Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area

Waves, rain, tectonic faults, and coastal uplift have worked over millions of years to shape the coastline visible today. Exposed outcroppings of shale rock along the shore, sandstone bluffs towering over the beach, and 120,000-year-old marine terrace formations in the surrounding hills are all found within Dana Point SMCA. Each year, more than 200,000 cubic meters of sand is moved by waves and longshore currents, creating an ever-changing, dramatic beach landscape. Perhaps the most striking natural feature in the SMCA is Three Arch Bay, where natural forces such as waves and rain carved three dramatic arches out of a cliff.

A bit farther south, Salt Creek Beach offers an expansive sandy beach with scattered rocky tidepools. Orange County's largest kelp forest is found in Dana Point SMCA, just off of Salt Creek Beach. The dense kelp forest creates prime habitat for fishes and invertebrates such as giant sea bass, eels, copper rockfish, California spiny lobster, leopard sharks, and garibaldi. By the 1980s up to 90 percent of the area's kelp forests had disappeared, but restoration efforts that began in 2002 have helped the kelp to recover and reach historical densities once more.

A large expanse of sandy beach that extends beyond the waves and turns into sandy seafloor makes prime habitat for sand crabs and a variety of flatfish like halibut and sole. During low tide, the exposed tidepools come to life with limpets, snails, colorful sea stars, and the occasional octopus that peeks out at curious tidepoolers. Seabirds, such as double-crested cormorants, find abundant food in Dana Point SMCA, while dolphins, seals, and sea lions are commonly spotted just beyond the waves.

For centuries, Native American Tribes in California have relied on marine and coastal resources. Many Native American Tribes in California continue to regularly harvest marine resources within their ancestral territories and maintain relationships with the coast for ongoing customary uses. The Dana Point area is within the traditional territory of the Tongva and Acjachemen peoples. They were skilled in hunting and fishing, and extremely knowledgeable in using the abundant and productive marine resources for food, tools, and art. These Tribes developed several specialized crafts and tools, including nets, fishhooks, and tule canoes. The canoes enabled travel offshore and access to deeper water marine resources within the kelp beds.

European expeditions first traveled through the area in 1542, but large-scale settlement did not begin until the mid-1700s during the era of the San Gabriel and San Juan Capistrano missions. Lands near Dana Point were primarily used as cattle and sheep ranchlands and agricultural farms for decades, continuing into the 1970s. Capistrano Bay, now known as Dana Point, was a popular port for ships involved in the hide trade. Hippolyte de Bouchard, a French Argentine sailor who was known in the early 1800s as "California's only pirate" regularly anchored at Capistrano Bay and is rumored to have buried loot along the coastline north of Dana Point.

Construction began in the 1960s that would transform Capistrano Bay into modern-day Dana Point Harbor. The harbor was dedicated in 1971 and provides slips and moorings for over 2,500 boats.

Dana Point has a long and notable surfing history. The world's first retail surf shop opened in Dana Point in 1954 and various surf publications such as Surfer Magazine were formed and headquartered here. The southern end of Dana Point SMCA was known as "Killer Dana", a heavy, right-breaking wave that wrapped around the point and was a popular surf spot among locals. However, "Killer Dana" disappeared with the construction of the Dana Point Harbor breakwater.

Dana Point SMCA can be accessed from Highway 1 and offers an abundance of recreational activities, including kayaking, whale watching, diving, and fishing. On shore, there are ample tidepooling opportunities and gray whales can be seen during their annual migrations from December through April. 

For ocean lovers, there are multiple surf breaks, swimming spots, and dive sites. Snorkelers, scuba divers, and free divers can explore multiple kelp forests and rocky reefs including those at Monarch Point and Thousand Steps. Salt Creek Beach Park is a prime spot for sunset picnics. Surfing and tidepooling are popular at Salt Creek as well as Strand Beach to the south. 

On the cliffs at the south end of the SMCA, Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center offers informative nature and history tours. Beautiful views of Dana Point SMCA can be enjoyed from the three mile trail system of Dana Point Headlands Conservation Area.

Coordinates

This area is bounded by the mean high tide line and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed:

33° 30.050' N. lat. 117° 44.762' W. long.;
33° 30.050' N. lat. 117° 46.000' W. long.;
33° 30.000' N. lat. 117° 46.000' W. long.;
33° 27.300' N. lat. 117° 43.300' W. long.;
33° 27.478' N. lat. 117° 42.276' W. long.; and
33° 27.622' N. lat. 117° 42.425' W. long.

California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(136)

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