Three Arch Bay · Private beach · Marine Conservation Area
Three Arch Bay Beach
Three Arch Bay is a guard-gated community in Laguna Beach, south of Thousand Steps Beach, named for three natural arches. Its beach is private: land access is for residents and their guests.
Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY 4.0
Private beach. Land access is reserved for residents.
What it’s like
Three Arch Bay takes its name from three natural arches in the cliff along its shore. California Fish and Wildlife says waves and rain carved the arches and calls them perhaps the most striking natural feature in the Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area. OpenStreetMap marks the arches on the shoreline and a cove called Mussel Cove just south of them. The aerial photo on this page, taken by pilot Don Ramey Logan, shows the arching rocks the bay is named after.
Three Arch Bay is a guard-gated community of luxury homes and beach cottages in Laguna Beach, south of Thousand Steps Beach. The beach belongs to that community. A realatrends.com guide to Laguna’s luxury neighborhoods describes it as a private beach that is accessible only to homeowners.
For the streets, homes and the community’s association, see the Three Arch Bay neighborhood page.
Getting there and parking
Land access to this beach is for residents and their guests. The community is guard-gated, and the association’s rules govern guest parking and beach access. If you plan to visit someone who lives in Three Arch Bay, ask your host how the association handles guests.
The Coastal Commission’s access file lists no public access point in Three Arch Bay, so this page gives no parking or trail directions. The nearest public stairway in the Coastal Commission’s access file is at Thousand Steps Beach, less than a mile north in a straight line. It has a long stairway from South Coast Highway, on-street parking and restrooms, and it closes between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Rules and safety
Three Arch Bay lies inside the Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area, which California Fish and Wildlife places between South Laguna and Dana Point. The conservation area covers about 3.47 square miles and 4.0 miles of shoreline from the Laguna Beach area south toward Dana Point. The state rules apply below the mean high tide line, to residents and visitors alike.
It is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource, with one set of exceptions: the area allows recreational take of finfish by hook-and-line or spearfishing, and lobster and urchin. That is more than the Laguna Beach conservation area to the north allows, where all take is unlawful. Taking living marine resources from tide pools is prohibited. Check California Fish and Wildlife’s rules before you fish or dive.
The agency describes rocky reef and kelp forest along this stretch, with snorkel and dive spots at Monarch Point and Thousand Steps, and it mentions plentiful tide pooling.
The Department of Marine Safety answers questions about tides and surf.
Good to know
Rules for residents and guests, such as guest parking and beach access, belong to the association, and this page does not list them. A resident can tell you what applies.
Live from NOAA
Tides and water at Three Arch Bay
| Day | High and low tides |
|---|---|
| Loading NOAA predictions… | |
Sources: NOAA tide predictions, station 9410580 and NOAA NDBC buoy 46253 (owned by Scripps). The buoy reads open water offshore; water at the beach can differ. Check posted lifeguard flags before you swim.
Things to do
Things to do at Three Arch Bay
Living nearby
Three Arch Bay, by the numbers
The closest neighborhood to Three Arch Bay Beach. Read the Three Arch Bay guide.
CRMLS: homes for sale today; closed sales in the 12 months through October 19, 2026. A median needs 5 sales.
Questions
Is Three Arch Bay beach private?
Yes. Land access is for Three Arch Bay residents and their guests. The community is guard-gated, and the association's rules apply to guests.
Where is the nearest public beach to Three Arch Bay?
Thousand Steps Beach, less than a mile north in a straight line, has a long public stairway from South Coast Highway, on-street parking and restrooms, according to the Coastal Commission.
Why is it called Three Arch Bay?
For three natural arches. California Fish and Wildlife says waves and rain carved them out of a cliff, and calls them perhaps the most striking natural feature of the surrounding conservation area.
Can you fish at Three Arch Bay?
Taking living marine resources from tide pools is prohibited. Recreational take of finfish by hook-and-line or spearfishing, and lobster and urchin, is allowed in the Dana Point conservation area, so check California Fish and Wildlife's rules first.
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Last reviewed
Sources (9)
- Three Arch Bay is a guard-gated beachfront community with three natural arches and a mix of luxury homes and beach cottages: realatrends.com, checked 2026-10-09
- Three Arch Bay has a private beach that is accessible only to homeowners: realatrends.com, checked 2026-10-09
- In gated and HOA communities the association's rules apply, including rules on guest parking and beach access: realatrends.com, checked 2026-10-09
- Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area lies between South Laguna and Dana Point and covers 3.47 square miles and 4.0 miles of shoreline; waves and rain carved three arches out of a cliff at Three Arch Bay, which CDFW calls perhaps the most striking natural feature of the area; the area is bounded by the mean high tide line; it is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource except as listed; take of living marine resources from tide pools is prohibited; recreational take of finfish by hook-and-line or spearfishing, and lobster and urchin, is allowed: wildlife.ca.gov, checked 2026-10-09
- The aerial photo's Wikimedia Commons caption by the photographer says the bay was named for the arching of the rocks shown: commons.wikimedia.org, checked 2026-10-09
- OpenStreetMap places the Three Arches rock arch in Three Arch Bay at 33.4889, -117.7370; the map pin sits at the arches: nominatim.openstreetmap.org, checked 2026-10-09
- OpenStreetMap places a cove named Mussel Cove in Three Arch Bay at 33.4878, -117.7353, just south of the arches: nominatim.openstreetmap.org, checked 2026-10-09
- Thousand Steps Beach, the nearest listed public stairway to the north (South Coast Hwy. opposite 9th Ave., long stairway, on-street parking, restrooms), and its coordinates for the distance: api.coastal.ca.gov, checked 2026-10-09
- Thousand Steps Beach closes between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; the Department of Marine Safety is the contact for tides and surf: visitlagunabeach.com, checked 2026-10-09
