Trip Date: 6/8/09

Location: Crystal Cove State Park

Permit/Pass: All Day Parking Pass - $15. Annual pass - $195. Oversized vehicles (25'long/9' high) - $75 per day (annual pass for oversized vehicles - $270)

Trails: Park map

Directions: Crystal Cove is located just north of Laguna Beach on California's Route 101 (Pacific Coast Highway). There are different access points. For this hike find the traffic light and turnoff to the east next to El Morro Elementary School, the follow the directions to the visitor's center. Park here and start your hike at the trailhead at the northeast end of the parking lot (note that although no one has yet collected any fees from you, your car will be ticketed if you do not stop in at the visitor's center and pay up).

Trail sequence: No Dogs trail / No Name Ridge / Ticketron / Red Tail Ridge / Fenceline / Missing Link / Moro Ridge / B.F.I. / Moro Canyon

Type: Loop

Distance: 9.0 miles

Elevation: Min. - 0', Max. - 981'

Rating: Moderate

Synopsis: This is essentially a circumnavigation of Crystal Cove State Park (there are a few smaller park areas outside this loop). In the right season it can be quite a nice hike with views of the beaches and surrounding hills (and suburbs). Some stretches - like along No Name Ridge - can be uninteresting and tedious at other times. But Moro Ridge is always a pretty and enjoyable hike, culminating in tremendous views of the ocean and Laguna Beach near the end of the hike. If you feel you've earned it, stop for a Date Shake (or one of many other flavors) at the famous Shake Shack along PCH just north of the park entrance.

Track: No Dogs / Missing Link / Morro Ridge loop - Crystal Cove SP

Turn by Turn:

  -- After parking, find the trailhead at the top (northeast) end of the parking lot. Maintain a generally northeast direction as you follow first No Dogs, then No Name Ridge (they run together) for about a mile and a quarter before they meet the junction with Ticketron. Turn right onto Ticketron.

  -- Ticketron eventually turns into Red Tail Ridge and after about a mile and three quarters you meet Fencline trail. Turn right onto Fenceline.

  -- As you head east you'll want to look for where Fenceline merges into Missing Link trail. Follow Missing Link for about a half mile before coming to Moro Ridge trail.

  -- Turn right (south) onto Moro Ridge.

  -- Moro Ridge takes you southwest for about three and a half miles, the last part descending steeply (and partly on old pavement) to meet the B.F.I. (Big F***ing Incline). Follow the B.F.I. down to another parking area where you'll meet the Moro Canyon trail. Turn left onto Moro Canyon.

  --Moro Canyon skirts around this parking area to the northwest and you head back along park access to the south end of the lot where you parked your car.