Photo spots in Laguna Beach

Ground rules first

Every spot below is public land you reach from a street, a park path or a public beach stair. Stay on those. The tower at Victoria Beach and many homes along the coast are private, and a good frame never needs you to cross a gate, fence or sign. The city lists several rules that apply to photographers as much as anyone else: balloons are banned on beaches, parks and streets, alcohol and smoking are not allowed on beaches, and the rocks that make the coast photogenic are, in the city’s words, very dangerous, with waves that have swept people off their feet.

City beaches north of Aliso Creek are open until 1 a.m. and city parks close at 10 p.m. See the things to do at night page for the full list, and the sunset spots page for where the light is best at day’s end.

Heisler Park and Monument Point

Heisler Park is the city park listed at 375 Cliff Drive. The Coastal Commission describes it as a bluff-top park with views. Monument Point, in the park, holds Semper Memento, a 2011 sculpture by the Laguna Beach artist Jorg Dubin made with World Trade Center beams, according to the Laguna Beach Independent. The park closes from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Crescent Bay Point Park

The city says this park, at the end of Crescent Bay Drive, sits on a bluff with panoramic ocean views. The Coastal Commission lists it as an overlook with no beach access. It is open from 5 a.m. to midnight. The city places Seal Rock about 120 yards off the north point of Crescent Bay, where seals and sea lions take refuge. The city says to stay away from marine mammals, so use a long lens instead of walking toward them.

Main Beach lifeguard tower

The city calls the white lifeguard tower in the middle of Main Beach the beach’s best-known landmark. The Historical Society says it moved there in 1937 from a Union Oil gas station across the street. A boardwalk runs the length of the beach, so you can frame the tower from the boardwalk or the sand. The city warns that surf here can be large, with rip currents and heavy shore break. The landmarks page covers the Greeter statue nearby.

The Victoria Beach tower

The Historical Society dates the 60-foot tower to 1926, built at a Victoria Beach home as a staircase down the cliff, and notes the nickname Pirate Tower. Atlas Obscura says the tower belongs to the estate at the top of the cliff and is locked now, and that its exit door is submerged at high tide. Treat it as a private structure: stand on the public sand and photograph it from there. Do not try its door or the stairs behind it.

Public stairs lead down from Victoria Drive near Sunset Terrace and from Dumond Drive, according to the Coastal Commission, which lists limited on-street parking and no restrooms. The Victoria Beach page covers the marine reserve rules for the sand and rocks.

Thousand Steps

The Coastal Commission lists a long stairway from South Coast Highway, opposite 9th Avenue, with on-street parking and restrooms but no disabled access. The city closes this beach from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., an hour earlier than other beaches south of Aliso Creek, and it does not allow dogs here at any time. Take your pictures on the stairs and the sand, and leave time for the climb back up. See the Thousand Steps page.

Top of the World

Top of the World is a ridge viewpoint that OC Parks marks at 1,036 feet and lists among the best views in its park. OC Parks’ Aliso and Wood Canyons park is open 7 a.m. to sunset, and the city says the open space next to Alta Laguna Park closes at sunset. Alta Laguna Park itself is a city park with the city’s 5 a.m. opening. OC Parks asks photographers with a permit to stay on marked trails.

Drone rules

Two sets of rules apply: the FAA’s and the city’s Municipal Code Chapter 7.80.

The FAA says recreational flyers must pass the free TRUST test and carry proof, register a drone that weighs 250 grams (0.55 pounds) or more, keep the drone in sight and stay at or below 400 feet in uncontrolled airspace. Controlled airspace needs FAA authorization. It lists taking photos to help sell a property or service as a non-recreational flight that falls under Part 107.

The city adds more. It bars flying over Heisler Park, Main Beach Park, Treasure Island Park, Irvine Bowl Park, Crescent Bay Park, Bluebird Park during Sunday summer concerts and any city beach, except over the ocean, unless you hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. The code also bars flying over City Hall, city marine safety facilities and city police and fire stations, capturing images of people or private property where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, molesting wildlife, and harassing people or following and filming them. Using a drone for filming or still photography production for educational, entertainment or other commercial purposes needs a city permit under Chapter 5.66. Violations can bring criminal charges, civil action or an administrative citation. OC Parks sets its own rules: the Aliso and Wood Canyons rules page does not mention drones but prohibits motorized vehicles and equipment, so ask the park before you fly there.

Permits for professional shoots

The city requires a film permit for professional still photography, video and motion shoots on city parks, beaches, streets and sidewalks. It says it does not issue city permits for private, county, state or school district property, and that it offers no permit for engagement or proposal set-ups or luxury picnics.

• Professional Still Photo Permit: for limited single-camera shoots such as engagement, wedding and family portraits and holiday cards. As of October 2026 it costs $100 for two hours plus $50 for each added hour. From Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend it is issued only from 7:30 to 10 a.m. or from 6 p.m. to sunset, and never after sunset. Applications must reach the city at least two business days ahead.
• Commercial Photo Permit: $150 to apply plus a daily use fee ($680 on the film permit page; $715 in the fee schedule effective July 1, 2026), with insurance requirements, at least three weeks ahead. It is not issued from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
• Weddings: a ceremony needs its own permit. The beach weddings page lists the permit fee and group limits.

OC Parks has its own permit for photography in its parks, and its portrait rules bar fireworks, sparklers, confetti cannons, smoke bombs and handheld torches. It asks permittees to stay on marked trails and allows photography only during parking hours. The TV and film page covers the city’s filming rules, and the beach rules page lists the rest of the beach rules.