Car Wreck Trail (Laguna Beach)

3.8 miles - Moderate Effort
Or: 2.6 miles - 2 hours to Car Wreck and Back
2-3 Hours (Total)
950 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 1,020 feet
No Dogs Allowed

Hidden in the hills high above Laguna Beach, far away from any road, lies the fabled "car wreck," 1946 Dodge 5-passenger coupe. Visiting the car wreck became so popular that Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park officially made a trail to it in 2013. Today it's a fun hike, offering not only a cool vintage car wreck but also expansive views from Catalina to Mt Baldy. This guide has a 3.8 mile loop that makes the climbing a little easier, or you can do a shorter hike to the car wreck and back.

In this Guide:

Video & Turn by Turn Hike Directions
How to Get to the Car Wreck Trail
Everything You Need to Know To Prepare for the Hike

Quick Links: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park - NOAA Weather Report - Top Gear Picks (Sep 2023)

When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.

Where is the Car Wreck Trail?

The hike to the Car Wreck Trail starts in Alta Laguna Park, about 1,000 feet above the ocean at Laguna Beach. From the parking area at Alta Laguna Park, you hike into Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park and then to the car wreck.

Use this trailhead address:
Alta Laguna Park, 3299 Alta Laguna Blvd, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Car Wreck Trail Directions 2 — The parking lot at Alta Laguna is big, but is shared with people using the park's tennis courts and other attractions. If you can't find a spot here, there is street parking just outside of the park.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 3 — If you need to use the bathrooms, there's a bathroom with the best view in SoCal at the end of the parking lot. You can also fill up with water here.

Gear for the Hike

The trails are rather steep, and there is virtually no shade, so it helps to bring the right gear. I recommend good hiking shoes or boots, at least 1L of water, sun protection, and trekking poles if you have them. If you don't have proper hiking gear, you can certainly get away with fitness clothing, but don't forget the water. Leave at sunrise before it gets too hot and crowded for the best experience.

My Latest Gear Picks

Garmin inReach Mini 2 ( Amazon | REI )
HOKA Speedgoat 5 ( Men | Women )
Zpacks Sub-Nero Ultra ( Zpacks | Review )
Alpine Carbon Cork Poles ( REI | Amazon )

As a hiking guide, I test lots of hiking gear. On my picks page, I'll show you all of the gear that I actually use. I don't accept paid promotions or talk about the stuff that doesn't make the cut. It's just the gear that works best, so you don't have to waste your money.

All My September 2023 Top Gear Picks

Car Wreck Trail Maps

Car Wreck Trail Directions 1 — The trails are all well marked with these posts. With the exception of a few little wrinkles, you should be able to confidently navigate the big trail junctions.

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

Best Smartphone Apps to Navigate: AllTrails | GaiaGPS | OnX

Elevation Profile

Car Wreck Trail Elevation — For me the toughest part of this hike is doing the descent first, and then having to climb back out.

3d Map

Hike Brief

Dodge — Here's the "before" picture of the wrecked car. Photo Allpar

The car wreck is a 1946 Dodge 5-passenger coup. In 1946 they sold for between $1,200-1,700, depending on how fancy you went. Innovations on this 1946 model include electric wipers and replaceable oil filters.
How did the car get here, in the middle on nowhere? There's no official answer, but it's speculated by local historians that it ended up here in the 1960s. At the time, the dirt roads in the hills around Laguna Beach were popular spots for pop-up hippy concerts and hangouts. The likely scenario is that this Dodge was in the hills then and got washed down into the canyon during one of the bigger flash floods caused by heavy rains. That's the theory, but no one really knows for sure.
The hike makes a stop at the scenic "Top of the World," a high point in the area that actually sits on top of a buried reservoir. So it's more of a "Top of the Reservoir." The 3 million gallon tank, built in 1996, is gravity fed and acts as a water supply to fight fires.
The "Top of the World" hill lined up nicely with the takeoff path from the (now closed) Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, and planes have crashed here over the years. Some remains of aircraft used to be visible if you really looked, but I believe the park has removed them now.

