The Crystal Cove Cottages are not meant to be five-star accommodations. Rather, they reflect the simple beach homes of the 1920s and '30s. The cost to stay in one ranges from $50 to $350 a night ...

The 3.2 miles of open beach and 2,400 acres of backcountry make up Crystal Cove State Park, and it’s one of the last remaining examples of a natural shoreline in Orange County.

A family has their photo taken by Santa’s helper as the Crystal Cove Conservancy hosts its annual tree lighting ceremony and holiday bazaar at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach on ...

People walk by the Crow’s Nest #11B (upstairs) and Carpenter’s Castle #11A (downstairs) at the Crystal Cove cottages in Newport Beach, CA on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.

Kate Wheeler, CEO of the Crystal Cove Conservancy, talks about the years-long project of restoring the beach-front cottages at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach, on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

Kate Wheeler, CEO of the Crystal Cove Conservancy, talks about the years-long project of restoring the beach-front cottages at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach, on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

There are two sides to Crystal Cove State Park, one of the most appreciated (and, it turns out, least appreciated) plots of mansion-free terrain left on Orange County’s so-called California Riviera.

Crystal Cove was praised for offering more than just crystal blue water and plush sand. The state park is dotted with historic beach cottages in the historic district and has 18 miles of hiking ...