Crystal Cove State Park

All backcountry trails are closed recent rains. Beaches are open! Visit crystalcovestatepark.org for updates. Thank you for helping to protect the natural resources at Crystal Cove State Park.

Happy #MPA Monday! I spy with my little eye, a star that’s not in the sky. Meet the Ochre Sea Star ! . Sea stars are important predators in the tidepools, feeding mainly on California Mussels. Did you know that their arms, which can regrow if broken, are lined with tube feet? Tube feet are long and thin suction cups that help sea stars grip onto the rocks when the waves are crashing. They use their tube feet to climb on top of a mussel, then they pull apart the two shell...s of the mussel just a crack. Next they throw up their stomach into the mussel, turn the mussel into a mussel milkshake using digestive enzymes, and finally they slurp the mussel back up into their body with their stomach! . You can help protect sea stars by never picking them up because if you do, you could harm and rip their tube feet. Ouch! . Life in the intertidal zone is pretty tough. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) like Crystal Cove State Park’s State Marine Conservation Area have rules in place that help safeguard marine wildlife and habitat. Please remember that you can help protect the tidepools by: . Never collecting shells or organisms . Never disturbing or removing animals from their pools . Watching where you step and by staying on the dry rocks - never stepping in the pools . Never turning over rocks as tiny organisms live underneath them . Thank you for appreciating and loving the tidepools as much as we do and have fun exploring at the next low tide! . #crystal cove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparks #castateparksoc #diveintompas #yaympas #Iovemympa #knowyourmpas #californiaMPAs #portsprogram #portsfan #explorethecoast #mpacollaborativenetwork #CaliforniaMPAs #CalifMPAs #ProtectWhatYouLove #MPAScience #seastars #ochreseastar

In just one week: lifeguard tryouts! . Come tryout on Sunday, February 28th, 0900 hrs. @ Moro Beach... Be trained in: Public Safety First Aid, CPR, AED, Open Water Lifesaving Techniques, Aquatic Search and Rescue Procedures All applicants are required to complete the following: Pass a COMPETITIVE swimming test at a listed location consisting of: -1,000 yard open water swim. Time limit of 20 minutes. -A continuous 200 yard run, 400 yard swim, 200 yard run. Time limit of 10 minutes. Qualification appraisal interview. Successful completion of the California State Park Lifeguard Training Program. Successful completion of Field Training Program. Picture I.D. is REQUIRED on the day of the swim test. All minors shall have a parent or guardian PRESENT on the day of the swim test for swim test waiver signature. Bring to the tryout: swimsuit, towel, warm clothes, clothes for interview, food, water. Note: Wetsuits, swim caps & goggles ARE allowed for tryout swim, but are NOT allowed during the Seasonal Lifeguard Training program. For more information call Crystal Cove Ranger Station at 949-494-3539 Address: 8471 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Enter at School-State Park traffic signal on PCH, follow signs to parking & then walk through pedestrian tunnel to Moro Beach. 2021 Ocean Lifeguard Training Dates in Orange County: Ocean Session I: Monday: June 7 - Monday June 14 Ocean Session II: Sunday, June 13 Sunday, June 20 Ocean Session III: Saturday, June 19 Saturday, June 26 The Lifeguard Training Program is 8 days / 80+ hours. www.parks.ca.gov/aquaticsafety . #castateparksjobs #castateparks #lifeguards #lifeguardtryouts #rescue #castateparksoc #bestjobever #lifeguardsforlife

