A Hidden Gem: Day Trip to Treasure Island Park, in Laguna Beach

Treasure Island Park in Laguna Beach, California, is a rare gem, offering one of the most breathtaking views in Southern California. Located directly in front of the prestigious Montage Laguna Beach, the park features a paved pathway along the cliff top, providing unparalleled vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the beach below. Visiting Treasure Island Park is a unique experience. It’s like stepping into a living postcard. It’s a place to stroll, capture some Instagram-worthy photos, and dream of the luxury of Montage Laguna Beach, even if you are just a visitor to the park.

Perched Atop The Bluffs of Laguna

The main walkway is lined with wooden benches where you can relax and enjoy the same view that hotel guests pay a premium for. Stairways and an accessible path lead to Treasure Island Beach, where you can dip your toes in the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. The beach offers plenty of sand and features several tide-pool areas on the rocks. Please refrain from removing any living or non-living items from the tide pools, and watch your step while exploring the rocky areas. To the south, you can stroll to Aliso Beach; to the North, you can hike as far as Victoria Beach during low tide.

Public Artworks

Treasure Island Park is a hidden gem loved by locals, and it’s open to everyone, providing convenient beach access for all. The Park is particularly popular with artists, who can find picture-perfect vistas along the trail. Visitors can discover public artworks and statues throughout the Park, including a massive mural of fish swimming in the ocean below the Montage Laguna Beach swimming pool. The park is managed in partnership with the city and Montage Resort, whose gardeners keep the park trimmed, neat, and tidy like a five-star resort.

Treasure Island Park History

Treasure Island got its name from the movie Treasure Island, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure novel, filmed here in 1934. The property, now Montage Laguna Beach, was initially owned by Hubbard Goff, who built a home in the late 1800s. The property changed ownership in the late 1920s, and a 30-space trailer park was developed. Over the years, the 28-acre trailer park expanded to hundreds of spaces, with many occupants staying there year-round. As is common with most trailer parks, residents did not own the land. After a lengthy struggle, the land was sold in 1989. Subsequently, the city rezoned the mobile home park, and the last resident moved out in 1997.

Treasure Island Pier

There used to be a small pier at Treasure Island Beach. It was approximately 100 feet long and had a winch for lowering boats into the ocean. The dock was a great spot for fishing, but it was private property for the Treasure Island trailer park residents only. The pier was taken down in 1988, the same year that the Aliso Pier to the south was removed due to storm damage. Although there is no pier today, this beautiful section of the Southern California Coast is open for everyone to enjoy.

Montage Laguna Beach

In 2003, the Montage Hotel replaced the trailers and mobile homes of Treasure Island Mobile Home Park after a long battle with the City of Laguna Beach. This transformation is a testament to the power of vision and perseverance. The five-star hotel now offers guests ocean-view rooms, each with a private balcony. Suites range up to 2,800 square feet, and beach bungalow-style rooms. Montage deeded the 7-acre oceanfront section of the property to the city of Laguna Beach, allowing public access to the land and beach, which is now called Treasure Island Park. This inspiring transformation has turned a once-private area into a public treasure.

Directions & Parking

Treasure Island Park in Laguna Beach, CA: It is located between Victoria Beach and Aliso Creek Beach along the Pacific Coast Highway in South Laguna Beach. The Park offers an underground parking garage with around 50 parking spaces for three hours. If the parking lot is full, Lang Park across the Pacific Coast Highway also provides parking. Metered street parking is an option but has a three-hour limit.

Nearby Points of Interest

Dana Point Preserve Headlands Trail Amazing Views

Dana Point Headlands Nature Preserve is a beautiful place to enjoy nature. This preserve was saved from developers with a deal that lets them build on 86 acres of the Dana Point Headlands. Fortunately, most of the ocean view bluff top and prime mesa acreage will stay as nature intended. The headland trail is a half-mile long, with several lookout points. On a clear day, you can see Oceanside to the South, Laguna Beach to the north, and northwest of Catalina Island. The views from the headlands are fantastic.

Lost Pier Cafe Aliso Beach, California

Lost Pier Cafe offers delicious food, breathtaking ocean views, and a pet-friendly environment. Open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset, Lost Pier Cafe is casual and welcomes guests in beach attire. Finding excellent service and fresh food at reasonable prices in Laguna Beach can be challenging, but you will find it at the Lost Pier Cafe. When you visit the cafe, you order and pick up your food before dining on the patio under the shade of an umbrella at one of the tables. One of the most popular dishes is the Wild Caught Lobster Roll. You can also rent a portable propane-powered fire pit at Lost Pier Cafe Aliso Beach. Address: 31131 S Pacific Coast Hwy Laguna Beach, California. Website

Moro Campground: Ideal Beach Camping Destination

Moro Campground is located at Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach, California. It offers spectacular ocean views from all sixty campsites. Compared to other beach campgrounds, there are no bad campsites; everyone has an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. The weather at Moro Campground is mild and pleasant throughout the year, making it an ideal destination for a camping adventure.

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