Crescent Bay - Laguna Beach, California
Crescent Bay - Laguna Beach - Kayak and Stand Up Paddle Board Guide - Paddling and Access Guide.
For information about paddling other spots in Laguna vist my Laguna Beach paddling page
The following pictures shows Crescent Bay - Looking down from the cliffs in Crescent Bay Point Park:
The access to the beach at Crescent Bay is either via a long ramp at the end of Cliff Drive (good if you have wheels for your kayak) or a shorter series of stairs off Circle Way. Parking by either of these spots is free although convenient spaces are often taken -- especially on summer afternoons.
If there is no major ocean swell, the entry from the beach is pretty easy.
About 200 yards from the beach, Seal Rock usually has many Sea Lions on and around it. Paddling near it you get an excellent view of the Sea Lions -- often barking at each other or frolicking in the water. Watch the Sea Lions here for a while before paddling further.
See more pictures of Seal Rock at my Seal Rock web page.
Paddling northwest from Seal Rock, you paddle along the rocky coast with its high cliffs. At lower tides, a seal or two often rest on some smaller rocks along here.
After passing a small cove, you reach Emerald Bay. Even on summer days, you seldom ever see people on the beach here. You can stop for a picnic here or at Cameo Cove around the next point where you'll see people even less often.
Paddling to the point beyond Cameo Cove, you get a nice view up the coast to Crystal Cove State Park or back down the coast to Seal Rock. The paddling distance from Crescent Bay to this point is about 1.5 miles. Off the end of this point there is a mostly submerged shelf rock which you normally can either paddle inside of or outside of if you decide to paddle around the point.
VIDEO of LAGUNA BEACH Kayaking and Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) including Crescent Bay and Seal Rock:
