Laguna Beach Day Trip: Treasure Island, the Tidepools and Starfish
Quick answer
- The beach below the Montage is public and free. Treasure Island Beach belongs to everyone — access is by the ramp at the southwest corner of the Montage Resort.
- Treasure Island Park above it is free — lawns, paths, and one of the best coastal viewpoints in Orange County.
- Laguna Beach is a Marine Protected Area. You may look and photograph. Taking rocks, shells or marine life is illegal.
- Tidepool at low tide — ideally below +2.0 ft, with little surf. Check a tide table before you set off.
- The Laguna Beach trolley is free, and it runs along Coast Highway past the Montage.
- Free park-and-ride at Lot 16 / Act V, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road, then the free Canyon trolley in.
- Starfish — Asian fusion, 30832 S Pacific Coast Highway, (949) 715-9200.
- Allow a full day, or a long afternoon.
The best-kept secret in Laguna Beach is that the beach in front of its most expensive hotel is completely public.
Treasure Island Beach sits directly below the Montage Resort, and anyone can walk down to it, for free, any day. There is a park above it, also free, with lawns and a coastal path and a view that people pay several hundred dollars a night for.
Add the tidepools, a free trolley that solves Laguna’s parking problem, and lunch afterwards, and you have one of the better days out in southern California without spending much at all.
Here is how we did it, with the parking, the tide timing and the bits worth knowing.
The beach below the Montage is public — here is how you get to it
This is the thing most visitors do not realise, and it is worth being clear about.
Treasure Island Beach is a public Laguna Beach city beach. The Montage sits above it, but the sand and the tidepools belong to everyone.
Access is by the long concrete ramp at the southwest corner of the Montage Resort. There are also ADA-accessible stairs.
Treasure Island Park sits on the bluff above — free, open to the public, with lawns, a paved coastal path and viewpoints. You do not need to be a hotel guest for any of it.
Facilities on the beach: restrooms and outdoor showers.
Parking, and the free trolley that solves it
Laguna Beach parking is the single most annoying thing about a Laguna Beach day trip, and there is a free way round it that most guides bury.
At Treasure Island: there is a small pay parking lot and metered parking on Coast Highway. Both fill.
The much better option:
The Laguna Beach trolley is completely free.
The Coastal Route runs along Coast Highway between North Laguna and Heisler Park, through downtown, and south past Mission Hospital to the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point — which takes it right past the Montage.
The Canyon Route is a park-and-ride from Lot 16 / Act V, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road, where parking is free, into downtown.
Schedules:
| Coastal Route | Canyon Route | |
|---|---|---|
| Off-season (Sept–late June) | Mon–Thu 7.30am–6pm · Fri 7.30am–10pm · Sat 9am–10pm · Sun 9am–7pm, every 20–30 min | Weekends only, 9am–7pm, every 30 min |
| Summer (late June–Labor Day) | Extended, running to about 11.30pm most days | Daily |
⚠️ Note the Act V lot closes Monday to Friday outside summer, and the Canyon Route is weekend-only off-season. Check before you rely on it.
There is a Laguna Beach Trolley app with live tracking — worth downloading the night before.
The tidepools — and the rules, which matter
Laguna Beach is a Marine Protected Area, protected under City of Laguna Beach Municipal Code 18.29.030.
In plain terms:
| ✅ You may | ❌ You may not |
|---|---|
| Look | Take animals, algae, plants, shells or rocks |
| Photograph | Pick anything up |
| Collect litter and sea glass | Turn over rocks |
| Step on plants or animals |
Four rules, and they are the whole thing:
- Never remove animals, shells or rocks
- Never pick up animals — observe them where they are
- Walk gently
- Never turn over rocks
This is worth explaining to children before you get to the water, not while you are standing in it. The instinct to pick up a starfish is completely natural and the answer is a rule, not a telling-off — we look, we photograph, we put nothing in our pockets.
If your children want to touch things, the Laguna Ocean Foundation suggests the Back Bay Science Center, the Ocean Institute or Cabrillo Aquarium instead — those are places built for it.
The Laguna Ocean Foundation also runs free tidepool education at eight locations along the coast. Worth checking before you go — a docent turns a rock pool into a lesson.
Getting the tide right — this determines your whole day
Tidepooling only works at low tide, and if you turn up at high tide there is nothing to see.
Aim for a low tide below +2.0 ft, ideally a negative low tide, with little or no surf.
Check a tide table for your date before you plan anything else. The tide, not your schedule, decides what time you go to Laguna.
Safety, and this is not padding:
- Never turn your back on the ocean
- Wear proper shoes — water shoes, closed-toe sandals or trainers. Not flip-flops. The rocks are sharp and slick.
