Laguna Thousand Steps Beach

This smaller and more secluded beach called Thousand Steps is located in Southern California and is south of the main Laguna Beach and just north of Dana Point. Thousand Steps is almost more like a series of small beaches. There are two larger stretches of beach separated by a few rocks that make up Thousand steps. The above photo is from the main beach where the stairs lead to.

There aren’t really a thousand steps to get to the beach; it’s more a like a couple hundred, but it can still seem like a long way down! I would recommend getting there earlier rather than later, not because of crowds as this beach is fairly secluded, but if you want to climb over the little rocks to get to the other side of the beach, you need low tide to do so. Once over the rocks you can walk up the beach (north) and if the tide is still low you can reach another small beach (which is actually part of Table Rock Beach) by walking through a little arch. This small little stretch of sand is very private and very beautiful. The photo below is from that little beach and even though the arch on the left looks small in this panorama view, you can stand and walk upright through it.

At the opposite end of Thousand Steps (south) there is a cave that leads to other small secluded beaches and a couple of saltwater-filled pools carved into the rock. I have only been to the cave but not to the pools yet since once through the cave, it’s a steep climb down to the beach below and then another climb up to the pools. The photo below is taken from the opposite end of Thousand Steps. It was taken at high tide, but you can see how if the tide were out, one could walk across the rocks on the left to find the cave.

Laguna is such a beautiful area and there are many beaches to visit along the coast, but if you want a more secluded beach and want to visit a unique area, I would highly recommend Thousand Steps. Even the walk down the stairs isn’t so bad with a view like this! (See photo below).