Orange County: Crystal Cove Hike
- JYL
- Apr 29, 2019
- 2 min read
Crystal Cove State Park is one of the best hiking places in Orange County near Corona Del Mar and Laguna. This place is perfect for hiking, surfing, and camping.
Address: Type in " Crystal Cove State Park Moro Campground" on Google map
Parking: $15 per day
Hours: 6am to 6pm
*Tip 1: Come as early as possible as it can get crowded in the weekends.
According to the map online, there are different hiking trials in the park with all levels of difficulties for all hikers! We started with the Moro Canyon Trial and finished our loop through the No Dogs Trial. The total hike is about 4.5 miles and took us about 3 hours to complete.
Once arrived, you will follow the sign to the trailhead. It took us some time to find the right trial as it can get a little bit confusing on where to start. However, there are always a lot of people visiting the park, so don't be afraid to ask around if you ever find yourself lost in the woods.
*Tip 2: Make sure to use the restroom before the hike as I didn't see any restrooms along the trial.
Following the signs that says "Backcountry Hiking Trials," you will eventually see the bridge that leads you to the start of the trial.
The Moro Canyon trial is perfect for beginners, kids, and families who just want to walk around. The overall hike is fairly easy with no steep uphills or downhills. There are plenty of signs guiding you through the hike, so you don't have to be afraid of getting lost.
Once you reached the intersection with the sign "Poles," you can choose to go back with the same trial or choose a harder trial. We decided to challenge ourselves, and chose the No Dogs trial.
Unlike the Moro Canyon Trial, No Dogs Trial is mostly steep uphills. Be prepared to sweat a lot if you choose to go back with this trial. Even though the trial is quite difficult to hike, but the view on the top is so beautiful and amazing!
As you go up along the trial, you will see layers of mountains with many wildflowers. Once you reach the top, you can even see the ocean in front of you! It's one of the most beautiful views you can see in Southern California!
I wish I can stay longer and explore more in the park as I believe you can also walk down to the beach. Also, I believe there is a restaurant inside the park. Since this is our first time hiking here, we didn't know the restaurant after we already left. I highly recommend this place and will definitely come back again to try out the restaurant!
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