This Laguna Coast Wilderness Park hike takes you through the best of the park. The trails wind through some of the last remaining undeveloped coastal canyons in Southern California, with great views, lush canyon paths, unique geology, and lots of wildlife.
The Laguna Coast Wilderness Park hike is minutes from Laguna Beach, and about 20 minutes from John Wayne Airport. If you take the 73, just note that it's a toll road. You can pay your toll online after you drive.
3D Hike Map
The hike does a loop around Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, hitting the best viewpoints and picturesque laurel canyon.
Hike Elevation Profile
The two big hills are at the beginning and end. After that, it's a lot of small up and down.
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is open from 8am to 5pm. The parking lot usually fills up by 9am on weekends, and they will close the lot if it’s full.
The Nix Nature Center, located at the end of the parking lot, has free trail maps, bathrooms, and a place to fill up on water. Stop by, sign the registry (mandatory), and take a look at the wildlife spotting board. The park is home to over 40 endangered species, as well as more common species like mule deer, weasels, bobcats, hawks, and falcons.
There other hiking trails in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. If you want a shorter (or longer) hike, the rangers in Nix Nature Center can help you out.
The trails on the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park hike are shared with mountain bikers and horses. Give them a wide berth and let them pass.
Pay for parking at the machine and leave the ticket on your dashboard.
Turn by Turn Directions
Pay for Laguna Coast Wilderness Park parking at the pay station with cash, credit card, or OC Parks pass, and put the receipt on your windshield.Before you start hiking, head into the Nix Nature Center to sign the trail register (mandatory).Hike up the big, main trail from the Nix Nature Center.Keep left at the beginning of the hike on the Little Sycamore trail.The trail quickly goes uphill, take your time.There are some flat sections of trail to catch your breath, but you’ll hike uphill again to the ridge.At about 1 mile, you reach the top of the ridge. Hike left onto Serrano Ridge trail.Soak in the best views at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park . On a clear day, you’ll be able to see Mt Baldy and the big mountains.Keep hiking on Serrano Ridge trail. At about 2.4 miles, hike straight through the trail intersection.At 2.7 miles, keep left, staying on the trail along the highway.The trail goes under the highway (73).Just before 3 miles, the trail ends in a “T” after the highway underpass. Hike to the left at the fork.Enjoy the gentle downhill on the Upper Laurel trail. At about 3.5 miles hike left onto the (smaller) Laurel Canyon trail.At about 3.8 miles, there will be a series of rock steps to the right of the trail leading to a cliff. It’s a good place to stop for a snack.Continue down the shady trail, and at about 4.6 miles, hike the left onto the Stagecoach South trail.You hike back under the highway.Continue hiking across an open area. The trail is well defined here.At about 6.1 miles, hike the right to stay on the Stagecoach South Trail. Keep hiking until the trail starts climbing again.After you hike to the top of the climb, you’ll see the Nix Nature Center below.And about 7.5 miles later, the trail ends where you started at the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park parking lot.
A quick note. These directions are meant as a guide for the hike, and not a definitive source. Conditions change, and the information here can be different based on time of day, weather, season, etc. There can be small side trails that you might see but I missed. I have made every effort to include all the information you need to complete the hike successfully. I recommend using this guide in conjunction with a map, GPX file, common sense, and call to the ranger station or park office. If you do the hike and notice something has changed, please contact me and I will update the guide.
