Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach

Laguna Canyon Road is one the main routes from the northern part of Laguna Beach to the inland cities of Orange County. As the road leaves Laguna Beach, it passes through a canyon in the San Joaquin Hills. Small businesses and funky houses line the canyon road. Laguna Canyon Road was first built in the early 1900s and hasn’t changed a lot in decades.

As Laguna Canyon Road enters Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, the landscape changes from steep canyon walls to woodlands with sage plants and oak and sycamore trees. This environment is known as chaparral and is unique to Southern California. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park has miles of trails and is a popular place for hiking and mountain biking. The small picturesque campus of the Laguna Canyon College of Art and Design is located in the canyon near the boundary of Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Part of the Laguna Canyon Road is narrow and winding, with one lane in each direction. Laguna Beach residents have fought plans to extend a freeway through the canyon. However, the road gets congested during morning and evening commute hours and on sunny weekends. There are a higher than average number of traffic accidents on the road. Luckily there are now a couple of alternate routes for getting in and out of Laguna Beach during peak traffic hours, including Crown Valley Parkway to the south and Newport Coast Drive to the north.

Laguna Canyon Road which is also commonly known as the 133 freeway is a long stretch of road that cuts through part of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and takes you straight to the Pacific Coast Highway where the sun and sand of Laguna Beach awaits. On some parts of the canyon road there is very little to see since most of it will be the dry trails of the wildness park but once you begin to get close the city of Laguna Beach you will start to notice small shops, homes, an art school and businesses lining the side of the street. A hidden gem on Laguna Canyon Road I think is simply beautiful is the Blue Pearl Laguna. The facility is a retreat location that pampers guests with saunas, massages, yoga, a detox regimen with healthy meals and nature walks that will leave your body feeling replenished and refreshed after your stay. If you continue traveling farther south down Canyon Road you’ll find the Laguna Beach’s Art-A-Fair Grounds which is another great location to enjoy arts and crafts events. Every year the grounds host some of the best in local artists, talent and craftsman for the public to come out and support or discover.