Top of the World

Awesome hiking! Definitely a trek to get back up the canyon but it was a terrific workout! My only piece of frustration was that a couple of trail markers were not clear, so we ended up getting a little lost… But it resulted in cool views, so I’m not complaining!
If you go, definitely stop by the car wreck and the dripping cave! Very cool!

Great place to hike with lots of different trails.
My boyfriend and I hiked for about three hours, starting from Alta Laguna Park to Top of The World to Car Wreck Trail through to Dripping Cave to Wood Canyom Trail out to Meadows Trail which ended up taking us out to the road to get back to Alta Laguna Park.
Parts of our route had shade which was nice! The trails are pretty well marked and the map shows how hard the trails are by color.

What is the real name of this park? Is it really Alta Laguna Park? Is it Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park? Is it Top of the World Park? You know what… it doesn’t matter because this place is awesome!
There is something for everyone. Playground for the kids. Basketball court to sharpen your free throw shooting. Tennis courts to perfect your tennis game. Even spotted a soccer field!
None of those things are the reason that we go here. We come here for the hiking! Many trails to choose from! A trail for every level of hiker. Easy, moderate, and difficult trails Don’t want to walk? You can also jog as many folks do. There are plenty of mountain bikers as well.
My favorite route is to go down Car Wreck Trail which is considered difficult. To go back up, I like to take the Mathis Trail. Very good workout!
Can get very hot. Bring lots of water! Not much shade so wear your sunblock. Watch out for rattlesnakes and be careful! Have fun and stay safe!

What a great hike.
Parking:
— FREE! Along the street or in the parking lot
Views:
— AMAZING.
Great wide trails, lots of people, great atmosphere. Loved this hike. Wish it was closer to me.

I have never been hiking and probably should have read the reviews, but this experience was both nice and a challenge.
My bf and I hiked the easy trail for a while before hitting Cholla and later on Car Wreck. Be warned: Car Wreck was difficult (for me at least)
However, the view is so great and I hiked for a good 4 miles! I would go again, but definitely not taking Car Wreck Trail.

This is an awesome hike with plenty of different trails for everyone! There is also plenty of FREE street parking, as well as parking spots at the park. There’s restrooms at the park for you to use before your hike.
Be warn that you start off by going downhill so when you are going back uphill there are plenty of incline, but it is definitely a great work out! We started from the top and headed down to Rock-​It trail and over to Coyote trail before looping back. I would say this is an intermediate hike with about a round trip of 5 miles, which took us close to 3 hours. If you continue down the Car Wreck trail, you will definitely see the cool site but it is a harder and longer hike. The Rock-​It trail does get pretty rocky so be sure to wear appropriate trail shoes.
Plenty of bikers along the road so be aware and share the trail. Dogs are allowed on some trails, but not all. There’s not that many shades so be sure to come early to avoid the hot sun during summer time. We started at 7am and by the time we were heading back at 10am it was starting to get very sunny and crowded. Overall, very awesome place to hike!

Did this hike for the first with my wife today. We started at the Top of the World and did a 6 mile loop (West Ridge to Mathis Canyon to Car Wreck which turns into Oak Grove to Dripping Cave to Wood Creek to Meadows and then took Alta Laguna through residential neighborhood back to the car). It took us roughly 2.5hrs, including breaks and photo ops.
The Good:
1) Views from the top were amazing. 2) It was nice to have the car wreck and dripping cave as milestone destinations along the way. 3) Maps were provided at major splits which are very helpful for first timers like us. 4) Parking was free (either in a small parking lot or along the residential streets).
The Bad:
1) Plenty of mountain bikers that speed down the hill which you have to watch out for and plan to get out of the way, especially in areas where it’s too narrow to share the trail. It seems that mountain bikers, not hikers, have the right of way on this trail. 2) The last .75 miles was walking through a residential neighborhood (albeit nice expensive homes).

