The hook
A bluff-top park strung along the Laguna cliffs, with stairs down to some of the best tide pools in Southern California and a marine reserve full of life below.
01Why it's worth it
Heisler Park runs along the edge of the cliffs above Laguna's coves, a ribbon of lawn, walking path, gardens, and public art that doubles as the gateway to the water below. The whole shoreline here is a marine protected area, and at low tide the reefs at the base of the stairs, at Picnic Beach, Diver's Cove, and Rockpile, turn into rich tide pools full of sea stars, anemones, and crabs, some of the easiest good tide-pooling to reach in the region. Up top, the path threads past sculptures and local artists' stands, a nod to Laguna's century as an art colony, and out to overlooks that catch the sunset. It's a lot of coast packed into a short, walkable stretch.
02How to experience it
It's along Cliff Drive in Laguna Beach, about seven hours from the Bay. Free, with metered and street parking that fills, so come early. Check a tide chart and aim for low tide if the pools are the goal; stay off the fragile reef life. Sunset from the bluffs is the other reason to come. It pairs with the rest of a Laguna day.