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Crystal Cove State Park Tunnel
4.8 ★★★★★ 813 Google reviews · Running trail in Laguna Beach, California · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Loop distance
- 3 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Crystal Cove State Park Tunnel's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Hike-in beach in the Crystal Cove State Park featuring a tunnel access route.
What runners say about Crystal Cove State Park Tunnel
“The water is pretty clean and actually helps clean the sand off on the way back to the parking lot.”
“The tunnel is the access point from the parking lots and campgrounds on the east side of Coast Highway to the beautiful Crystal Cove Beach.”
“Easy walk from the parking lot to the beach through the tunnel.”
Easy walk from the parking lot to the beach through the tunnel. The couple times we have been here, there has been water in the tunnel so expect to have to walk through it. It appears it fills up during the evening from the high tide and slowly drains during the day.
Very cool location for a hike! Beautiful, clean and quiet place. The rangers and lifeguards take their jobs serious and are very helpful and friendly. I discovered this Bay when searching for a local hiking spot that was near the beach; this location surpassed any expectation that I had.
Beautiful Beach with amazing sites of the water and the waves were pretty big if you go in the water, lots of rocks so be very careful when going in certain areas, but there’s no big rocks by where the lifeguard and houses on the sand are, this location also has some restaurants close by and it’s a pretty long hike to…
The tunnel is cool, but I had my bike and made the tough decision to walk it through two feet of water. No direct access to the highway either. The scenery at the beach is unmatched so I have to give it its respective rating.
Trail conditions & character
“The tunnel is the access point from the parking lots and campgrounds on the east side of Coast Highway to the beautiful Crystal Cove Beach.”
“The tunnel is the access point from the parking lots and campgrounds on the east side of Coast Highway to the beautiful Crystal Cove Beach.”
“The shower and bathroom were very spacious and clean.”
Plan your run at Crystal Cove State Park Tunnel
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- Loop distance3 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitecrystalcovestatepark.org
- Phone+1 949-494-3539
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
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