We hiked it this morning and had a good time.
–easy to find and free parking… we parked at the park but street parking also available
–maps with various trails to choose from; signs with names of trails are useful; signs with info about the area
–popular trail with hikers, runners, bikers, and people with dogs but never felt crowded (some of the more narrow trails can be a bit sketchy with bikers barreling down)
–favorite parts were car wreck trail and the caves
–we did six miles with 900 ft of elevation change… the return to the park is uphill and is quite a workout

To say that I’m spoiled by the raw, sheer beauty of the Pacific Northwest hiking options would be an understatement. But that shouldn’t cloud my judgment of hiking trails in different climates. True beauty can be found even in the dusty creek-​beds of Aliso Creek and Wood Canyon.
This review is not so much about Top of the World as it is about the Wood Canyon and Aliso Creek trail system, which includes Top of the World as well as Car Wreck, Dripping Cave, Meadows and a whole shitload of varied terrain, views, experiences and hikes. I never made it to the TOTW end of the hike. We started at the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park entrance off of Alicia and Awma. There’s a parking lot and visitor center than opens on to a paved road/​trail that leads straight into the heart of the preserve.
From this trail you can connect to the whole system running from Meadows and hikes down at the SW end to TOTW up at the NE end of the park. Less than a mile down the trail, despite the fact that you’re on pavement for the first while, you quickly lose the sounds of the freeway-​style streets and get the quiet of the valley and the wind through the grasses/​trees. It’s a nice, quick escape from the bustle, and the grade is super mellow — accessible to all.
We hiked down to the junction of Aliso and Wood canyon, and up tok Dripping Cave, which is a nice little loop that takes you to a cave that posed as an overnight spot for wagons, transports and ranchers working the land. Nothing too spectacular, but a fun, easy hike and a good way to get some mileage in.
This is a great little place to escape for an hour or two, or many more, if you want a real workout. The access is easy. The only real down-​side is that most of the trails don’t allow dogs. But judging from the amount of dog shit I saw on the trails, this rule is not always observed. Also mountain bikes are allowed, so be prepared to keep your wits about you and ready for someone to come around a corner on a bike.
I’ll definitely be back when I’m in the area visiting family. It’s too convenient not to.

All the leaves are brown but the sky’s not grey.
I went for a walk on a Autumn day.
I was safe and warm because I was in L.A.;
California dreamin’ on such an Autumn day.
Stopped by the Car Wreck, I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees, (Got down on my knees)
And I pretend’d to play, (I pretend’d to play)
You know that I like it better cold, (I like it better cold)
It makes me want to stay, (Makes me wanna stay)
California dreamin’ on such an Autumn daaaayyyyy…
Yes ladies and germs that was my rendition of the Mammas and the Pappas. You know you like my version much better.
This is an awesome trail to hike and its nearby making it an even better choice for me because I don’t have to worry about driving far and being tired AFTER I finish my hike! How spoiled are we here in SoCal? So many fun things to do OUTSIDE and sometimes no more than a 30 minute to an hour car ride away.
The bf likes to hike and so do I EXCEPT he does it all the time while I DON’T thus he is WAAAAYYYYY better at this than I am. I tend to be slow… well slow is maybe a bit faster than I am when ascending up a hill. I have seen the old and lame move faster than I do and I consider myself in pretty good shape but apparently not for hiking. If it is hot and the sun is trying to bake me like a chicken then it is going to take me even longer but I still like to get out there and give it a go.
I used the following address from another Unilocaler (Huy) I have gone hiking with and it takes you right to where you can park for FREE! So use the following address: 3287 Alta Laguna Blvd, Laguna Beach, 92 651.
As you walk through the gate there is a water fountain for both you and your furry friend, as well as some tables and trashcans and a map that gives you all the route you can take on the trail. AMAZING VIEWS of the OCEAN!
I LOVED THIS PLACE? Why you might be wondering? It’s because there is SOMETHING for everyone! The map and markers through the trail are SUPER HELPFUL and give you specific details of WHERE YOU ARE and WHAT direction you might want to go in! Plus if that is not good enough you have OPTIONS! There three different types of trails:
1. GREEN trials that are EASY. (Good for all, pets and bikes)
2. PURPLE trails that are MEDIUM (Good for those that want more of a challenge and GREAT for mountain bikers).
3. PINK trails that are DIFFICULT! (I was huffing and puffing and slow but I DID IT and on a slightly twisted knee)
I loved the GREEN because you still get a small incline up and down so your still getting up your heart rate. The PURPLE is good to get more of a workout without killing yourself. PLEASE be mindful the mountain bikers LOVE the MEDIUM and some are rude as F*CK and WILL try to RUN YO AZZ OVER! So try to walk a bit to the side! Those same mountain bikers could NOT CARELESS and DON’T BOTHER TO WARN YOU AT ALL by saying heads up, ringing a bike bell or ANYTHING! But not all are that way but you should still be mindful and NOT STAND in the middle of the road when walking, resting or taking pics. The PINK is downright DIFFICULT but not as bad I thought it would be or maybe because it was cooler I could manage better! I went up the first «CAR Wreck» trial not down. Up was easier to me. Down I might have slipped in some spots. Up was more climbing up so I found it easier than just walking a steep incline. Plus some parts had a little shade to rest! I even tweaked my knee walking a normal trail earlier in the day and I could STILL MASTER this but at a slower pace. Yes even slower then I was already going. Hahah! BUt I DID IT… is the point!
Beautiful views at the TOP or a GREAT place for a picnic lunch!
PS there is NO PLACE to PEE so if your a female bring a Go-​Girl with you and find a bush!

