CLIPBOARD : CRESCENT BAY POINT PARK

Along Coast Highway, just north of Laguna Beach, a small blue sign with white letters reads “Vista Point.” An arrow pointing west directs the curious and the adventuresome to a park on a precipice at the end of winding Crescent Bay Drive.

Nestled between multimillion- dollar homes, Crescent Bay Point Park is an oasis teetering high above the shoreline. According to the Laguna Beach Parks and Recreation Department, the parkland was preserved by the county in the late 1970s, when local residents began to fear the point might fall into developers’ hands. The city of Laguna Beach maintains the park; native shrubbery and flowers line two concrete walkways running along the park boundaries.

Past an array of succulents, the view of Crescent Bay unfolds below. Stretching out like a lumbering giant, it reaches beyond the tower of Hotel Laguna, following the coastline to the tip of Dana Point, where ocean and sky blend blue on blue into the horizon.

“Best view in the world,” John Jacobson, a tourist from New Hampshire, said. “People back home ask me why I make the long trek out here every winter. Well, a view like this is a big part of the reason. Hear that barking? That’s the seals over on this other side,” he said.

From a railed area uncomfortably close to the bluff’s edge, activity at Seal Rock is easily within earshot and the sea mammals’ raucous antics are an eyeful. The bellowing of seals and sea lions posturing on the rocks brings both children and adults to the neighborhood park.

“I bring my granddaughter to watch the seals play in the water,” Jacobson said. “And I bring my binoculars to watch for whales. Last week, I spotted two pods.”

Farther west, far beyond the seals, pelicans and scuba divers, lie Santa Catalina and San Clemente islands. On clear days, the craggy white cliffs of Catalina are as identifiable as the lifeguard tower on Laguna’s Main Beach.

The park is also a popular wedding spot. But due to the absence of on-site public restrooms, wedding guests often find themselves knocking on the heavy oak doors of Crescent Bay’s mansions, demurely requesting to use the facilities. This inconvenience, for both homeowners and park visitors, appears to be the only negative aspect of Crescent Bay Point Park.

For a sweeping panorama of the Pacific coast, complete with sea lions, sun worshipers and scuba divers, follow the arrow pointing west down Crescent Bay Drive. After all, to paraphrase the adage, sometimes big views come from driving down small passageways.

Hours: Daily, sunrise to sunset

Address: West of Coast Highway, on Crescent Bay Drive

Miscellaneous Information: No restroom facilities, beach access or telephone.