Happy #MPA Monday . It’s Mussel mania in the tidepools! . As the tide pulls back many tidepool animals are exposed to extreme sun exposure and these beautiful, blue beauties live in tightly-compacted clusters to create shade for themselves. California Mussels are filter-feeding bivalves (sea snails with two shells connected by a hinge) that can pump 3 to 4 quarts of seawater through their body in just one hour! To survive in the low tide zone where waves are perpetual...ly crashing, mussels sew themselves to the rocks using threads of natural super glue called byssal threads. . Life in the intertidal zone is pretty tough! Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) like Crystal Cove State Park’s State Marine Conservation Area have rules in place that help safeguard marine wildlife and habitat. Please remember that you can help protect the tidepools by: . Never collecting shells or organisms . Never disturbing or removing animals from their pools . Watching where you step and by staying on the dry rocks - never stepping in the pools . Never turning over rocks as tiny organisms live underneath them . Thank you for appreciating and loving the tidepools as much as we do and have fun exploring at the next low tide! . #crystal cove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparks #castateparksoc #diveintompas #yaympas #Iovemympa #knowyourmpas #californiaMPAs #portsprogram #portsfan #explorethecoast #mpacollaborativenetwork #CaliforniaMPAs #CalifMPAs #ProtectWhatYouLove #MPAScience #mussels #californiamussels

Today is the Day of Remembrance, a day of observance recognizing February 19, 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 requiring Japanese Americans to be forcibly incarcerated. In the 1930s, Crystal Cove was home to a thriving community of Japanese American families, who lived and worked the land as farmers. The photos here are courtesy of Emiko Sugiura. Her family, the Sakamotos, moved to Crystal Cove in 1929, where they grew strawberries, c...ucumbers, tomatoes, and other produce to sell at their farm stand. Mrs. Sugiura described spending summers at the beach, hiking in the hills near the farm, and dancing in Laguna Beach’s Festival of the Arts. As well as attending school in Laguna Beach, she studied Japanese in the Crystal Cove community’s Japanese language schoolhouse, which is preserved today as our Cultural Center. After Executive Order 9066 was signed, the Sakamotos and the other Japanese American families at Crystal Cove were forced to leave their homes. Most were incarcerated at the Poston camp in Arizona through the end of World War II. Although they never returned to Crystal Cove after the war ended, their story lives on an important part of our community’s history. See more

Red-tailed Hawk having lunch! . Did you know that Red-tailed Hawks may take up to two years to develop their red tail? .... courtesy of Ryan Gates . #castateparks #crystalcove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparksoc #red-tailedhawks #castateparksoc

New moon. New Year. New sunsets. . Thank you to @ky__madden, a passionate park visitor, for sharing these kaleidoscope skies for new beginnings in 2021! .... #crystalcove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparks #casatateparksoc

Happy #MPAMonday ! . Today we’re highlighting dispersal (or movement) of young fish and invertebrates- otherwise known as larval dispersal. Larval dispersal is the term for when larvae spread from spawning areas (where they are born) to their settlement site. Did you know that while swimming at Crystal Cove State Park, larval dispersal is happening all around you in Crystal Cove’s MPA?!... Both fish and invertebrates can have HUGE numbers (millions) of young. While they may be born inside marine protected area (MPA) boundaries, these young can travel hundreds of miles via currents and may settle outside of the MPA. This connectivity helps replenish populations outside of MPA boundaries! . Thanks to this Spillover Effect MPAs help encourage a more resilient and biodiverse coastal wilderness for California’s entire coastline ! . Graphic courtesy of CMSF or (@ca.marineprotectedareas) . #crystalcove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparks #castateparksoc #diveintompas #yaympas #Iovemympa #knowyourmpas #californiaMPAs #portsprogram #portsfan #explorethecoast #mpacollaborativenetwork #CaliforniaMPAs #CalifMPAs #ProtectWhatYouLove #MPAScience

