Sunset in Laguna Beach

What faces the sunset

Laguna Beach’s shoreline runs northwest to southeast with the ocean on its southwest side, so the bluff-top parks and coves along it look out toward the setting sun. Sunset time moves through the year, so look up the time for your day, then plan for the closing hours below. The city parks on this page stay open past dusk; Top of the World does not.

Bluff parks

Heisler Park

The city lists the park at 375 Cliff Drive in North Laguna. It has picnic tables, barbecues and restrooms, and the Coastal Commission describes views and bluff-top trails. The park closes at 10 p.m. Details and the stairs to the beaches below are on the Heisler Park page.

Crescent Bay Point Park

At the end of Crescent Bay Drive, this park sits on a bluff above the water, and the city says it gives panoramic ocean views. The Coastal Commission lists it as an overlook with on-street parking and no beach access. It is open until midnight, the latest of the city parks. Crescent Bay beach is reached from Cliff Drive.

Treasure Island Park

South of downtown, this landscaped bluff park sits above Treasure Island Beach. The Coastal Commission lists ramps to the beach, restrooms and a picnic area. Parking on Wesley Drive is paid. The parks page lists the rest of the city’s parks.

Beaches

Main Beach has a boardwalk the length of the sand and restrooms and showers at both ends, according to the city. Shaw’s Cove is reached by stairs from Cliff Drive. City beaches are open until 1 a.m. The city warns that the surf at Main Beach can be large, with rip currents and heavy shorebreak.

The ridge

Top of the World is the high point on OC Parks’ West Ridge Trail, at 1,036 feet, and the park lists it among its best views. OC Parks’ hours run to sunset and the city says the open space beside Alta Laguna Park closes at sunset, so this view works for the hour before the sun goes down and not after. The hiking guide covers the trails.

Watching the sunset from a table

These restaurants have ocean-view rooms, according to their own sites or their listings on lagunabeachhappyhour.com, a sister site to this guide. The list is in no particular order.

• Las Brisas, 361 Cliff Drive, above Main Beach.
• The Cliff Restaurant, 577 South Coast Highway.
• Mozambique, 1740 South Coast Highway.

Ask the restaurant about seating and hours before you go. Each venue’s listing shows its address and the date it was last verified.

Getting there and parking

Cliff Drive has metered parking, and the city enforces it from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Paid parking at Treasure Island is covered on its beach page. The parking guide has the downtown lots. The getting around guide covers the free trolley. Free options for the evening are on the free things to do page.

Closing times at a glance

Check these before you commit to a spot, since they decide how long you can stay.

• City beaches: open 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.
• Crescent Bay Point Park: open 5 a.m. to midnight.
• Other city parks, including Heisler Park: closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Top of the World and the OC Parks trails: closed at sunset.
• Restaurants: hours vary, so check the venue’s own site.

A quieter pair of overlooks

Two more bluff spots appear in the Coastal Commission’s list. Crescent Bay Point Park is an overlook with no beach access. Ruby Street Park, at the west end of Ruby Street, is listed as a bluff-top park with views and a picnic area, with on-street parking. Crescent Bay Point keeps the city hours above; check posted signs for Ruby Street Park.