This was a really great hike — there’s so many different trails for every level and ample parking.
We started on the West Ridge Trail, down to the Lynx Trail, to Wood Canyon Trail, down to the Dripping Cave, to Oak Grove and finished with Car Weck before heading back. Wow… ending that hike with Car Wreck was brutal. It’s the hardest trail and from the direction we took it was all uphill… talk about a hard leg day! According to the fitbit the whole hike was about 7.46 miles and it took us 3 hours.
The trails are very well kept and well marked.
Definitely one of my favorite hikes so far

There’s a trail for everyone here. The map at the start of the trail sorts out the trails from easy, moderate to difficult and lists the length of each trail.
I decided to do one of the easy trails after reading about the harder trails but next time I go I want to do the car wreck trail.
Definitely make a small loop to the Top of the World for a great view of Laguna Beach before starting your hike.
There is plenty of FREE parking, lots of trails, the cool ocean breeze, mountain bikers, hikers, joggers you name it this is a popular trail without the over crowding.

I’ve been here twice now and every experience has been fun yet different!
There are multiple routes you can go ranging from easy to hard. The one that we did was the car wreck trail and the mentally sensitive trail.
We went downhill towards the car wreck and it was pretty cool! Be careful because it can get slippery. But yes! There is a car hidden in there :)
As for the mentally sensitive, it’s all uphill to the top. There were a few shady areas but the incline can be kind of tough.
Definitely being sunscreen, water, and look out for the bikers!

Great spot for an afternoon hike! Our friend took us out here and showed us this new spot. The views here are amazing! You can forego the hiking and just enjoy the sun setting at the peak or burn some calories and go on the trail. We did the trails and stopped by the peak later on and were able to enjoy gorgeous views. The trail was pretty easy going to the caves. The hike back up via car wreck trail was a bit strenuous — good cardio! Only thing about the trails are the mountain bikers. They’re really serious and zoom by pretty fast so watch out for them.
We’ll be back to enjoy Laguna Beach and try out some tasty restaurants. Cute little town that you’ll have to pass through before going up with gorgeous homes.

Beautiful hiking trail. the view is amazing. It is kid friendly and dog friendly, you can definitely challenge yourself in these trails. Make sure to take a camara

Came here on a Sunday morning with my hiking crew. Before you decide to go just know the gps will alway take you to a toll road, there was no way around that lol. Got here around 7:30 something, it was misty when we got to our trail. I saw pictures of the golden cave and really wanted to check it out. We took the hardest trail which wasn’t mathis, basically it circle the whole area and in the end lead us to the dripping cave. Be alert for people on bikes cause there was a lot passing us. When we got to the cave it was an amazing scene and a relief, for a second I thought we were lost. When it was time to head back it was a little tiring, it was basically a up hill walk the whole time. Funny part in all this was there was a female hiker who had a baby strap to her and she was pacing next to me and eventually pass me on the way back. Who ever you are «you’re a tiger!!» Unfortunately my hiking crew fell back and I saw them in the parking lot an hour later haha. All in all it was a 10 mile hike for us and what an adventure it was…

