have no lifeguard at times and asks you to swim with a partner.

Main Beach lies about 0.4 mile to the northwest in a straight line, and St. Ann’s Street Beach lies a little farther south, past the Cleo Street stairs. Homes on Sleepy Hollow Lane are listed under the Village.