NEWPORT HARBOR / CORONA DEL MAR / CRYSTAL COVE

NEWPORT BEACH - NEWPORT HARBOR / CORONA DEL MAR / CRYSTAL COVE Kayak, Canoe and Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) Guide

Newport Beach, Orange County, California

Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, has many places where it's fairly easy to launch a SUP, canoe or kayak.  The parking at many spots is free.  However, sometimes it's hard to find an available spot so you may need to drop off your canoe or kayak and park a ways from where you launch.

You can either stay within the harbor or paddle outside the harbor.  

I describe the launch for my favorite Newport Harbor paddle further down the page in this article.  I also have a Newport Harbor page with additional launch spots. 

If you paddle south east outside of the harbor you will go past the beautiful cliffs and rock formations of Corona Del Mar including Arch Rock -- a natural bridge of rock.  Further south you will pass another arching rock (Second Arch Rock) and then reach Crystal Cove State Park.    Scroll down the page and keep reading for more information.

MAPS of NEWPORT

TIDE PREDICTIONS with WEATHER and MARINE FORECAST FOR NEWPORT HARBOR and CORONA DEL MAR

Paddling Pictures of NEWPORT HARBOR/CORONA DEL MAR/CRYSTAL COVE

VIDEO of area - trip from Newport Harbor to Arch Rocks and Crystal Cove 

Go to my blog page for NEWPORT

Go to our ORANGE COUNTY paddling page - more places to paddle in Orange County

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The place to launch inside the harbor which is closest to the harbor mouth is the small beach by Shell Street on the Corona Del Mar side of the harbor.  This small beach is sometimes called China Cove.  From Bayside Drive, take Fernleaf to Ocean, turn right on Ocean.  At the first street you come to (Dahlia) turn left and drive down to Shell Street at the bottom of the hill.  Drop off your gear with your kayak or canoe at the bottom and park back up along Ocean or Dahlia where parking is available and free.  You could also use one of these other Newport launch spots to take this trip.  However, it would then become a longer paddle. Here is a map link to the kayak launch spot at the bottom of Shell Street (China Cove).which is also accessible from the end of Fernleaf Avenue.

On the Balboa Peninsula side of the bay there is an excellent spot to launch which is also very  close to the harbor mouth.  Take Balboa Blvd all the way to the end which then turns into Channel Road.   Over on your left side you will see a small public pier and a beach.  You can launch from the beach or pier for free.   Parking is free but sometimes hard to find.   You take West Balboa blvd to East Balboa Blvd to Channel Road.  If you can't find a place to park, you can launch a little bit farther from the harbor mouth at some small beaches at some other road ends off of Balboa Blvd.  You can see these from Balboa Blvd.  Jetty View Park at the end of Channel Road isn't very good for launching because it is up on top of the jetty.  Here are map links and more information about the launch spot by Channel Road - East Balboa Blvd.

NEW - VIDEO of this trip - launching from the Balboa Peninsula side of bay by Channel Road and paddling to first Arch Rock and then paddling through the second Arch Rock. (click here to watch video) (I also have another web page that goes along with the video - click here to go to the video web page)

A nice feature about this paddle is the fact that you can launch from a protected harbor and in a fairly short distance be out on the ocean seeing some wonderful scenery.

Paddling South towards the harbor entrance from the beach by Shell Street, you pass some big rocks that jut out of the water and inspiration point to your left above.  You then paddle along the jetty -- If you stay on the far lefthand side (out of the main traffic lanes), you won't have to cross the main boat channel when you exit the harbor to head down to Arch Rock.  Its about one third of a mile to the harbor entrance from the beach by Shell Street.  

Once you are beyond the jetty and outside the harbor, you can see Arch Rock about two thirds of a mile in the distance down the coast.  Be careful and alert to the boat traffic here. 

You often can hear playful sea lions on the bell buoy straight out from the break wall.  It's about a .15 mile paddle out to the bell buoy from here.  By the bell buoy you can get an excellent close up view of the sea lions.  If you decide to paddle out to the bell buoy, be cautious with the boat traffic -- especially on crowded weekend afternoons.

Instead of paddling straight towards Arch Rock from the bell buoy or end of the jetty, it is more interesting (and safer) if you paddle towards the Corona Del Mar Beach and then paddle along the coast as you head down to Arch Rock.

Once you reach Arch Rock, the second arch is about a quarter mile further.  About 200 yards beyond the second arch is Crystal Cove State Park.  If the surf is small, you can stop on the beach and relax or picnic.  Be careful of submerged and partially submerged rocks if you land here.  If the tide is high and the surf is very small, you can paddle through the second arch rock.  (Here is a video of me and my dog paddling through the second arch rock)

I also have another web page about my favorite Newport Beach paddle, that goes along with the video - click here to go to the video web page)

Many people don't know that there are two Arch Rocks in Corona Del Mar.  The First Arch Rock is visible from the cliffs of Corona Del Mar.  The Second Arch Rock isn't visible from the cliffs.