This place is absolutely gorgeous! At the top of the world part there is a little park and I feel like it’s an amazing escape from everything to just go and relax and maybe read a book or go hiking. They also have a little park right there for the kids so it’s nice.(:

We did car wreck to the caves and then up the meadows. I highly recommend car wreck it’s a good trail and a fun one. Meadows is a toughy but so good when your done! Ha! These are very clean trails noticed a bit more trash by the car but not much else. We enjoyed our hike a lot!
The trails are shared with bikes and since most of the trails are narrow and steep, I recommend not wearing headphones as a hiker. You want to keep an ear out for bikes! Down by the car wreck trail, if you have a bike coming up behind you let everyone know below you!
Every one of the bikers greeted us good morning or thanked us for letting them pass ahead!
Great vibes and great hikes!

22Jan2016
A spectacular hike today. I’ve had this hike bookmarked for awhile and we decided today was the day! We started at
Top of the World which is a community park located in Laguna Beach, California. The park’s official name is Alta Laguna Park, but it is referred to as Top of the World. It is located at the north end of Alta Laguna Blvd. The park has its name because it is located about a thousand feet above sea level, and you can see almost all of Orange County from the park on a particularly clear day. The park provides hiking and biking trail head for the Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park.
The park has quite a bit of free parking and a great playground with breathtaking views, tennis courts and clean restrooms. I highly recommend that you use the facilities here as there weren’t any on the trails.
We took the West Ridge trail which is about a 3 mile hike with amazing views of Laguna Canyon, Woods Canyon, and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. The pictures don’t show how high you are.
Their are quite a few steep hills so it seems much longer than 3 miles! Many side trail options which are clearly marked for difficulty. Dogs are allowed on leash on most of the trails.
There are quite a few mountain bikers so keep your eyes open as you hike.
The trail signs indicate a restroom at the end of West Ridge Trail. It is actually past the trail gate and down a very steep hill ¼ mile at a local park. Plan accordingly.
There is little shade on this exposed ridge. Bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen and a hat. If there is any possibility that you will end up hiking after sunset take a headlamp or flashlight. It would be very easy to get lost hiking at dusk without one. Also, the trail maps indicate that the trails maybe closed for up to 3 days after rainstorms. Plan accordingly.
We went on an overcast day which was perfect and we still had magnificent views! Enjoy. We will certainly be back soon to check out the side trails that run down into the canyon.

«I’m on Top of The World!» as most would say when they do this hike. My friend had done this hike before and brought me along on her second visit. It was definitely a drive out the coast, but very worth it.
There are many different levels of difficulties. Trails are clearly marked at each entrance of a trail. It is mainly on a dirt path and some areas with rocks and greens. When you’re at the top, you get such a beautiful few of the city, hills and some homes. When you get lower to the bottom level, it has more greens and streams so it’s shadier. It’s dog friendly in certain parts of the trail. Signs will be marked. There are A LOT of mountain bikers in these trails. I’m very impressed by how some of them can ride up the rocky– 45 degree inclines. But be aware of them. If you’re wearing headphones, stay on the side of the path. They may be going very fast at times. Share the pathway.
I had a great time and good workout going back up that incline. It was a tough one.
Tips: definitely wear sunscreen, hat, and a good pair of shoes.

I recommend the «Rock It» trail. Definitely worth the awesome views you get hiking it and you rarely see anyone else on the trail! Very secluded and a great escape

Despite trudging up a muddy hill in the last hour out of a four hour hike at the Top of the World the Top of the World was an amazing experience that provides amazing views of both inner Laguna Beach as well as the parts that faces the ocean.
The hike itself has a simple layout — you start off near the top of the «Top of the World», make your way down, and then up again. But there are several ways of doing that and which way you choose will determine the difficulty and length of the hike.
My friends and I learned a pretty important lesson that day — always check the weather, even if the day starts off looking bright and clear. When rain hits those hills, it can make hiking up one of them extremely slippery — it also didn’t help that bikers who were also caught off guard by the storm couldn’t stop their bikes on time to almost avoid hitting us.
Still, it was worth it!

