Family-friendly walks near Dana Point Harbor definitions depend a little on your family's ability level and patience for long walks. These 5 walks are a mixture of streets, walking trails and urban hiking in the area, but it's hard to get these maps across in words. So this post is an experiment in maps. Each map gives approximate routes for walking near Dana Point Harbor. … [Read more...]
Dana Crest Park in Dana Point: Simply a Dream for Multiple Kids
Dana Crest Park in Dana Point is in a quiet neighborhood with plenty of areas to wander. My sister easily brought four kids under the age of 5 to this park and had no trouble watching them all. The kids seem to the love the little make-believe houses most of all. A reader calls this the "other dinosaur park" in deference to the big dinosaur park in Laguna … [Read more...]
Pines Park Above Capistrano Beach
Pines Park in Dana Point/Capo Beach, sitting on the bluff directly above Capistrano Beach Park, is the perfect play place for those weekends when it's hot inland. Location of Pines Park in Dana Point/Capo Beach: From Pacific Coast Highway take Palisades Drive across from Capo Beach up the hill and turn right on Camino Capistrano. From the 5 Freeway take the … [Read more...]
Dana Point Headlands Nature Interpretive Center: Easy Hike and Ocean View
The City of Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center opened in April 2010. It's open 10-4 everyday (except closed on Mondays). I'm one of those who is very sad to see much of the Dana Point headlands disappear to development. However, the part that is still protected as open space provides a scenic glimpse of the beauty which previously encompassed this whole point of … [Read more...]
Creekside Park in Dana Point
Creekside Park in Dana Point sits right off of Stonehill Drive near Interstate 5. Many call it Stonehill Park. It's super easy for freeway access and very near Dana Point Harbor. I used to describe this park as the one with the climbing wall, but since its update in 2016 it's more of a climbing and spinning park with multiple opportunities to do both! This is still one of those … [Read more...]