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Attractions, Entertainment, and Points of Interests
Dana Point History
Dana Point is named after its ocean Promontory, which in turn was named for an early California visitor, sailor Richard Henry Dana 1851-82. Dana's book, "Two years before the Mast", is required reading in California schools. He Chronicles his days sailing and trading in hides along California's coast during the 19th century. Dana loved the headlands here, returning to this beautiful, sheltered spot many times. The point was used to extend a jetty, in modern times, converting this part of the coast into a small marina. Dana's likeness is depicted in a tall statue on Dana Island, the small Island in the middle of the harbor, at Island way and Dana Drive.
Doheney Beach:
25300 Dana Point Drive, Dana Point, CA
Information (949) 496-6171
Directions-From PCH turn left at Del Obispo and you will come to Doheney State Beach. One
of the Beaches immortalized by the Beach Boys song Surfing USA. This beach provides
fishing, swimming, surfing, riding, camping, barbecuing and diving. It is also one of
Orange County's popular camping spots. There are showers, barbecues and picnic tables as
well as beachfront campsites for both RV's and tents. The campsites are level with the
beach, but they are closely packed together. There is an interpretive center that
showcases the wildlife you may encounter in Doheny State Marine Life Refuge-an underwater
park for divers. The center has a 500 gallon tide pool tank. Doheny also has a five mile
San Juan Creek Bike Trail and an equestrian trail that links with another trail that heads
inland to San Juan Capistrano. The beach was named for Edward L. Doheny 1856-1935, who was
the first person to discover oil in Southern California.
Dana Point Harbor
Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA
This excellent marina holds 2,500 boats and includes a wharf area with numerous shops and
restaurants.
Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Parasailing
34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA
Information (949) 496-5794
At the southern end of the wharf you'll find many fishing vessels wait to whisk you out to sea to enjoy your own ocean fishing excursion. Everything you need for a day or evening of fishing is supplied, bait and tackle, rod and reels, and expert assistance in catching and cleaning your fish. You can go for half a day, an entire day, even two days. Also if you've ever wanted to try Parasailing, now's your chance. You can embark from this same location and enjoy a breathtaking tow outside the jetty--no experience is required. If you prefer to stick closer to the water, you can always rent a stand-up or sit-down jet propelled water ski vehicle. Renting these exciting water vehicles includes instruction, wetsuits and life preserver-call (949) 661-1690 for information. Also available is a whale watching boat.
Adventura Sailing Association 24650 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point, CA
Information (949) 493-9493
The Adventura Sailing Association, with 24 hours of instruction, will introduce you to the fun of sailing without your having your own boat. Even if you have never set foot on a boat before, this club can teach you to sail one. Once you're certified, you can charter the club's boats, which come in many different sizes and rent for very reasonable hourly rates.
Overview Park
Terminus of Blue Lantern, Dana Point, CA
Directions-From the wharf village, take Dana Point Harbor Drive west, turn right on Cove
Drive and proceed up the hill to the street of the Green Lantern. Make a right and there
another right on Santa Clara Ave., then right again and you're there. If you are traveling
north on PCH, turn west toward the ocean at the corner of Blue Lantern, and proceed to the
end of the street. This is the finest spot for overlooking Dana Point's Harbor. A gazebo
perched right on the cliff affords a great view to the south and west. The majestic
schooner " Pilgrim" is usually docked beneath this lookout, next to the Orange
County Marine Institute. Biologists have identified more than 100 species of plants on
these bluffs, and the California gnatcatcher resides here. The combination of rare floral,
fauna and unusual rock formations make this headland one of the most distinctive in
Southern California. These headlands were a prominent navigation marker for early sailors,
Indians and apparently, migrating gray whales. It's also an especially nice place to catch
a spectacular Southern California Sunset.
Hide Trail
Between Amber and Violet Lantern Streets, Dana Point, CA Directions-PCH, turn right for a
few blocks and then right again on Amber Lantern. At the end of the block is the beginning
of a quarter mile long walking trail by the edge of the bluffs. Along this trail are the
ruins of a hotel from 1930 that was never completed, thanks to the impact of the Great
Depression. Also, you will come upon the "hide drogher statue" which depicts the
way sailors used to fling cowhides off the cliffs so they could be loaded onto the waiting
vessels below. Hides were one of the commodities traded with merchants on the East Coast.
Occasionally the heavy, tanned skins would lodge in the crevices midway down, forcing the
sailors to climb up and retrieve them.
Salt Creek Beach Park
West of Pacific Coast Hwy off Ritz-Carlton Drive, Dana Point, CA
Information (949) 661-7013
Tide pools, surfing, and cookout facilities make this a really good beach stop. Working on your tan here is a really good way to see the Ritz-Carlton Hotel from the beach. There is a nice picnic area above the beach that is good for kite flying and affords a pleasing view of the waves and the distant horizon.
Nautical Heritage Society and Museum
4532 Del Prado, Dana Point, Ca
Information (949) 661-1001
Hours Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm
Directions-You can spot the museum by the "Lighthouse" protruding from its
rooftop and the one-ton cannon (taken from a Spanish galleon) outside. The museum is
located between Amber and Violet Lantern Streets. This is the headquarters of the tall
ship Californian which travels between Northern and Southern California throughout the
year, offering day sailing programs to school children. The ship is also open to the
general public for day sails on weekends whenever it is docked at Dana Point. When she's
in town, the Californian docks next to Pilgrim, the Orange County Marine Institute's
resident tall ship. If the Californian is not around, you can still visit the society's
small museum dedicated to nautical history of the sailing "tall ship: variety."
They have ship models, sailing art, artifacts salvaged from shipwrecks, antiques, and
displays about sailing life from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Orange County Marine Institute
35502 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point, CA
Information (949) 496-2274
Hours Daily 10am to 3:30pm
Admission-Donation
This small research and nature center is located along the west basin of the marina at the end of Dana Point Harbor Drive. Kids love the displays of tidepool life and nautical sailing gear, and there's a huge replica of a California gray whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. There is also a small gift shop that helps support the educational programs at the center. Marine research workshops are regularly scheduled, and on weekends visitors can step aboard the Pilgrim. This replica of the 1830 schooner that Richard Henry Dana sailed on is docked alongside the marine institute year-round. Lucky schoolchildren get to spend overnight field trips on board to experience what it was like to be a sailor in the 19th century. Every September, volunteer sailors take the Pilgrim out as part of the Tall Ships Festival. Arts and Crafts are on display during the festival weekend, and volunteers wear costumes and stand watch. In February, the institute is also the site of the Festival of the Whales, celebrating the annual winter migration of California gray whales from Arctic waters to the lagoons of Baja California. Exhibits, arts and crafts, lectures, and a 5K run are part of the fun. Regular whale watching cruises are offered here in February and March.
Michael's Supper Club
24399 Dana Dr, Dana Point, CA
(949) 493-8100
Local Night Club
Porthole Theater at Dana Hills High School
33333 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA
(949) 240-1994
Local Community Theater