Come here at least once or twice a month, so many trails from easy to difficult, clean crisp air, magnificent views, a playground nearby, fantastic place to spend the day. If you are an avid hiker or just starting this place is great!

I had this place bookmarked for awhile and today, I finally got to go! My new year’s resolution is to try to go hiking more often so we had to go to TOP OF THE WORLD. (Let’s see how long this lasts. LOL) Our hike was 5 miles long which took 2 hrs 20 minutes. There is a lot more to look at here than Peter’s Canyon, such as the Dripping Café, Car Wreck Trail and etc.
Remember:
There are several easy, moderate, and difficult trails so I recommend taking a photo of the trail map at the entrance before going on your hike.
Go to the restroom. I know this seems like common sense but you’d be surprised how many people pop a squat on the side of the mountain.
Bring water
Please watch out for bikers. There are many riding so please be considerate. Sometimes they come out of nowhere through narrow paths.
Right now is the perfect time to go because the weather is cool. I definitely want to go back soon and do the same hike in less than 2 hours.

Yay!!! First time for us. Easy for my little stratti’s legs as this was her 2^nd hike but first to Top of the World.
Enjoyed a nice hike and beautiful view of Laguna.

I met up with my friend and we hiked here this past weekend. Lots of trails! We did about 6.75 miles total. We started at Top of The World, you can park in the cul de sac for free, which is at the end of Alta Laguna.
Directions: You can type in Top of the World Laguna, CA into google maps and it will pull up.
When we got there and you are looking at the trail map up there, you to the right of the sign.
Trails we took:
Mathis Canyon to
Car Wreck to Oak Grove
back onto Mathis Canyon to
Dripping Cave Trail to
Wood Canyon to
Cave Rock Trail.
When we were heading back we took all the same trails except we stayed on Mathis Canyon and skipped the Oak Grove and Car Wreck section. Car Wreck is a really rough trail and we didn’t want to go up, going down it wasn’t bad though.
I really enjoyed the ocean view, to the dripping caves where we ate lunch, to the cool cave rock you can climb into. If you hike to the top of cave rock, there’s also a rock with a hole you can sit in lol. There are lots of mountain bikers on these trails!

Wonderful view looking over Laguna Beach, I was in love already! My boyfriend and I ended up hiking for almost 5 hours with about 10 miles under our belts that day because we somehow missed a few signs and didn’t even get to see the Car Wreck Trail, bummer. I’d reccomend taking a picture of the map because we did that towards the end and found our way home. We ended up taking the Meadows Trail, and it was not for the faint of heart. The Meadows Trail felt like climbing Mount Everest, not a joke. Great place for all levels of hiking and the place is huge! Free parking in the neighborhood

There’s a trail for everyone here. The map at the start of the trail sorts out the trails from easy, moderate to difficult and lists the length of each trail. For first timer, definitely make a small loop to the Top of the World for a great view of Laguna Beach before starting your hike.
First time– we hiked down the Car Wreck Trail/​Oak Grove to the Dripping Cave and looped back up on Mathis Canyon which took about 4 hours. The Car Wreck Trail was «difficult» with its steepness and rocky path. It would be quite intense if we chose to hike up instead of down this trail. The hike to Dripping Cave was partially shaded, and the hike back up Mathis Canyon had no shade at all. There were signs at the start of each trail so it wasn’t too hard to navigate around. The hike down Car Wreck and the more leisure stroll though Oak Grove and Dripping Cave warmed us up for the all incline Mathis Canyon. This loop was a good workout and very do-​able.
Second time– we hiked down Mathis Canyon to Nature Loop/​Coyote Run and looped back up on Rock It Trail. This was a longer trail but also took about 4 hours. The hike down Mathis took a while since we have to watch each of our steps on the rocky path. The start of the Nature Loop Trail was a bit hidden. Look for a sign on the left side when you are at the bottom of Mathis Canyon. The Nature Loop Trail is a narrow trail that starts with some steep steps but soon levels. I suggest coming in the early mornings or later in the afternoon since most trails are not shaded.
Both times we came, it wasn’t crowded at all and there were hardly any other hikers on the trails we pick. Do pay attention to mountain bikers especially on Mathis Canyon and Rock It. Also, there’s free parking!

