Crystal Cove State Park

About Crystal Cove State Park

In the Crystal Cove Historic District there are 46 rustic coastal cottages built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as part of Crystal Cove State Park. It is one of the oldest and most popular tourist attractions in California and the only park of its kind in North America.

California State Parks has completed the restoration of the Historic District, which has enabled the first public overnight stay in Crystal Cove State Park. The cabins were opened on June 26, 2006 for overnight stays and reservations were made for stays up to seven months in advance. To offer as many Californians as possible a wonderful beach experience, the price of an overnight stay was kept so low that the number of visitors to the park could be kept low.

In addition to the Historic District, Crystal Cove State Park offers a variety of restaurants, shops, cafes and other amenities for visitors and residents. The Beachcomber Cafe is located on Highway 1 overlooking the historic district and offers food to park visitors, while the Crystal Cove Shake Shack is located on Highway 1 overlooking the historic district. Also this summer, the Beachcombers Cafe, a restored beach house, opens in the historic district, offering great views of the beach and a wide selection of food and drinks.

The beach is popular with swimmers and surfers, and the water upstream has been designated an underwater park. Crystal Cove is used by inland mountain bikers and scuba divers, as well as kayakers, paddlers and other recreational users.

Visitors can explore tidal pools and sandy coves, and Crystal Cove offers a variety of recreational activities that appeal to everyone, including hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, swimming, snorkeling and more.

In February 2003, the State Commission on Parks and Recreation adopted a Conservation and Public Use Plan that made wide-ranging recommendations for the conservation and use of Crystal Cove State Park. The park has two wooded canyons, one of which is designated an underwater park, and there is a campground on the side of the canyon that allows visitors to feel off the beaten track, as is the case in many other state parks in upstate New York. Nature walks are conducted by National Park rangers in winter and are accessible to hikers who can reach them from the campsites and the sloping gorges, both of which allow visitors to feel "off the beaten track" as there are no paths, no parking spaces and no access to the main parking lot of the park.

Crystal Cove State Park is located in the San Joaquin Hills, which were first used as grazing land by the San Juan Capistrano Mission. The park's headquarters are located at the top of Moro Canyon, on one of the most popular beaches in the world, Crystal Cove Beach, and close to the sea and inland.

The hills of SanJoaquin attract bird watchers, beach lovers and hikers, as well as a variety of wildlife.

Sepulveda sold the land in 1864 to James Irvine and his partners and it became part of his Irvine Ranch. Livestock farming continued when the area became the site of the San Juan Capistrano Mission, the first U.S. mission to San Joaquin County, in the 1837s. Grazing continued until the state bought it from Parkland in 1979, but grazing continued for many years after that.

The former Irvine Ranch Road is now part of a network of paths that winds through the national park. A particularly beautiful path leads to the summit of San Juan Capistrano Gorge, the largest gorge in the state of California. Bird watchers can observe a variety of bird species, such as red and blue-footed sparrows, and there are attractions for walks in the gorge.

The offshore area adjacent to the park has been designated as an underwater park for divers and easy access to the beaches is guaranteed. While exploring parts of the national park inland, take the time to visit the coastal park, which is characterized by a series of sandy beaches and a series of picturesque views along the San Juan Capistrano River.