- No running on the rocks
- Sun protection, and keep phones somewhere waterproof
Starfish — the restaurant
Yes, there are two starfish in this article and they are unrelated.
Starfish is an Asian-fusion restaurant at 30832 South Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. Phone (949) 715-9200. It is still open.
What else in Laguna
Main Beach is the town’s central beach, with the boardwalk and the basketball courts.
Heisler Park is the clifftop park north of downtown — free, and the other great Laguna viewpoint besides Treasure Island.
Downtown Laguna is walkable and full of galleries; the trolley connects all of it.
Doing it with kids
- Treasure Island Beach is small, sheltered and calm compared with the open beaches — good for younger children
- The ramp is long but gradual; there are ADA stairs as an alternative
- Restrooms and showers are on the beach
- The tidepool rules need explaining beforehand, not during
- Proper shoes. This is the practical thing people get wrong.
- The park above is a good place to sit while children run about, and it costs nothing
Is it worth the drive?
Yes — Laguna is about an hour south of Los Angeles and it is a genuinely different coastline, rockier and more sheltered than the LA beaches.
Go on a day with a low morning tide. Park at Act V and take the free trolley, or take your chances on Coast Highway. Do the tidepools first while the tide is out, then the park, then lunch.
Where we stayed
We stayed at The Biltmore Los Angeles in downtown, about an hour and a quarter from Laguna Beach depending on traffic.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Internal link: our stay at The Biltmore Los Angeles
Affiliate link: see current rates for The Biltmore
Laguna Beach Day Trip: FAQ
Is the beach below the Montage in Laguna Beach public?
Yes. Treasure Island Beach is a public Laguna Beach city beach and anyone can use it, whether or not they are staying at the Montage Resort. Access is by the long concrete ramp at the southwest corner of the resort, and there are also ADA-accessible stairs. Treasure Island Park on the bluff above is free and open to the public too.
Can you take shells or starfish from Laguna Beach?
No. Laguna Beach is a Marine Protected Area, protected under City of Laguna Beach Municipal Code 18.29.030, and taking animals, algae, plants, shells or rocks is prohibited. You may look and photograph, and you may collect litter and sea glass. Never pick animals up and never turn over rocks.
When is the best time to see tidepools in Laguna Beach?
At low tide, ideally when the low tide is below +2.0 ft and there is little or no surf. A negative low tide is best of all. Check a tide table for your date before you plan the rest of the day, because the tide rather than your schedule decides what time you should arrive.
Is there free parking in Laguna Beach?
There is free park-and-ride parking at Lot 16 / Act V at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road, connected to downtown by the free Canyon trolley route. At Treasure Island itself there is only a small pay lot and metered parking on Coast Highway, and both fill quickly. Note that the Act V lot closes Monday to Friday outside summer.
Is the Laguna Beach trolley free?
Yes, completely free. The Coastal Route runs along Coast Highway from North Laguna and Heisler Park through downtown and south past Mission Hospital to the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point, passing the Montage. The Canyon Route is a park-and-ride from Lot 16 / Act V. Off-season the Coastal Route runs Monday to Thursday 7.30am to 6pm, Friday to 10pm, Saturday 9am to 10pm and Sunday 9am to 7pm, with extended hours in summer. There is a Laguna Beach Trolley app with live tracking.
What facilities are there at Treasure Island Beach?
Restrooms and outdoor showers. Access is by a long concrete ramp at the southwest corner of the Montage Resort, with ADA-accessible stairs as an alternative. For questions about beach conditions, Laguna Beach Marine Safety is on (949) 497-0310.
Where is Starfish restaurant in Laguna Beach?
Starfish is an Asian fusion restaurant at 30832 South Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, on (949) 715-9200. It is a different thing from the starfish in the tidepools, which is a common source of confusion.
Is Laguna Beach good for a day trip with kids?
Yes. Treasure Island Beach is small and sheltered compared with the open Los Angeles beaches, the tidepools give children something to do beyond sitting on sand, and both the beach and the park above it are free. Explain the no-touching rules before you arrive rather than at the water, and put everyone in proper shoes, because the rocks are sharp and slippery.
Are there tidepool guides at Laguna Beach?
Yes. The Laguna Ocean Foundation runs free tidepool education at eight locations along the Laguna coast. If your children want to handle marine life rather than just look at it, the foundation suggests the Back Bay Science Center, the Ocean Institute or Cabrillo Aquarium instead.
How far is Laguna Beach from Los Angeles?
About an hour south of downtown Los Angeles by car, traffic permitting. It is a noticeably different coastline from the LA beaches — rockier, more sheltered, and built around coves rather than long open sand.
9 Comments