A plastic tarp now covers the bluff below Pacific Coast Highway at Moro Beach. Behind it, the road drops to one lane in each direction at 25 mph. A few miles north, at the Los Trancos lot, the trolley still runs down to the Historic District, where the cottages have reopened and the Conservancy is planning its 30th Annual Tree Lighting.
Most of the trouble is at Crystal Cove's southern end. If you drive in from Newport Coast or Corona del Mar, the parts of the park you probably use most this time of year are on the north side of the damage.
Where the Swells Hit Hardest
Tropical Storm Rachel's swells arrived around October 10. According to the Orange County Register, high tides and big surf left a crack about 360 feet long and up to 24 inches wide in the ocean-facing slope under PCH, found on Oct. 10. That slope sits at the Moro Beach section of Crystal Cove.
California State Parks' Oct. 15 storm update listed these closures at Crystal Cove:
- Moro Cove: the beach south of Lifeguard Headquarters, closed until further notice because of the bluff crack. Caltrans is the lead agency on that repair.
- Pelican Point P2: a bluff failure damaged the beach-access trail. The trail and its beach access are closed until further notice while staff check slope stability.
- Historic District beach: parts of the beach closed because of erosion, high tides and large surf.
- Cottage 13, the Beaches Cottage: emergency repairs to the seawall behind it.
The backcountry is closed too, but that's a separate issue. On the morning of Nov. 2, the park's status line on crystalcovestatepark.org read "Backcountry TRAILS CLOSED due to unsafe conditions," and added that beach access varies. Those notices change often, so check ParkStatus.org the morning you go.
| Area | Status as of the latest dated notice | Notice date |
|---|---|---|
| Moro Cove beach, south of Lifeguard HQ | Closed until further notice | Oct. 15 |
| Pelican Point P2 beach-access trail | Closed until further notice | Oct. 15 |
| Portions of the Historic District beach | Closed | Oct. 15 |
| Historic District cottages | All reopened | Oct. 26 |
| Backcountry trails | Closed for unsafe conditions | Nov. 2 |
The table follows the damage up the coast. Moro, at the south end, is still closed. The Historic District, farther north, has mostly come back.
The Drive From Newport Avoids the Squeeze
Since 8 p.m. on Oct. 20, Caltrans has kept both southbound lanes of PCH closed between Reef Point Drive and Irvine Cove Drive. Traffic in both directions shares the northbound side, one lane each way, with a temporary 25 mph limit. The Register puts daily traffic through that stretch at 29,000 to 32,000 vehicles. For South County drivers heading to Newport Beach, the city's Newport Notified alert suggested the toll roads or I-5 and I-405.
The park's own directions page places Los Trancos a few miles north of Reef Point. Los Trancos is the lot the Crystal Cove Conservancy recommends for the Historic District, the Park Store, the Beachcomber Café and cottage stays, and trolley service runs from there to the Historic District. The State Parks map also shows a pedestrian underpass from Los Trancos.
So from Newport Beach, you reach Los Trancos before the work zone starts. The single-lane stretch begins at Reef Point and runs south toward Laguna. You'll hit it if you're heading to the Moro end of the park or continuing on to Laguna Beach.
How the Repair Is Going
Caltrans approved $4 million in emergency funding. The first step was tarping the slope so rain and runoff couldn't get into the crack. By Oct. 27, crews had moved the existing sand-filled barriers closer to the base of the slope and were stacking them at least three layers high, to about 12 feet, working at low tide.
The next step is a fill buttress at the base of the slope, armored with large rocks. Caltrans needs approval from California State Parks and the California Coastal Commission before building it. Caltrans has given no completion date for the long-term stabilization, which depends on the approach chosen after evaluation.
"We're dealing with a perfect storm of conditions, including ongoing coastal erosion, changing ocean conditions, and the potential impacts of El Niño. These factors add to the challenges of protecting Coast Highway."
The Register reported that statement from Caltrans spokesperson Christianne Smith. On Oct. 27, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order at the cottages, close to the crack. It creates a Highway 1 Task Force led by the California State Transportation Agency and the California Natural Resources Agency, and it directs State Parks to study how closures and repairs could affect park access.
The Historic District Reopened First
The cottages have recovered faster than the roadway. The Register reported that during the swell, overnight guests in the cottages were sent home and a broken water main kept some cottages closed for nearly a week. State Parks reopened the North Beach Cottages on Oct. 14. The South Beach Cottages stayed closed while water-line repairs were finished.
By Oct. 26, Conservancy CEO Hallie Jones wrote in a coastal conditions update that all of the cottages had reopened after water-line repairs and shoreline protection work. Sandbags and other protective measures were in place, and repairs had started in front of Cottage #13.
The Conservancy's rotating exhibit gallery is moving from Cottage #46, the turquoise cottage, to Cottage #44B, where it will be the Holiday House Gallery this season. State Parks lists Historic District hours as 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with general day use from 6 a.m. to sunset.
Which November Plans Still Work
The Historic District and the beaches are mostly open again, but the backcountry trails are closed. That decides which events on the park's November calendar you can count on.
Events in or near the Historic District:
- Nov. 15: State Parks' Autumn Bird Walk.
- Nov. 21: a busy day. The Conservancy runs a coastal ecology hike from 10:30 a.m. to noon and a Historic District walking tour from 1 to 2 p.m. that needs no registration. State Parks lists a beach cleanup the same day.
- Nov. 27: State Parks' Full Moon Hike.
Two events depend on the trails reopening: the Conservancy's backcountry ecology hike on Nov. 22, a 4.2-mile route from Berns Amphitheater running 8 to 11:30 a.m., and the repeat on Dec. 13. Before signing up for either, look up the trail status on ParkStatus.org.
December 5 at the Cove
The 30th Annual Tree Lighting and Holiday Market takes place on Saturday, Dec. 5, in the Historic District:
| Time | What's happening |
|---|---|
| 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Holiday Market with local artisans |
| 3:30 to 5 p.m. | Santa arrives, photos |
| 5 to 5:30 p.m. | Tree Lighting Program, ending with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" |
The Conservancy says the schedule may change because of weather. Jones also wrote that the tree may be placed a little farther from the surfline this year. Conservancy members have an earlier look at a preview party on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Education Commons. It includes a tree preview at 5:15, carolers, refreshments and Holiday House shopping.
The following weekend is mostly for families. On Dec. 12, there's a Holiday Family Art Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with carolers from 10 to 1, plus family plein-air painting sessions from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and from noon to 2:30 p.m. The coastal ecology hike and Historic District walking tour run again that day. Members get their own plein-air workshop on Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All of these December events are at the north end of the park. Park at Los Trancos, take the trolley or the underpass, and your drive in from Newport Beach never passes through the 25 mph zone at Moro.
At Stephanie Young Group, we keep a calendar of what's open and happening along the coast and are glad to share it. If you'd like help planning a Crystal Cove morning or a Tree Lighting evening this season, let's connect.