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Newport Beach
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Coastal · Easy

Newport Beach

Pier pilings, tidepools, and the quiet streets behind the sand.

Newport Beach is more than the postcard version. Behind the pier and the bayfront mansions, there are tidepools older than the city, an island you can only reach by ferry, and a back bay full of egrets. This hunt traces the coast from the Wedge to the lighthouse, plus a few stops the locals keep to themselves.

The Map

Your route

Offline directionsOpen in Maps

Pinch to zoom. Tap a marker to see the stop name. The dashed line traces the suggested walking order.

The Hunt

Turn-by-turn stops

Each stop shows the walking distance and direction from the previous one, plus a tap-through to your phone's maps for step-by-step directions.

  1. 01

    The Wedge

    "Start at the jetty's end. Watch a wave hit the rocks. Now imagine it twenty feet tall."

    33.5919, -117.8814Start walking here
  2. 1.2 mi~27 min walkhead WNW from stop 1
    02

    Balboa Pier

    "Walk to the end. Find the brass plaque that names the first plane."

    33.6003, -117.9006Walk from stop 1
  3. 150 m~2 min walkhead NW from stop 2
    03

    The Pavilion

    "Cupolas and white siding. Find the year painted above the doorway."

    33.6011, -117.9019Walk from stop 2
  4. 240 m~3 min walkhead N from stop 3
    04

    The Ferry

    "Three boats, one route, $1.50. Ride across — or just watch the cars roll on."

    33.6033, -117.9019Walk from stop 3
  5. 590 m~8 min walkhead ENE from stop 4
    05

    Marine Avenue

    "Balboa Island's main drag. Find the shop selling frozen bananas dipped in chocolate."

    33.6056, -117.8961Walk from stop 4
  6. 0.9 mi~20 min walkhead WSW from stop 5
    06

    Lovell Beach House

    "A house on five concrete legs. Step back to see all of it."

    33.6019, -117.9117Walk from stop 5
  7. 5.5 mi~118 min walkhead ESE from stop 6
    07

    The Crystal Cove Tidepools

    "Time it for low tide. Find a hermit crab without picking it up."

    33.5675, -117.8253Walk from stop 6
  8. 3.2 mi~68 min walkhead WNW from stop 7
    08

    Inspiration Point

    "Cliffs above the sand. A bench, a view, and on a clear day — Catalina."

    33.5897, -117.8731Walk from stop 7
  9. 3.8 mi~82 min walkhead N from stop 8
    09

    Back Bay Loop

    "Where the freshwater meets the salt. Look for an egret perfectly still."

    33.6442, -117.8839Walk from stop 8
  10. 3.1 mi~66 min walkhead SSW from stop 9
    10

    The Fun Zone

    "A Ferris wheel that hasn't moved much since 1936. Count the gondolas."

    33.6022, -117.9006Walk from stop 9
  11. 2.0 mi~43 min walkhead ESE from stop 10
    11

    Lookout Point Bench

    "Above the harbor entrance. Watch a sailboat thread the jetties."

    33.5869, -117.8714Walk from stop 10
  12. 0.7 mi~15 min walkhead WNW from stop 11
    12

    Sunset at the Wedge

    "End where you began. Different light. Different ocean."

    33.5922, -117.8819Walk from stop 11