Laguna Beach Sights.com
What to see, where to stay, shop and eat while visiting Laguna Beach. Advice from people who live and play in Laguna Beach.
What to See - From Art to Golf to Ocean Life & Sports to History
Laguna Beach Has Something for EVERYONE!
Mountain Biking

Laguna Beach is literally surrounded by wilderness parks that maintain some of the best mountain bike trails in the state of California. Crystal Cove, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park are accessible from within Laguna Beach. The official entrance to Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is off Alicia Parkway in Aliso Viejo, but Laguna Beach lies along this fabulous park's southern border and can be entered via Top of the World.

Laguna Beach is also the corporate home of crankbrothers, a popular manufacturer of products for mountain and road bike enthusiasts.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park (discussed below) lies within some of the last remaining coastal canyons in Southern California. The trails range in difficulty from fire roads to advanced. Click the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park map link to see a trail map.

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is approximately 3,900 acres of wilderness and natural open space land. Originally, part of the Juaneno or Acajchemem tribal land, it is now under the jurisdiction of Orange County Parks. Within the park lands are over 30 miles of official trails. Many rare and endangered plants and animals make this park their home. This park is designated as a wildlife sanctuary. Click this link for a trail map of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.

If you want to try your hand at the more advanced trails such as Telonix, you should consider shuttling. There is limited parking at Top of the World, which is very close to the Telonix trail.

Pacific Marine Mammal Center
20612 Laguna Canyon Road
Laguna Beach, California, USA   92651

(949) 494-3050 phone
(949) 494-2802 fax
info@pacificmmc.org
http://www.pacificmmc.org

Admission is free at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. Visitors who make a donation to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center help support the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine mammals stranded along the Orange County coastline.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is open every day, 10am-4pm. Thousands of people drive by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center each week not knowing the opportunity they are missing. Few people realize the treat they have in store, when they step through the gates, pass by the fund-raising seals and sea lions store stocked with toys and photos (good place to buy toys and souvenirs for special occasions), and step up to the chain-link fenced enclosures with concrete-surrounded pools. The Pacific Marine Mammal Center offers free tours for groups and families or individuals.

Sorted by size and disabilities, infant pinipeds are playing and older sea lions are resting and recovering.  After pupping season, February-March, hundreds of babies are swimming besides their mothers south along the coast. Many get lost, become dehydrated, ill, and starve, some get tangled in fish nets and line. Sick and wounded marine mammals are brought to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center all year round.  The center rescues occasional Northern fur seals, many Elephant seals, many California sea lions and harbor seals, both adults and infants.

The rescue center with its trucks, professional staff, and volunteers travel up and down the coast, collecting the pitiful stragglers who are reported by fishermen, surfers, The Coast Guard, oil rig workers, folks who live along the beach and others boating for recreation. They are then brought back to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center for treatment. Volunteers are trained to use nets, slickers, and gloves to protect themselves from painful bites.  The rescued are checked by the medical director, a veterinarian, who cuts off entangled nets and fish hooks, prescribes treatment, gives appropriate injections, and the healing process begins. Treatment is delivered in stages, and the website goes in detail. Infants are not bottle-fed, rather tube-fed which minimizes human-animal contact, until they can eat fish, and once they can compete for fish, it's time for release back into the wild.

On one visit to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, I found three enormous elephant seal pups with huge eyes, and a tiny sea lion pup all confined to the nursery, and outdoors, rescued animals in every enclosure.  The recovering infants played constantly, others in worse shape, rested in the sun, dazed and confused.

As soon as they are able, the recovered are released. Human-animal contact is as limited as possible to keep the animals wild and cautious so they will keep their distance from humans.  Thanks to all the volunteers and donors that make this place possible.

First Thursday Gallery and Museum Art Walks

There are more than 30 art galleries and an art museum in Laguna Beach, most of which open their doors from 6-9 pm on the first Thursday night of every month. The gallery and art museum walks begin at the bus stop in front of the Laguna Beach Art Museum which is located at PCH and Cliff. The art museum and galleries welcome visitors with a spread of canapes and or'dourves, wine, sodas, bottled water, cookies, candy, nuts, and veggie snacks. Free buses haul passengers up and down Pacific Coast Highway from the north to the south galleries and return to the Art Museum bus stop.

