Moss Point Beach(Moss Cove, Moss Street Beach, Ruby Street Park)

Located near the downtown area of Laguna Beach, Moss Point Beach - also officially known as Moss Street Beach and also known as Moss Cove Beach and Moss - is a small and narrow beach with many rocky portions and light brown sand.  This beach is located below rocky oceanfront bluffs within a cove named Moss Point.  Although Moss Point Beach has lifeguards, it does not have any other amenities, so please plan accordingly.  Please note that dogs on leash are allowed before 9 am and after 6 pm between June 15th and September 10th.  Between September 11th and June 14th dogs on leash are allowed at all times on Moss Point Beach.  Please note that dogs need to be on a leash that is six feet or shorter in length. 

Moss Point Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, wildlife watching, tidepooling, swimming, skin diving, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, jet-skiing, paddleboarding, snorkeling, scuba diving, and boating.  Moss Point Beach occasionally has calm water conditions and this makes it popular with less-experienced swimmers.  Moss Point Beach is popular with experienced scuba divers and snorkelers because the water here has a rich amount of marine biodiversity - there is a large amount of kelp beds and reefs near the beach.  The water at the northern part of the beach has more reefs, while the water at the southern part of the beach has a sandy ocean bottom.  You can see many kinds of fish in the water near Moss Point Beach including senoritas, garibaldi, sheepshead, and sculpin - you can also see many other kinds of marine animals including lobsters and nudibranchs.  In addition, you can also see many kinds of marine mammals in the water here including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating whales. 

Please note that seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales are protected under a law named the Marine Mammal Protection Actof 1972 and harming them can result in a civil penalty of up to $11,000 and possible imprisonment.  In addition, please note that Moss Point Beach is a part of a marine state-protected area named Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve and harming or disturbing any local marine life is prohibited under the local regulations.  If you are planning to scuba dive, snorkel, swim, or kayak near Moss Point Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here occasionally has dangerous rip currents, a significant depth, and strong waves.  In addition, the rocky shoreline around the beach can also cause serious injuries.  It is also important for divers to note that there is a signboard near the beach that has important safety-related guidelines for scuba diving - if you are scuba diving near Moss Point Beach, we recommend following these guidelines for having a safe diving experience. 

If you like tidepooling, you can explore the interesting tidepools around Moss Point Beach during low tide.  You can also explore an interesting cave located at the northern end of Moss Point during low tide.  If you like taking pictures with amazing views, Moss Point Beach offers excellent Instagram-worthy views of the southern California shoreline, particularly during sunset.  Moss Point Beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience because this beach sees fewer visitors as compared to other beaches of Laguna Beach.     

Getting to Moss Point Beach is easy - the access stairs to the beach are located near 101 Moss Street, which is easily accessible from South Coast Highway / Pacific Coast Highway.  The access stairs to Moss Point Beach are located adjacent to a brick wall and there are a few free street parking spaces near the beach.  We recommend visiting the beach during low tide because at high tide the beach is significantly submerged.  In addition, we recommend visiting Moss Point Beach early because the street parking spaces near Moss Point Beach can get filled up quickly.

There are many attractions near Moss Point Beach.  Bluebird Park is a recreational park that offers many amenities including three barbecues, a basketball court, picnic areas, a playground, and restrooms - the park has some interesting play areas including climbing equipment shaped like a turtle and a spaceship.  Crystal Cove State Park is a 2,791-acre oceanfront state park that has many habitats including coastal sage scrub and woodlands and it is also home to many animals including rabbits, California quails, coyotes, bobcats, western toads, California kingsnakes, and squirrels.  The state park offers a variety of fun activities including scuba diving, tidepooling, hiking, biking, horse-riding, and camping.  The park also has a historic district named The Crystal Cove Historic District that has interesting cottages and buildings from the 1930s and the 1940s and this district is also a part of the National Register of Historic Places - many movies have also been shot in this state park including the 1988 movie Beaches and the 1934 movie Treasure Island.  If you like shopping, the Downtown area of Laguna Beach has a variety of interesting shopping stores, restaurants, and art galleries.  If you are looking for another attraction near Moss Point Beach, Laguna Playhouse hosts a variety of interesting plays, musicals, and stand-up comedy acts - this playhouse was founded in 1920 and it is one of the oldest continuously-operating not-for-profit theaters in the West Coast region.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Moss Point Beach.  Splashes is an oceanfront upscale restaurant that serves a variety of excellent Californian dishes with Mediterranean-style culinary influences for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including oatmeal, pancakes, seafood, soups, salads, steaks, pastas, roasted pheasant, and lamb.  Sapphire is another upscale restaurant that serves excellent dishes for brunch, lunch, and dinner including poultry dishes, steaks, seafood, pastas, salads, soups, sandwiches, and burgers.  Mozambique has elegant decor and a piano lounge and a garden - this restaurant also serves excellent South African-inspired dishes for lunch, brunch, and dinner including seafood, peri-peri chicken, South African samosas, burger, pork chops, South African pies, South African curries, and pastas.  The restaurant offers live music performances between Thursday and Sunday - in addition, the restaurant also has been awarded the Laguna Beach Favorites award in 2021.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Moss Point Beach, Adonis Restaurant offers amazing Mediterranean dishes including gyros, falafel, and Mediterranean-style wraps.   

If you are looking for a hotel near Moss Point Beach, there are many great nearby options.   The 5-Star Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, three pools (including a children’s pool and a pool with cabanas), a golf course, a spa, a beach club, a kids club, and a fitness center.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star The Ranch at Laguna Beachthat offers many amenities including a 9-hole golf course, a saline pool, a hot tub, a spa, a gym, and multiple restaurants.   The hotel has also been praised by Condé Nast Traveler and it was also listed as one of the “Top 10 Resort Hotels in California” by Travel + Leisure magazine's World's Best Awards in 2020.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star La Casa del Camino that has Mediterranean-style architecture and it offers many amenities including a cafe, a rooftop cocktail lounge, and complimentary breakfast.  The hotel also offers access to a nearby fitness center and beach equipment loaner facilities for a resort fee.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Moss Point Beach, the 2-Star Dana Point Marina Inn offers many amenities including a pool, complimentary breakfast, a hot tub, and a fitness center.