Come tryout on Sunday, February 28th, 0900 hrs. @ Moro Beach! Be trained in: Public Safety First Aid, CPR, AED, Open Water Lifesaving Techniques, Aquatic Search and Rescue Procedures All applicants are required to complete the following:... Pass a COMPETITIVE swimming test at a listed location consisting of: -1,000 yard open water swim. Time limit of 20 minutes. -A continuous 200 yard run, 400 yard swim, 200 yard run. Time limit of 10 minutes. Qualification appraisal interview. Successful completion of the California State Park Lifeguard Training Program. Successful completion of Field Training Program. Picture I.D. is REQUIRED on the day of the swim test. All minors shall have a parent or guardian PRESENT on the day of the swim test for swim test waiver signature. Bring to the tryout: swimsuit, towel, warm clothes, clothes for interview, food, water. Note: Wetsuits, swim caps & goggles ARE allowed for tryout swim, but are NOT allowed during the Seasonal Lifeguard Training program. For more information call Crystal Cove Ranger Station at 949-494-3539 Address: 8471 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Enter at School-State Park traffic signal on PCH, follow signs to parking & then walk through pedestrian tunnel to Moro Beach. 2021 Ocean Lifeguard Training Dates in Orange County: Ocean Session I: Monday: June 7 - Monday June 14 Ocean Session II: Sunday, June 13 Sunday, June 20 Ocean Session III: Saturday, June 19 Saturday, June 26 The Lifeguard Training Program is 8 days / 80+ hours. . www.parks.ca.gov/aquaticsafety #lifeguards #lifeguardtryouts #rescue #bestjobever #lifeguardsforlife #castateparks #castateparksoc #crystalcove #crystalcovestatepark

Today’s rainbow at Crystal Cove State Park . . Photo courtesy of Dorian Yarnelson. .... #crystalcove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparks #castateparksoc #rainbow

Happy MPA Monday ! What is the most curious animal you have encountered in or near Crystal Cove State Park’s Marine Protected Area (MPA)? Meet our visiting Snow Geese! MPAs protect marine wildlife and habitat by limiting human impact, and MPAs also help protect many of our feathered friends during migration. Some birds like these two Snow Geese travel thousands of miles during their journey from the north down to Southern California so they can rest and refuel for their im...pressive travel back to their breeding grounds, as far north as the high arctic (that’s the top of the globe!). While Snow Geese are rare to see in our area of SoCal, these two have been spotted by staff and visitors over the past month. Snow Geese that winter in western North America breed in Siberia, and some that winter along the Atlantic coast breed in Greenland. Some MPAs are designated as Special Closures. This is an area that prohibits access or restricts boating activities in waters adjacent to sea bird rookeries or marine mammal haul-out sites. While Crystal Cove does not have a Special Closure MPA designation, our State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) restricts any disturbance of wildlife in our tidepool areas. Marine wildlife watching is a popular activity, and while we love to watch these animals they also watch us. Stay alert- if an animal starts to stare, fidget, or flee into the water, you are too close! Remember to keep your distance and stay at least 150 feet away from marine mammals like seals, sea lions, and sea otters, and give other animals plenty of space. These are some of the only protected areas left for these birds, mammals, fish, and smaller organisms to reproduce and promote a more biodiverse coastal wilderness in California. Bring binoculars and enjoy wildlife from a safe distance while exploring Crystal Cove State Park’s MPA! For more marine wildlife viewing guidelines, visit this link: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov//marine-life-viewing-guidel . #crystalcove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparks #castateparksoc #diveintompas #yaympas #Iovemympa #knowyourmpas #californiaMPAs #portsprogram #portsfan #explorethecoast #protectwhatyoulove #mpacollaborativenetwork #snowgeese

Happy holidays from the Crystal Cove State Park family! . Have a safe and happy holiday season ! .... #crystalcovestatepark #crystalcove #castateparks #crystalcoveconservancy

We know 2020 has been very challenging for all of us. Thank you to our visitors, staff, volunteers and partners for your patience, understanding and resilience ...during the ongoing pandemic and recent wildfires. As #CAStateParks continues to increase access to park units statewide, we invite you to #recreateresponsibly by planning ahead before leaving home and following our COVID-19 guidelines. Thank you for loving California’s State Park System as much as we do. #ThankYouThursday

Fun fact! Halloween falls on the night of a full moon, an occurrence that takes place once every 19 years! We hope you will join us for a @CAStateParks spooktacular virtual #Halloween event?! We’ll have ... creepy crafts pumpkin carving ghost stories and legends eerie animals... and more! ... followed by a LIVE full moon howl! Join us today starting at 2 p.m. livestreaming on facebook.com/californiastateparks! . . . #HappyHalloween #Eek #Spooky #Creepy #Scary #VirtualFun #PORTSfan #CAStateParks See more

Boo! Happy Halloween from all of the creepy crawlers here at Crystal Cove State Park! . Enjoy the full moon tonight and have a safe and fun All Hallows’ Eve! .... Tarantulas get a bad rap because of their macabre appearance, but these hairy arachnids are harmless and are only capable of a bite equivalent to a bee sting. Spiders keep insect populations in check and are actually important pollinators . Thank you creepy crawlers for doing your part to keep Crystal Cove State Park’s habitats healthy and for making our trails such an exciting place to explore!