Car Wreck Trail Hike Directions

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Car Wreck Trail Start Map — From the parking lot, the actual start of the hike is in the corner here. For the first minute or two, we'll be following this little connector trial around to the bigger junction.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 4 — Head through the gate at the trailhead in the northwest corner of the parking lot.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 5 — Follow the trail, keeping left.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 6 — You'll come to a low wall at a big trail junction. We'll start by doing a side trip to Top of the World, which is the trail on the left. When we are finished there, we'll come back to this junction and head down the other trail (West Ridge Trail) towards the car wreck.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 7 — The trail winds up and around to Top of the World, which is where the antenna is located.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 8 — Avoid the side trails and keep going straight to the top.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 9 — When you get to the top, enjoy the views. To the west you'll see the Pacific Ocean and on a clear day, Catalina Island.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 10 — To the east, you can see the twin peaks (Modjeska and then Santaigo) of Saddleback Mountain.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 11 — And to the north, Mt Baldy and Angeles National Forest.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 12 — Once you're done soaking in the views, head back down the hill to the junction where we were earlier and make the hard left onto West Ridge Trail.

Keep an eye out for mountain bikes that share the trail with you.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 13 — Now you start the nice long downhill to the car wreck. Just remember that you'll have to climb back up this to get out.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 14 — The views from the West Ridge Trail are spectacular.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 15 — Avoid any small side trails and stay straight on the main (wide) trail.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 16 — The West Ridge Trail continues to descend.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 17 — When you get to the t-junction with the Mathis Canyon Trail, make the right.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 18 — You'll see a sign for Mathis Canyon Trail too.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 19 — Shortly after getting on Mathis Canyon, look for the small trail turnoff to the right.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 20 — And again, there's a nice trail for the Car Wreck Trail at the turnoff.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 21 — The Car Wreck Trail is much narrower and rugged than the previous trails you were on. Head downhill.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 22 — The trail is steep and rocky, but very doable. Just go slow and watch your footing.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 23 — Toward the bottom of the climb the trail heads into some trees.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 24 — And right after you go into the trees the car wreck is on your left.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 25 — Today the car wreck is covered with graffiti and pretty much picked clean, but it's still interesting to look a for a few minutes.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 26 — Keep going past the car wreck and in a minute or so you'll see the door and a trail sign. Make the sharp left here.

If you want to do the shorter hike, just turn around and go back the way you came from here.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 27 — The trail becomes mellow and flatter as you hike through the shade of oak trees.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 28 — Keep hiking over the bridge as the trail levels off.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 29 — When the Car Wreck Trail ends, make the left back onto Mathis Canyon Trail.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 30 — And now it's payback time; time to hike back up and out. Mathis Canyon is steep but not rocky. Take it easy and take a break if you need to.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 31 — Mathis Canyon consistently goes up and up.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 32 — Towards the end of Mathis Canyon you'll see the junction where you took the Car Wreck Trail.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 33 — And shortly after that, the junction with the West Ridge Trail. Take the left to retrace your track from the beginning of the hike.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 34 — One last climb up the West Ridge Trail to get back to the start.

Car Wreck Trail Directions 35 — And then the trail levels off and you'll be back at our starting intersection! You did it. From here you can go left back to the parking lot, or right back to Top of the World for another look.

Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.

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This Guide Was Written by Cris Hazzard

Cris Hazzard 4 Mile Trail Yosemite
Hi, I'm Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy, a professional outdoors guide, hiking expert, and author based in Southern California. I created this website to share all the great hikes I do with everyone else out there. This site is different because it gives detailed directions that even the beginning hiker can follow. I also share what hiking gear works and doesn't so you don't waste money. I don't do sponsored or promoted content; I share only the gear recommendations, hikes, and tips that I would with my family and friends. If you like the website and YouTube channel, please support these free guides (I couldn't do it without folks like you!).

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