Best Beaches for Tidepools in Laguna Beach, California

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Here's a look at where to find the best tidepools in Laguna Beach California:

Aliso Beach has it all! A playground right on the beach, a café for when you get hungry, and of course, amazing tidepools on the south end of the beach.

Treasure Island Park is a beautiful location right behind the luxurious Montage resort. There are plenty of places to explore the tidepools, and you may even see some dolphins and whales right off the coast. As a bonus, head to the nearby Victoria Beach to see the Pirate Tower, which like the tidepools should only be accessed during low tide.

Woods Cove is a small beach that packs in a bunch of great features, including a little cave, rocks to climb, tidepools to explore, and a rock arch that leads to an adjacent beach that again should only be accessed at low tide. Keep a close eye on your little ones here, there are many holes in the rocks where ocean swells come in and out of quickly.

Crescent Bay Beach is one of our favorites for tidepooling. Not only is the surrounding area absolutely breathtaking, but there never seems to be any shortage of sea stars here. And this may be among one of our favorites because it’s where we spotted out first octopus.

And last, but certainly not least, is Crystal Cove State Park. While there are multiple places to explore tidepools here, we recommend parking in Lot 2 at the Pelican Point entrance and heading down the boardwalk to the beach. Not only are there great tidepools at Crystal Cove, but there are neat rock formations everywhere you look and fun little caves to explore.

Tidepool Tips:

Be sure to check the tide charts before heading out and try to arrive an hour before low tide. (We use NOAA and Tide-Forecast.) Less than 1.5 feet is great for exploring the tidepools (and a negative tide is even better)!

Never turn your back on the ocean. You don’t want to be caught off guard by possible rogue waves.

And always wear shoes with good grip on the soles.

To help protect this fragile marine environment please be mindful of where you step and never pick up or remove anything from the tidepools. Leave this beautiful ecosystem just as you found it.

Music obtained via the YouTube Audio Library:
Know Myself - Patrick Patrikios