I believe most the hike are all connected somehow from easy, moderate to difficult!
Try the easy route and bring your dogs!!! They will definitely love it. My dogs did :)

I still don’t get who this hike is called Alta Laguna Park, I’m still gonna call it Top of the World though :)
I love this hike! It’s one of the challenging ones in Orange County, ESP if you pick the really hard trails. Now I consider myself decently fit and I’ve done this hike twice now. Both times I went with friends not on my level so that gets annoying cus I love to challenge myself, but that’s okay. I still get an amazing workout! I just finished my second hike here and it was wayyyy better than the first time I did it. Probably cus I did it with one of my best friends so I felt comfy in pushing her, I’m evil lol.
Before starting the hike, I looked up what trails I wanted to. We started on the top. The address to get there is 3287 Alta Laguna Blvd, Laguna Beach 92 652. This address will take you right to the park where you can park your car. Parking is free so that’s great! It does tend to get packed, but I’ve always found parking easily.
GET THERE EARLY!!! ESP in this summer heat! The first time I did this hike we started at 6 am which was perf! The second time around we started at 9:45 am, that’s way too late. It was already hot when we started the hike so no Bueno. I almost died, no joke.
We started at the West Ridge Trail, then did the Rock It trail which is considered hard, then I really wanted to do the 5 Oaks trail but we got a little lost after we finished the Rock it trail. They def need to make their maps better for dummies like me. Then we did random stuff to end back at the Mathis Canyon Trail. THAT WAS SO HARD! It’s alllll up hill. And at this point we were already really tired so doing that hike up was the worst. I really thought I was going to pass out even though I am fit. Then we took West Ridge again to end back at the top. Boyyyyy was I happy to be done!
Another thing I’d highly recommend is to bring lots and lots of water! My friend didn’t bring any (ya, I know!!) I thankfully brought two bottles so I gave her one cus I’m a sweetheart! If I had more water I really would have felt better with the hike and not as if I was dying. Next time I do this hike, I’m bringing like 20 bottles.
I was really desperate so I asked other hikers for water and they were sooo sweet! One guy on the hike gave me some then I met the sweetest couple ever! I was bent over at one point and this man with his wife asked if I was okay. Then he gave me water and poured water on my head. He insisted he wait with me but I told him I was fine. He said he would keep looking back to see if I was okay. When I got to the top where the benches and water fountains are he was actually waiting for me! He told me to get water and to sit down. Even offered to put water on my head again. He waited until I was okay. Even after his wife came back from the bathroom he made sure I was perfect before he left. He was soooo sweet! I wish I got his information to send him something because he seriously helped me get through it with the heat. Thanks sweet man!
Also, another tip I’ll add that I saw another Unilocaler write and I totes agree with is to have short toe nails! Your toes will kill if you make the mistake of having nice semi long pretty pedicured toe nails like mine. So get to cutting before you do the hike.
It took 4 hours to complete the hike and I believe we did over 7 miles! Next time I wanna do the dripping cave trail, that looks supa cool!
Even despite me almost dying, I love this hike! Just please take ample water, put sunscreen on, maybe even take a hat to help with the heat. Def go prepared cus if not, it won’t be a fun experience!
I feel my butt growing as we speak! Yay :)

Top of the World Park & Area with bunch of hiking trails for distances of 0.2 to miles! The park is so cute, and hidden.
Park — Restroom with multiple stalls. Benches and playground for kids.
View — Pretty awesome gloomy or clear. Its just always nice to be able to see everything from above. You can see Catalina too.
Hikes — I haven’ tried it but maybe next time. NO shade. But apparently its for mountain bikers too.
Plan to come here with friends for a picnic, and hike.

