Day trips from Laguna Beach

Distances from Main Beach

These are estimated road miles from Main Beach, from OSRM driving routes on OpenStreetMap data. They are routing estimates, not official distances, and they give miles, not minutes, because traffic changes the time on every one of these drives.

Day trip	About this many miles by road (OSRM estimate)
Crystal Cove State Park (Historic District)	4.6
Corona del Mar State Beach	6.9
Sherman Library & Gardens, Corona del Mar	6.9
Ocean Institute, Dana Point Harbor	7.6
Catalina Express port, Dana Point	8.2
Balboa Pavilion, Balboa Peninsula	9.3
Mission San Juan Capistrano	13.3
Disneyland Resort, Anaheim	24.7

Crystal Cove State Park

The state park lies between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach and has its own page: Crystal Cove State Park. California State Parks lists 3.2 miles of beach, a 12.3-acre Historic District of 46 cottages and 2,400 acres of backcountry wilderness. Day use runs from 6 a.m. to sunset. California State Parks posts current restrictions and closures on the park’s page, so check it before you go. For overnight stays, see camping and Crystal Cove.

Dana Point Harbor and the Ocean Institute

Dana Point is the next town south. Its harbor site lists whale watching, sailing, parasailing, stand-up paddle boarding, diving, fishing, boat rentals and a wharf of shops and restaurants.

The Ocean Institute is a nonprofit ocean education center at 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive. Its site says it opens to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and runs school field trips on weekdays. Weekend programs include whale and marine life cruises and tall ship sails, and its site names the R/V Sea Explorer and the Spirit of Dana Point. See also whale watching and Laguna Beach vs. Dana Point.

You can get there without driving. The city’s Coastal Route trolley runs on Coast Highway to Mission Hospital and the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point, and OCTA Route 1 lists Dana Point Harbor on its timetable. Check both schedules first: the trolley page has the city’s hours.

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano sits inland, about 13 miles by road from Main Beach on the OSRM estimate. Its site says Junipero Serra founded it on November 1, 1776, as the seventh of 21 missions the Spanish established in California. Its site lists the Serra Chapel, the museum and the gardens.

The mission is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and sells admission until 4:45 p.m. It is closed to general admission on Mondays and on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and it says hours can change daily.

Corona del Mar and Balboa

Corona del Mar State Beach is about 7 miles by road north of Main Beach on the OSRM estimate. The City of Newport Beach lists fire rings there and near Balboa Pier, and sets beach hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It does not allow glass or alcohol, and it bars dogs from the beach and beachfront sidewalks between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Compare it with Laguna Beach’s rules in beach rules, and see Laguna Beach vs. Newport Beach.

Sherman Library & Gardens at 2647 East Coast Highway is a nonprofit with a botanical garden and a historical research library.

On the Balboa Peninsula, the Balboa Island Ferry has crossed the roughly 800 feet between the peninsula and Balboa Island since 1919. Its site says it carries pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles from 6:30 a.m. to midnight every day.

Disneyland

Disneyland Resort in Anaheim is about 25 miles by road from Main Beach on the OSRM estimate. The resort’s site lists two theme parks, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Tickets and hours are on the resort’s site.

Catalina Island by boat

Catalina Express sails to Avalon from its Dana Point port at 34675 Golden Lantern Street, and its Dana Point page gives about 1 hour 30 minutes for the crossing. The Catalina Island Company’s site also lists the Catalina Flyer, which sails daily from Newport Beach. Catalina Express says parking for the Dana Point port is in the Dana Point Harbor parking structure.

Before you leave

Every trip above returns to town on Coast Highway or Laguna Canyon Road, the two roads in. The getting here page covers both, and the getting around guide lists more distances from Main Beach. For a day that stays in town, see one day in Laguna Beach.