Crystal Peak Park Loop is a 6.9 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Newport Beach, California that offers scenic views. The trail is rated as difficult and primarily used for hiking, trail running, horses, and mountain biking. Horses are also able to use this trail.
hiking
mountain biking
trail running
horseback riding
views
no dogs
This is my go-to trail if I don't hike long distance elsewhere. Love the hidden bike trails that present solitude along with nice elevation gains and good workouts. The scenery is unbeatable, with hills and ocean perfectly complementing each other. Be sure to go there early to avoid crowds.
The loop starts out fairly easy at first slight incline but mostly hiking to the bottom of the canyon. Once you reach the bottom the real hike starts. You can take other trials, but I always hike up poles to get a really good workout. After poles the rest of the loop is a series of hills climbing back to the ridge trail and Crystal Peak Park. If I hustle I can do this loop in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The only shade is at the bottom of the canyon so it is best to go when it is cooler or early morning before it gets warm in the afternoon.