This is an awesome place to go hiking! There’s easy, medium and hard trails. Note that the easy trails do have a little difficulty to them. I wouldn’t advise bringing a stroller. We saw a few people struggling to push them up the hills of the easy paths. Some of the trails aren’t marked well so you’ll just have to guess and hope you went the right way.
Car wreck trail was awesome! It’s a bit steep and there’s a lot of rocks. But it’s totally worth it to see the car wreck. It’s near the bottom of the hill.
Make sure to bring water. There aren’t any fountains around and it gets pretty hot. They have bathrooms right next to the playground area.

Top of the World Park is one of those parks/​hikes that has a little bit of everything. On the west end of the trail, you’ll traverse more of the hilltop and hillside scenery (higher elevation, more views) with minimal amount of trees and shade. On the east side of the park you’ll find more greenery, shade, and water. The very north ends in a neighborhood. There is lots to see, and it could take a day more more to hike all the trails.
The hike varies from difficulty depending which paths you decide to take. The map placards lying around do this by denoting paths with green (easy), purple (moderate), pink (difficult). If you want to just take in the view, the walk up to the actual top of the world is a very short brisk walk.
Protip 1:
This is also a biking trail so make sure you’re careful, I almost got hit by a biker speeding down a very narrow path. If you bring kids, please keep your eye on them.
Protip 2:
Visit the official site for more information:
Top of the world park is actually part of the Aliso and Wood Canyons.
My map picture:
Protip 3:
Using this address will take you right up to where you can park:
3287 Alta Laguna Blvd, Laguna Beach, 92 651
Protip 4:
This park is dog friendly, they provide doggy pickup bags and trashcans. (be careful, there are some really rocky areas that may be a detriment to doggy paws).
Protip 5:
Good route for first timers (appx 8.5mi total) — Start off at West Ridge, circle onto Cholla down to Wood Canyon Trail. Take a detour through the Wood Creek Trail, back onto Wood Canyon then another detour through Coyote Run and Nature Loop. Then make your way down Old Corral and turn onto Dripping Cave than heads towards Oak Grove/​Car Wreck. At the end you’ll circle in and finish your round trip. This lets you see the all the various and unique scenery and sights on the trail and isn’t too difficult.
General tip 1: This may sound silly but before hiking, make sure your toe nails are trimmed. I’ve hiked with others that get jacked up half way through because of pressure from toenails.

My friend and I decided to do a sunset hike at the Top of the World in Laguna Beach. If you type in Top of the World Park into your google maps you’ll be led to the park and the top of the hiking area that veers off into different trails that you can follow. We parked along the road where there was still plenty of parking and walked over to the park.
The park is clean and has restrooms so if you’re needing to go this would definitely be the place to start. Just outside the restrooms they have a map that shows the different routes that you can take. This map is differently oriented than the map in the center of the trails which I suggest using instead so as not to get confused. If you follow the trail that begins near the small bridge in the park you’ll be led to a better map. The road to the center is pretty forked off but if you try to follow a straight path you’ll find your way to the middle of the trails.
The map provided is great at letting you know how long certain paths are, what their difficulty level is and how steep they are. Starting at the top of the world we did a nice loop through Mathis Canyon, Oak Grove and Car Wreck trail. If you’re looking to do about an hour-​long hike I definitely recommend this path. It has a nice mix of downhill hiking, strolling through picturesque greenery on flat land and ends with car wreck trail which is the only uphill battle you’ll have and is definitely more difficult. It was at this point that I finally felt I was getting a work out. Be careful, it can get pretty steep and really rocky. It’ll take some effort but by the end of it we felt great and had worked up a sweat.
The car wreck is a nice stopping point. You’ll get a chance to take pictures and explore the wreck before heading on to the more difficult part of the trail. We arrived for our hike at around 6PM which turned out to be perfect timing. It only began to get dark when we finished our loop and the sun was never beating down on us too strongly because the sun was setting and going down. I loved this hike! It was such a nice mix of scenery and though I felt that the name is pretty misleading because it’s really not that high up, the view was still gorgeous and you can see surrounding houses in Laguna Beach. This hike is very characteristic of part of OC’s beachy and marshy feel. You won’t get to the top and see tons of skyscrapers and fog like you find on LA hikes but it’s peaceful and definitely serves up a great workout if you venture onto the more difficult trails.