Right Beaches › California › Laguna Beach
Shaws Cove
4.7★ · 179 Google ratings · Laguna Beach, California
✓ Parking✓ Short walk✓ Restrooms✓ Picnic tables✓ Good for kids✓ Free
At a glance
Parking
On-site lot · 250 yd away · free · fills up
Walk
225 yd · 3 min
Restrooms
Yes · 325 yd away
Cost
Free
Water
75°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Children
Reported good for young kids
Sand
220 ft from the water to the back
Map of Shaws Cove
Guide
Good to know
Free parking reported
Visitors report no charge to park here.Mentioned by 5 visitors · 2017–2026
Excellent for snorkeling and diving
Calm, clear, reef-protected waters offer leopard sharks, stingrays, kelp forests, and an underwater arch for both beginners and experienced divers.
Visit at low tide
Tide pools reveal purple sea urchins, crabs, and other marine life; the beach shrinks significantly at high tide.
Reported good with little kids
Visitors often mention shallow or calm water. This is what reviewers report, not a safety assessment.Mentioned by 4 visitors · 2017–2026
Go on weekdays or early morning
The cove gets crowded on hot weekends and sunny days, making parking and finding sand space difficult.
Prepare for a steep staircase
A long concrete stairway connects the parking area to the beach, making scuba gear or large items physically demanding.
No public restrooms on-site
Facilities are unavailable, though a neighboring beach has showers and a sewage pump building near the stairs.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
67°F · clear
Water
75°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Waves
3.1 ft · 10 s apart
Wind
3 mph from the WNW
Shelter
Cross-shore · wind running along the beach
UV index
8 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 15:20 | High tide | ↑ |
| 23:47 | Low tide | ↓ |
Last updated Sep 4, 5:35 AM.
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 Laguna Beach, CA 92651
🅿 Parking 250 yd from the listing
🌊 Water 225 yd away, about 3 min walk
🚽 Restrooms 325 yd away
Nearby
Other beaches close by
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Questions
Common questions
Where do you park at Shaws Cove?
The nearest mapped parking area is 250 yd from the listed location. Positions come from OpenStreetMap, not from review text.
How far is the walk to the water at Shaws Cove?
80 ft in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, under a minute. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Shaws Cove have restrooms?
Restrooms are mapped 325 yd from the listing.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
