Coastal Peak Park

Perfect place to get away and enjoy the serenity. The trails are mapped out and overall a good length and level of difficulty. The loop from the entrance of ridge park and back was about 6 miles.
For free parking park on ridge park and take the trail down. You’ll be able to see the ocean from the rattlesnake trail.
Unfortunately we didn’t hike all the way down to the park and get onto the beach.
Def worth a check out!

The good:
— you can park at Coastal Park and access the park for free
— the park has enough bike trails
— different difficulty level
— you get all the way to ocean
— never crowded
The bad:
— I can’t get enough of it
— you can park at Crystal Cove park and pay $ 15
— beware distracted hikers

Beautiful park that has wonderful trails of all different levels. singletrack and wide as well. If you are running or hiking out please keep an ear out for the mountain bikers because they do pick up speed on the down hills so you need to make sure we are all sharing their trails. If you park up by the bathrooms do you have the option of both parks Crystal Cove as well as El Morro. El MORO has fabulous maps posted throughout so it’s very difficult to get lost but Crystal Cove only has a few so make sure you pay attention to where you are. The bathrooms at the park at top of our very nice with cold water wash your hands and a water fountain but make sure you bring water on the trails because there is no water once you’re out there. Enjoy!

This review is for my first Mountain Bike ride here. My friends brought me here for the first time and I loved it, as well as my buddy. The trails could get pretty technical. The most technical section we hit was the rattlesnake portion. Big-​chunky rocks. There was this one section with some fun downhil and was able to get me off the ground a little bit. I definitely want to explore here some more.
I just recently got my new mountain bike so I am not familiar with the trails around this area. My first ride was Peter’s Canyon… but this place blows PC away. There is a lot more to explore here and I can’t wait to get back on it!
Too bad I can’t post my GoPro footage…
The only downside, as with many trails around CA, is the hikers. Just keep an eye out for them.

Here’s a 7. x mile lollipop hike. Download a map from Laguna Wilderness or Crystal Cove State Park. Park free at the trail head — Ridge Park Road and Coast Peak Road, 92 657.
Head out Bommer Ridge straight, all the way to the end of Crystal Cove where it turns into Laguna Wilderness Park. At the end (there’s a T intersection), take a left and a left onto Laurel trail. Laurel winds down, down, down (past lovers leap — or something like that) and you end up at the 133 and the Ranger station just by El Toro. Laurel has plenty of shade — the others, not so much.
Use the port-​a-​potty as needed: D and get ready for a 1. x mile upward climb (not as bad as dreaded hill, if you know that infamous incline, but nonetheless a good aerobic and glute workout). Head up Willow, which is straight up from the ranger station (picnic bench), back to where you turned off to Laurel, but take the second right back onto Bommer Ridge. Take Bommer Ridge back to the trail head.
Pat yourself on the back. Phew! Depending on your speed, this is a 2 ½ to 3 hour trek. I recommend going early in the morning before it’s too hot. Enjoy!

From this park there are two trail head entrances to the Crystal Cove Trails. Though the parking was packed by the time we arrived at 7:30 am, the trails didn’t seem to be crowded. There are many mountain bikers that were utilizing the upper trails of Crystal Cove.
We looped through the upper trails starting from Bommer Ridge Road, took a right at Red Tail Ridge, followed through to ticketron and then hooked back up the ridge trail to make it back to our car. It was 3.8 miles that we were able to complete in about 1.5 hours. It was a great work out and there were beautiful views of the landscape and you could see the ocean for the most part.
The Red Trail ridge takes you to an area that has three spots were you can camp (along with a portable bathroom). Though there isn’t a place for camp fires, I imagine it’s beautiful here at night.

Went on a group hike this weekend. We started at the trailhead here and went to the hills of crystal cove state park overlooking the ocean. Plenty of free street parking. I was told there’s restrooms and water fountains by the baseball diamond. A fun hike close to home! Oh, if you hike the trails, make sure you bring more water than you think you’ll need.

My sister and I started a hike into the hills of the Crystal Cove State Park from here. There are nice restroom facilities, and the Pacific Ridge trail runs parallel to the park. We took the trail south, which oddly takes you alongside a housing community before veering off into the hills. The slant of the trail is distinctly odd, since it will look like the ocean is at the wrong angle for a good part of the trail southward. We looped around at the Rattlesnake Trail, which had some elevation drops and gains that will stretch your calves well. At the bottom of one of those drops, we paused, only to hear absolute silence, which is something you rarely hear in Orange County. Not even a plane overhead, for a few minutes at least. Then we realized that we also had no cell phone reception, and should probably keep moving. There isn’t shade on this trail, so definitely keep that mind when planning your hike.