Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
Managed by Orange County Parks
1,111 acres9.2 mi of trail
West Ridge TrailCanyon Acres TrailRock-It TrailMathis Canyon Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Don Ramey Logan, Diosthenese, User:CactusWriter · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Laguna Beach
31% of Laguna Beach’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 22 miles of mapped trail cross Laguna Beach, 2.5 per square mile of land. 31% of Laguna Beach’s land is conserved, about 1,789 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #21 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
31%
1,789 acres · of 8.9 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
2.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,769 ac
78 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.8 mi
2.2 mi lanes
Highest peak
1,027 ft
Temple Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
4 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Laguna Beach?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Laguna Beach have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Laguna Beach is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #21 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Laguna Beach’s overall grade.
Conserved land31% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (22 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land78 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,769 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 98%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, with 9.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
James Dilley Greenbelt Preserve
Nature preserve
321 acres5.1 mi of trail
Canyon TrailThe Lake TrailMariposa TrailRidgetop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Dilley Staging Area
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
Managed by Orange County Parks
446 acres2.3 mi of trail
Stagecoach South TrailLaguna Ridge TrailBig Bend Trail
No dogs
Directionsto Big Bend Staging AreaWebsite ↗
Main Beach Park
Park
3 acres0.4 mi of trail
Boardwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 16 parks & preserves
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park1,111 acres · 9.2 mi of trail · Orange County Parks
DirectionsJames Dilley Greenbelt Preserve321 acres · 5.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLaguna Coast Wilderness Park446 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Orange County Parks
DirectionsHeisler Park9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMain Beach Park3 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBluebird Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTreasure Island Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Laguna Beach
DirectionsAlta Laguna Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLang Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCrescent Bay Point Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Aliso Beach County Park11 acres
DirectionsMoulton Meadows Park9 acres
Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve8 acres
DirectionsDana Point State Marine Conservation Area3 acres
Laguna Beach State Marine Conservation Area3 acres
DirectionsBoat Canyon Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,789 conserved acres
31% of Laguna Beach’s land. Who manages Laguna Beach’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,581 ac
Town or city228 ac
State fish & wildlife7 ac
Local Conservation Area · 1,549 acLocal Other or Unknown · 118 acLocal Park · 116 acLocal Recreation Area · 27 acUnknown Easement · 7 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 7 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park Local Conservation Area | County | 1,111 | Open |
| Laguna Coast Wilderness Park Local Conservation Area | County | 438 | Open |
| Unnamed site - Laguna Beach, City of Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 115 | Open |
| Aliso Beach Park Local Park | County | 30 | Open |
| Canyon Acres/Trinity Christian Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Irvine Bowl Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Alta Laguna Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Treasure Island Beach Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Heisler Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Moulton Meadows Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
46 places to go in Laguna Beach
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Laguna Beach
Arch Beach
DirectionsBird Rock Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Laguna Beach
11 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach Dog Park
DirectionsScenic views in Laguna Beach
Top of the World
DirectionsPlus 25 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Laguna Beach
Temple Hill1,027 ft elevation
DirectionsAliso PeakIn Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Laguna Beach
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.3 miHorses · 5.9 miUnpaved · 19.0 mi
West Ridge Trail2.0 mi
Stagecoach South Trail1.1 mi
Canyon Acres Trail1.1 mi
Canyon Trail1.0 mi
Rock-It Trail0.9 mi
The Lake Trail0.9 mi
Park Avenue Trail0.9 mi
Mariposa Trail0.8 mi
Mathis Canyon Trail0.7 mi
Stair Steps Trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Ridgetop Trail
0.6 miCar Wreck Trail
0.6 miGravel Trail
0.5 miLynx Trail
0.5 miLaguna Ridge Trail
0.4 miValido Trail
0.4 miSunflower Trail
0.4 miAliso Peak Trail
0.3 miToovet Trail
0.3 miBoardwalk
0.2 miBlackjack Trail
0.2 miBig Bend Trail
0.2 miVista Trail
0.1 miLaguna Bowl Trail
0.1 miEdison Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
20Tennis
13Basketball
9Pickleball
8Beach volleyball
5Baseball
2Soccer
1Football
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Laguna Beach: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.2 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 66 | 65 | 66 | 69 | 70 | 73 | 77 | 79 | 79 | 75 | 70 | 65 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 2.3 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 3.3 inches fall in February, the wettest month. The climate in Laguna Beach →
Next door
Laguna Beach and its neighbors
Laguna Beach has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Beach | 31% | 2.5 | 78 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Laguna Niguel | 11% | 1.8 | 18 | 98% | A |
| Dana Point | 9% | 1.2 | 12 | 98% | A |
| Aliso Viejo | 15% | 1.8 | 14 | 99%+ | A |
| Laguna Woods | 13% | 1.2 | 8 | 95% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Laguna Beach
Where can I hike in Laguna Beach?
The longest trail networks: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, 9.2 miles; James Dilley Greenbelt Preserve, 5.1 miles; Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, 2.3 miles; Heisler Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Laguna Beach is conserved land?
31% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Laguna Beach’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Laguna Beach?
8.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.2 of painted or protected lanes and 6.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Laguna Beach?
31,951 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Laguna Beach or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,769 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Laguna Beach have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #21 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Laguna Beach neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →