1000 Steps Beach Salt Water Pools South Laguna Beach

1000 Steps Beach is located in South Laguna Beach. Access to the beach is by a steep stairway from Pacific Coast Highway. The trip down to the beach is quick and easy; the backup is strenuous even though there are only about 200 steps, not the thousand steps the name implies. The beach gets its name from the length of the beach, not the stairs. Once down on the sand, visitors are treated to a beautiful sandy beach surrounded by a steep bluff with magnificent ocean-view homes. During the summer season, there is a lifeguard on duty. There are restrooms and showers to wash salt water after a dip in the ocean.

For many years, 1000 Steps Beach was a quiet locals-only destination, but due to social media, the beach is now best known for the “not so secret” 1000-step saltwater pools found south of the steps. Head south from the sea cave’s steps to reach the concrete saltwater pools at 1000 steps. The cave is flooded at high tide when the water level is up. It is a dangerous place to be. Swimming around and passing through the sea cave at Thousand Steps Beach to reach the pools at high tide is an option but is risky, especially when the sea is rough. There are many other beautiful beaches in Laguna Beach that you can explore.

To reach the pools, enter the sea cave and climb over rocky outcroppings to a small beach. There are “no trespassing” signs, but many people ignore them. The pools are on private property, so there’s a risk of getting a ticket or being asked to leave. The saltwater pools are no longer a secret and can get crowded, especially on weekends. During the summer, lifeguards may not allow people to pass through the caves due to increased popularity on social media.

1000 Steps Beach is a hidden gem in Laguna Beach. Even if you do not venture to the saltwater pools, visiting this fantastic Southern California beach is well worth the effort.

Directions to 1000 Steps Beach Salt Water Pools:

• Check tide tables before you go. The Saltwater Pools have the best access at low tide.
• Be prepared and wear footwear. Rocks are sharp and slippery. One misstep, and you can fall.
• The entrance to the cave may be posted off-limits by the lifeguard.
• Free street parking can be found along Pacific Coast Highway and side streets.
• Location: 9th Street and Pacific Coast Highway. South of the hospital and north of Aliso Beach.

More Things To Do In Laguna Beach

Most visitors travel to Laguna Beach to enjoy its seven miles of beautiful coastline. When first arriving in Laguna Beach, travelers are greeted by the 1930s lifeguard tower that watches over the sand activities at Main Beach.

Nearby Points of Interest

Treasure Island Park Laguna Beach

Today, Treasure Island Park stands as a breathtaking bluff-top ocean-view park. But its journey to this picturesque state was not a straightforward one. In the late 1920s, it was a humble trailer park, gradually expanding over the years. The transition from a trailer park to the park we see today resulted from a prolonged struggle with the City of Laguna, leading to the eventual sale of the land, its rezoning, and the construction of a Montage hotel resort. Treasure Island Park, located in front of the hotel, is a public space for all to revel in its beauty.

Salt Creek Beach Dana Point, California

If you can’t find parking at 1000 Steps Beach, common during the summer, head south along PCH for four miles, and you will arrive at Salt Creek Beach. This beach has a large parking lot; the fee is $1.00 per hour. Salt Creek Beach also features a luxury hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, but it is set back further than the hotel at Treasure Island. Salt Creek boasts a wide, sandy beach, a park atop a bluff, and a new ocean-view casual restaurant, Young’s Beach Shack.

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