PARK UPDATE All Backcountry Trails are closed due to unsafe wind and fire conditions. Beaches and Parking Lots are Open. Park Hours: 6AM - Sunset . Stay safe and check crystalcovestatepark.org for updates on park closures.

Happy MPA Monday to all ! . To celebrate Marine Protected Areas, today we are thinking about BOFFs. Have you ever heard of the term BOFFF? No? Let’s dive into some cool science! ... BOFFF stands for big, old, fertile, female fish! These larger, more mature fish (think trophy fish) tend to produce many more young than smaller fish, and their babies also tend to survive better! Inside marine protected areas (MPAs), fish are able to grow to larger sizes and, therefore, increase their reproductive output, or the number of babies they have. This is just one way MPAs benefit fisheries! For more information, check out the publication link in our bio! . Photos provided by: kdlafferty, PISCO, and Dan Hershman

Register for this FREE program at ports-ca.us! Join Park Interpreter Alex at Crystal Cove State Park as she reads Eric Carle's "A House for Hermit Crab" and learn about some of the amazing animals that live in a tidepool habitat! As we read our story, we'll stop along the way to meet some puppet tidepool creatures and learn about their home in a Marine Protected Area. .... #crystal cove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparks #castateparksoc #diveintompas #yaympas #Iovemympa #knowyourmpas #californiaMPAs #portsprogram #portsfan #explorethecoast #protectwhatyoulove #mpacollaborativenetwork

Hope you’re ready for this! this week’s PORTS Home Learning Program schedule is chock full of new programs, including a full day studying forest ecology and wildfires with our new program partners, @REI next Wednesday! We’ll also have part two of our Over & Under Monterey Bay series broadcasting live from *UNDERWATER* at the @montereybayaquarium as well as *NEW* programs from William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park AND Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park! Lastly, don’t forget to tune in on Thursday for an encore presentation of Great White Sharks: the Misunderstood Monsters of the Sea at San Clemente State Beach. NEXT WEEK IS GONNA RULLLLE! . Space in these FREE live programs is limited, so register today at www.ports-ca.us!

Happy MPA Monday everyone ! . Did you know Crystal Cove State Park’s Marine Protected Area is home to a thriving kelp forest? .... Have you ever had the opportunity to observe California’s giant kelp forests? Giant kelp is the largest species of marine algae in the world, and it creates lush forests that are critical to our coast and ocean. These forests provide homes to numerous fish and invertebrates, serve as a food source for ocean and land dwellers, including humans, protect the coast from storm surges, and even 'anchor' sea otters so they don't get swept out to sea during naptime! Fun fact: giant kelp is often harvested for algin, an emulsifier that is often used in things like toothpaste and ice cream ! . Photo courtesy of Steve Lonhart

Check out this new and awesome educational video Habitats of Crystal Cove State Park! In nature, all living things are in some way connected. Within each community each species depends on one or more of the others for survival. To learn about some of the diverse communities found at Crystal Cove State Park and some of the plants and animals found in those habitats go to crystalcovestatepark.org and find Bringing the Parks to You Online or visit the California State Parks OC District YouTube Channel!

