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Dana Point Harbor offers flat, calm water with an easy entry and exit point. This is a great full-body workout. If you make it out of the harbor, there are fun waves to surf, spectacular coastline to explore, and tons of wildlife to spot
Whether I’m looking for a quick workout on the water, wanting to catch some waves, or simply explore the coastline, Dana Point is one of my favorite places to paddle. There is plenty of parking close to the beach, so you don’t have to walk far with your board. It’s also a great spot to launch as there is a soft sand beach with flat water.
If you want to do a short and mellow paddle, I recommend paddling a loop around the harbor. It’s just under 2 miles of flat water paddling with great views of all the boats.
If you are looking to ride waves, Doheny Beach is just south of the harbor and is a well known small wave surf spot. When the surf is small, this spot is perfect for Stand Up Paddling and occasionally you can get the waves all to yourself (check the surf report before going and only plan on paddling here if the waves are <2ft). I don’t recommend paddling at Doheny during big swells as the line-up is usually crowded with longboards. If you are looking for a place to Stand Up Paddle in bigger surf, check out my post on San Onofre.
If you want to explore the coastline and check out the local ocean wildlife, there are 5+ miles of beautiful, more or less undeveloped coastline to the North of the harbor. Check out the underwater kelp forests below your feet as they are home to a variety of fish including the Garibaldi, which is the California State Fish. The seals and pelicans are usually sunbathing on the exposed rocks and buoys that are just off shore. Also keep an eye out for Dolphins as they can often be spotted swimming and playing just off shore.
If you need to rent boards, check out West Wind Sailing. Located at the dock just to the left of the launch beach. It is the most convenient spot as the boards don’t need to be transported to and from the beach. They are open 7 days a week from 10am-4pm and rent boards and kayaks for $25 an hour.
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Stand Up Paddle Dana Point Harbor
We paddled this one and it was phenomenal. I'd go in the AM when its calm/little wind.
Stand Up Paddle Dana Point Harbor
The views you get of this coastline are incredible. You may even see a dolphin or a whale. Just try and go on the earlier side to avoid any wind.
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Explore Tide Pools at Dana Point
If you're ever driving on the 5 between San Diego and Los Angeles and traffic is miserable (always), consider making a stop at Dana Point to check out the tide pools. The best place is behind the Ocean Institute which offers plenty of free parking and a short walk behind the building will quickly get you to the tide pools.Be sure to check the tide levels and try to go at low tide or no tide to ...
Walk the Dana Point Preserve Trail
Ocean views the whole time, plenty of wildlife and different species of native plants make this short hike beautiful. With the hike being short enough to complete in the afternoon after a day at the beach you can see a beautiful view of the coastline north and south. There is plenty of parking inside the Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center and before you get to the center along the west side ...
Hike the Salt Creek Trail
Starting from the Salt Creek Beach parking lot (a paid lot that takes cash, debit, and credit cards and charges by the hour. There are pay stations at a few points in the parking lots), you head west towards the ocean...through a tunnel and down the hill towards the beach. Once you get to the basketball court you can make a slight detour to the left and walk up the hill (on the Ritz Carlton pro...
There are two HUGE parking lots off of PCH, so parking isn't an issue (unless it's on a weekend in the summer, then it does get full). This is a paid lot with a few pay stations located around the parking lot, and they take cash and credit/ debit card...you can pay by the hour. Once you find your parking spot, you will walk under the paved road, through a tunnel and you will see the rolling gre...
First, you'll be parking in the parking lot for the dog park. It's free parking and there are roughly 40 spaces, so there is plenty of parking. I've never seen more than 20 cars here at any one time. Once parked you'll find the trail head/ start on the northwest side of the lot (opposite the dog park and the view from the second photo). Once you go about 50yds, you'll see a tunnel on your righ...
Skimboard Table Rock Beach
Laguna Beach is both the birthplace *and* and the capital of skimboarding, and for good reason: it boasts an impressive array of beaches where (if you know where to look) you can find one where the conditions are right for one of the most difficult but rewarding of water sports. Table Rock is one such beach, with the narrow channel between Table Rock and the rocky reef to the south often creati...