Openings of new art and sculpture exhibits at many galleries is  coordinated with this Thursday night event. Since Laguna beach is home to hundreds of artists, exciting work is to be seen in every gallery and other famous historical works of art from all over the world are featured in galleries which specialize in high-end pieces. Expect the unexpected. The sidewalks can get very crowded.



Sawdust Festival Laguna Beach

The Laguna Beach Sawdust Festival is a Laguna Beach landmark.

Dog Friendly Laguna Beach

Your well-behaved dog on it's leash is welcome on the streets of Laguna Beach and you, armed with doggie-pick-up bags, may take your dog on the beach anytime during the winter months until June 1. You are permitted north of Victoria Beach (Nyes Place) to the city limits.

During June, July, and August, your dog may only be on the beach after 6 p.m. Other dog friendly places in Laguna Beach are the Bark Park and Alta Laguna Park.

The Bark Park is fenced, leash-off okay, on Laguna Canyon Road, midway through the canyon, near the animal shelter and the Marine Mammal Rescue Center.

More info about the Bark Park, 949 497-0716 Dawn to dusk daily, closed Wednesday for maintenance. Lots of grass, water, benches, and other dogs and owners enjoying themselves.

The hike/walk Alta Laguna Park, is at Top of the World, north end of Alta Laguna Street, west ridge trail only.  Great ocean views. As in all parks with natural bush and vegetation, check your dog for ticks after your outing.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, a wilderness mosaic, is part of the 20,000-acre South Coast Wilderness

One entrance to wilderness park's 55 miles of hiking trails is the James and Rosemary Nix Nature Center, right off Laguna Canyon Road, built in Little Sycamore Canyon on the midst of land that was degraded by cattle feeding. It's being restored and you'll see an Eagle Scout project right in front of the Center.

The Center building is a gem of contemporary design, with kid-friendly
exhibits, almost daily activities such as, bird, fitness, elder, geology,
butterfly hikes, art in the park, junior ranger training, and so much more.
A monthly schedule is available. Visitors and volunteers are always welcome.
Open every day. Don't forget your water, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes, if
you have hiking in mind.  A $3 parking fee is your contribution to the
restoration of this rare coastal wilderness.




What To Do in Orange County

If you have time and the desire to venture outside of Laguna Beach, Orange County offers many sights and attractions to keep you busy and very entertained.

The typical answer to What To Do In Orange County usually involves Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. However, sport fishing and whale watching out of Dana Point or Newport Beach, a concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Pacific Ampatheater or the Honda Center are the out of the ordinary vacation activities that really make a vacation memorable. And speaking of the Honda Center, there is also Mighty Ducks hockey or Angel's Baseball which is located just down the street at the Big A of Anaheim. Have you been to all 26 major league parks yet?

If the answer to What To Do In Orange County needs to include shopping, then Fashion Island is less then 10 miles away from most of Laguna Beach. Additional shopping stops which are also large entertainment centers are South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and The Irvine Spectrum in Irvine.

For the more cultured traveler, there are numerous museums
and there is always the theater

Some seasonal answers to what to do in Orange County include


What To Do in Los Angeles County

Well, if you really want to know what to do in Los Angeles County, you could look at the What To Do In Orange County section and Google the LA version, although with a few exceptions it won't be as good as the What To Do In Orange County option. Mostly because LA is even more spread out than Orange County, the traffic is far worse and to add insult to injury the sales tax is higher. Really high in fact.

But if you must go, here are some of the highlights:
  • Magic Mountain - not as good (or clean) as Disneyland, but they do have a lot more thrill rides.
  • Concert venues - Big
    • Greek Theater
    • Universal Amphitheather (or whatever its called now)
    • Hollywood Bowl
    • Music Center
  • Concert venues - Small
    • The Roxy Theater
    • The Troubadour
    • The Wiltern Theater
    • House of Blues
  • Sporting Events
    • Dodger Stadium
    • Home Depot Center (Soccer)
    • Staples Center (Basketball & Hockey)
  • Los Angeles County Fair
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