Today we celebrate California Native American Day! . Crystal Cove State Park lies within the territory historically occupied by the Gabrielino (Tong-Va) and Juaneno (Acjachemen), both speakers of Uto-Aztecan Shoshoenean languages. They built their villages near water sources as they set out on seasonal gathering and hunting trips. They ate fish from the kelp beds and tidepools, birds, and a variety of other plants and animals. The period between ~3000 and 1350 BCE is charact...erized by the first appearance of the mortar and the pestle, associated with the processing of acorns. These communities developed a number of specialized crafts and tools, including intricate nets, carved fishhooks, basketry, and stone implements. .. Gabrielino and Juaneno village sites included large domed circular structures thatched with tules. Like the Chumash to the north, they used large, wooden plank vessels called tomols to travel to the Channel Islands and to fish for deep-water marine resources. .. . The Acjachemen and Tong-Va communities still thrive here in Orange County and we pay honor to their culture today. . To see replicas of items used by early residents of Crystal Cove, stop by the Visitor Center located at the Ranger Station or the outdoor Acjachemen exhibit located in Moro Canyon. .. Illustration by Anne Handberry for the local children's book titled "Ehengmay and the Raven" written by Jeannine Perdersen-Guzman, with the goal of using storytelling to accurately honor the local Native American culture. . #castateparks #castateparksoc #crystalcove #crystalcovestatepark #CaliforniaNativeAmericanDay

Please join @CAStateParks in celebrating California Native American Day tomorrow, Friday, Sept 25 at 1 PM! . Started in 1939 by then-Governor Culbert Olson, Indian Day evolved into The California Native American Day in 1968 thanks to Governor Ronald Reagan and California tribal leaders. This holiday is considered a time-honored tradition in the California Native American community and we are excited to offer a special PORTS Home Learning Program in celebration. . Travel wi...th us to the Sumeg Village at Patricks Point State Park and join State Park interpreters Maiya Rainer, Princess Colegrove, and Skip Lowry as they share stories of their indigenous heritage. They will take students on a tour of the recreated Yurok village of Sumeg and share stories, traditions, and the resilient Yurok culture that is alive and well today. . Space in these FREE live programs is limited, so register today on our website (www.ports-ca.us)! If any of our programs inspire you to get creative, tag your art with #PORTSfanART so we can share it! . Register for the webinar to watch live: bit.ly/CANativeAmericanDay . Check out the recording on Facebook: Facebook.com/NorthCoastRedwoods . Or YouTube: https://bit.ly/NCRDYouTubeChannel . Learn more about California Native American Day: californianativeamericanday.com . . . @canativeamericanday #californianativeamericanday #indigenous #indigenousculture #indigenoushistory #traditionalowners #californiahistory #historyteacher #historyeducation #PORTSfan #CAStateParks #distancelearning #homelearning #homeschooling #homeschool #remoteclassroom #remotelearning #virtualfieldtrip #california #K12 #educationalprogramming #teachingresources #PORTSfan #CAStateParks @north_coast_redwoods @patrickspoint_statepark #SumegVillage #Sumeg #Humboldt #DelNorte #Mendocino #NorCal See more

Normally, every third Saturday in September Crystal Cove State Park hosts a large California Coastal Cleanup Day event ! This year we are encouraging you to FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE and pick up trash locally every Saturday in September! This year, cleaning the coast will start at our own front doors. For safety reasons, there are no large, centrally organized cleanup sites this year. Instead, cleanups will be self-guided and close to home. Practice physical distancing and beaut...ify your favorite outside happy place ! Cleaning your neighborhoods, local parks, streets, and storm drains helps protect our coast. Trash travels through storm drains, creeks, and rivers to become beach and ocean pollution. Help clean the beach by picking up litter in your community with your household. . Cleanups are happening every Saturday in September. If Saturdays don't work for you, don't let that stop you! You can clean up any day, any time. Report your cleanup by recording data on the CleanSwell app or by completing this form. All cleanups in September will be included as part of Coastal Cleanup Month. In some areas of the state, your local coordinator has special events and virtual programming scheduled throughout the month. Reach out to see what's planned! Thank you for staying safe, cleaning your neighborhoods, and protecting the coast! . #crystal cove #crystalcovestatepark #castateparks #castateparksoc #diveintompas #yaympas #Iovemympa #knowyourmpas #californiaMPAs #portsprogram #portsfan #explorethecoast #protectwhatyoulove