SEVEN MILES OF COAST, A CENTURY OF ART — AND MOST OF IT IS EASIER TO REACH THAN YOU'D THINK. HERE'S THE PRACTICAL HALF OF THE TRIP.
Trolley every 20 min, 9am–11pm.
Getting here
Drive
From the 405 or the 5, take the 133 — Laguna Canyon Road — straight into town. It dead-ends at the sand.
~1 hr from LA · 25 min SNA
Fly
John Wayne (SNA) is the close one, 25 minutes north. LAX is an hour and change, traffic depending.
SNA · LAX · SAN
Transit
OCTA Route 1 runs the coast highway year-round. In summer the free trolley takes over.
OCTA Rte 1 · Trolley
Parking
Parking is the hard part. Check availability before you leave. Aim for a lot, not a space.
Download parking appLots
Six city lots, $2–4/hr. The ACT lot fills last.
Meters
8am–midnight, daily. Pay by plate.
EV
Chargers at Village Entrance & City Hall.
Accessible
ADA stalls in every lot; placards free at meters.
RV
No overnight in town. Canyon lot by day.
Trolley & shuttle
Free, frequent, and it beats parking. Three lines — Coastal, Canyon, and the Festival shuttle in summer. Wave it down; no ticket, no app.
20 min
Frequency, all lines
9–11
9am to 11pm, daily
3 lines
Coastal · Canyon · Festival
Weather by month
Laguna's averages, month by month. Hover, tap, or arrow through a bar for that month's highs and lows, wind, rain, and surf.
64–75°
Temperature
8 mph
Wind
0"
Rainfall
2–4 ft
Surf
Access to the arts
Buy it once and the whole Laguna arts summer is yours — every festival, gallery night, and stage, plus priority on the trolley. No box office, no printouts.
One pass, three festivals — Festival of Arts, Pageant of the Masters, and Sawdust.
Get the Arts PassTravel Nicely
In Laguna Beach, stewardship isn't a rule book. It's a hundred-year habit, and every visitor is invited to share it. Ask a local what makes Laguna special and you'll hear about the beaches, the wildlife, the canyons and trails, and the galleries tucked between surf shops. Ask how Laguna has kept its village charm, and you'll learn that luck has very little to do with it. Residents fought for the hills that now form the Greenbelt, and today all seven miles of coastline sit within California's Marine Protected Areas. The town took single-use plastic foodware off its beaches and trails in 2021 and went balloon-free in 2024. Those choices are why the water is clear, the tidepools are full and the hillsides are still wild. There's a name for this way of living: Laguna Like a Local. As Laguna celebrates its Centennial, every visitor is invited in.
Laguna Like a Local
Here's what it looks like
Protect what you love
Laguna's beaches, trails and art town heritage only thrive when everyone works together to keep them clean and safe. That starts at the water's edge. Every tidepool and cove in town is part of a Marine Protected Area, where taking shells, rocks or sea life is against the law. Look closely, never turn over rocks, and leave everything exactly where you found it. At low tide, volunteer docents and tidepool educators are often on hand to point out octopus, sea stars and anemones.
Keep Laguna clean
The #CleanLagunaBeach basics are simple. Pick up your trash, and any you pass. Stay on marked trails. Give seals, sea lions and other marine life plenty of room, on the sand and in the water. Single-use plastic and foam foodware aren't allowed on Laguna's beaches, parks or trails, so pack a reusable bottle and bag. If you spot an overflowing trash can, report it in the Ask Laguna app and Public Works will take it from there.
Clear the air
Here's a fun fact: Laguna Beach is a smoke-free city. Smoking and vaping aren't permitted in any public area, beaches included. Who needs to, when the views already take your breath away?
Celebrate like a local
There's no party like a Laguna Beach party, and locals celebrate without balloons, flower petals (real or fake), fireworks, open flames or decorations that end up in natural areas. Balloons aren't sold in town and can't be used in public spaces, because so many of them drift out to sea. Many beaches and coves also sit right beside homes, so keep the music and voices low, especially after 10 p.m.
Know your resources
Getting around is easier than it looks. The free Laguna Beach Trolley, parking and transportation apps, and clear signage at trailheads and beaches will help you find the right spot. Once you're there, check in with a lifeguard about conditions before you go in, and never turn your back on the ocean.
Leave it better
None of this asks much: a little attention, a little care. But more than six million people visit Laguna's beaches each year, and small habits add up. They are what keep Laguna Beach the place people fall in love with. As the town begins its next hundred years, the invitation is simple. Leave it better than you found it, for whoever comes next.
Good to know
Beach basics
- Beach hours
- Beaches north of Aliso Creek close 1 to 5 a.m.; beaches south of Aliso Creek close 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thousand Steps closes at 9 p.m.
- Alcohol
- No alcohol on the beach.
- Dogs
- Welcome on a 6-foot leash. From June 15 to September 10, dog hours on the beach are before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
- High surf
- Heed "Rocks Closed" signs during high surf.
Laguna Today
The coast, right now
One live board for the day ahead: the tide curve and surf, water temperature, the week's forecast, wind and UV, sunrise to sunset, and the next low-tide window for the tidepools. It flags swim conditions, too, and features a local artist each month. Check it before you pack the car.
See Laguna TodayQuestions
Not really. The free trolley runs the coast and canyon every 20 minutes in summer, and the village is walkable end to end. A car only helps for early tide pools or the far south coves.
Late spring and early fall bring warm water, thinner crowds, and easier parking. Summer is peak — festivals, trolleys, and long days — but plan around the busiest weekends.
Aim for a city lot rather than a street space; six of them ring downtown at $2–4/hr. Lots fill by mid-morning on summer weekends, so arrive early or take the trolley in.
Every beach in Laguna is public and free, all the way down the coast from Main Beach. You'll only need cash or a card for parking.
One pass covers all three summer festivals — Festival of Arts, Pageant of the Masters, and Sawdust — plus trolley priority. It pays for itself in about two visits.