At Crystal Cove, the coast gets more open with more beach and a little less rocky.  You can continue down the coast along the open bluffs as far as you like.  You can also launch off the beach here at Crystal Cove, although you'll have to enter through the surf (usually not too large but often larger then Laguna).  Also there are many submerged or partially submerged rocks here ,you must pay to park (unless you have a State Park Pass), and 

it's a long walk from the parking area to the beach.  The best launch here is reached from the Northwest most parking area.  A bike/pedestrian trail goes all the way to the beach and there are no stairs (It's best to have wheels for your kayak).

(c) Copyright 2011 and 2013 by Mister Dave  KayakDave.blogspot.com

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More places to launch a kayak in Newport Beach / Newport Harbor.   Also more places to launch a canoe or stand up paddle board in Newport Harbor.   Here are some more places to launch.  I also have these places listed on a separate page - Newport Harbor page with additional launch spots.

Balboa Island has lots of little street ends where you can easily launch your Canoe, Kayak or SUP.  Parking is free but sometimes hard to find.

Balboa Peninsula also has lots of little street ends on the bay side where you can easily launch your Canoe, Kayak or SUP.  Some parking is free and some has meters.  Sometimes it's hard to find a parking spot.

On the Balboa Peninsula side of the bay there is an excellent spot to launch which is very close to the harbor mouth. Take Balboa Blvd all the way to the end which then turns into Channel Road.   Over on your left side you will see a small public pier and a beach.  You can launch from the beach or pier for free. Parking is free but sometimes hard to find.   You take West Balboa blvd to East Balboa Blvd to Channel Road.  If you can't find a place to park, you can launch a little bit farther from the harbor mouth at some small beaches at some other road ends off of Balboa Blvd.  You can see these from Balboa Blvd.  Jetty View Park at the end of Channel Road isn't very good for launching because it is up on top of the jetty. 

H, I, J and K Streets on East Balboa Boulevard offer excellent kayak, canoe, and SUP (Standup Paddle Board) Launch Spots.

While not quite as near to the Newport Harbor mouth in Newport Beach as the Channel Road Launch, they are better for parking.   Here is a link to my web page for H, I, J and K Streets on East Balboa Boulevard.

Lido Isle (Lido Island) has quite a few little parks around the island where you can easily launch your Canoe, Kayak or SUP.   It is usually easier to find a place to park on Lido Island than on Balboa Island or Balboa Peninsula. Lido Island is a lesser know (secret) spot.  Please be respectful of private property and don't trash the place.  The walkways to the beach and the beach are public.  

Here are my Kayak maps of NEWPORT

Upper Newport Bay which is connected to Newport Harbor (Lower Newport Bay) also has good launch spots and nice paddling.   I have a separate page for Upper Newport Bay.  In Upper Newport Bay, The best place to launch is North Star Beach by the Newport Aquatic Center which has free parking and free launching from the beach.  You can also use the dock at the Newport Aquatic Center for a small fee and rent canoes and kayaks.  Other spots to launch nearby are the Newport Dunes (fee for parking and rental kayaks available) and off of back bay drive (free parking but only good to launch at a fairly high tide).   I describe the launch and paddle sites and have a map on my Upper Newport Bay page.  I also have a video that shows Upper Newport Bay.

Newport Shores - A protected wetland area along the Santa Ana River - Newport Shores is also known as the Banning Ranch.

Newport Beach Launch Spots on the open ocean:  On many days you can launch by the Newport Pier.  In the summer, the north side of the pier often has very small surf so the launch is often easy.   In the winter, the south side of the pier is sometimes protected.  The size of surf and swell direction will determine where you should launch.

Corona Del Mar Beach and Little Corona are also sometimes used to launch a SUP or Kayak.   They both tend to have fairly small surf (except when a big south swell is occurring).   At Corona Del Mar Beach, you can park in the pay parking lot and carry your SUP or kayak across the sand - I have done this a few times.  At little Corona, it's a long way to carry your SUP or Kayak - I don't know why anyone would do this when the harbor is so close by and so much easier.  In the summer, there are often many swimmers and the lifeguards may not even let you launch at either of these spots.

Items covered in this web page include the following: places to launch a kayak in Newport Beach, places to launch a kayak in Newport Harbor, places to kayak in Newport Beach, places to kayak in Newport Harbor, kayaking Newport Beach, kayaking Newport Harbor,  where to kayak in Newport Beach, kayaking in Orange County California, Arch Rock, Arch Rocks

VIDEO of area - trip from Newport Harbor to Arch Rocks and Crystal Cove with no ads

VIDEO of area - trip from Newport Harbor to Arch Rocks on YouTube (ads may show)

See our ORANGE COUNTY PLACES TO PADDLE AND LAUNCH A KAYAK AND STAND UP PADDLE BOARD (SUP) for pictures and guides of additional places to paddle in Orange County California.