Valido Trail

Beautiful trail! This starts in Laguna Niguel by the Laguna sur neighborhood and takes you all the way down to the beach in Laguna. If you hike all the way to the top there is a nice bench and absolutely amazing view! Trail is moderate but gets very steep when trying to get back up.

Absolutely breathtaking trail. This is a hidden gem. Like a few other mentioned look for the trail start in between residences. If you feel like you’re in the wrong place, chances are you are at the beginning of this trail.

Looooooove this hike! The view is incredible! Can be a little steep for beginners but it’s worth it! Sooooo beautiful!

What an awesome, dog-​friendly trail! It’s a short hike through a residential community (½ a mile up so 1 mile roundtrip) that brings you to the top of a hill where you can see the entire coastline of Laguna Beach. The trail starts off pretty flat and then it’s a steady incline for most of the way. There’s one bench at the top of the lookout point. I noticed that there were some other trails that broke off to the sides near the top of the mountain. I guess you could continue on those trails to add some mileage but it looked like you had to come back to the main trailhead to get back down to the parking area.
There are doggy bags at the start of the trailhead and at the top of the mountain. There’s only 1 trash can at the start of the trailhead so remember to pack up your trash and dispose of it when you return to your car.

Awesome views! It’s a bit of some short distance hiking trails but they’re definitely intense, they get pretty steep. It got my heart rate up. Can’t beat the 360 view either.
You’ll definitely want a camelback and some running or hiking shoes.
Dog approved, easy parking and short. If you’re looking for a long distance hike, this isn’t the place for you but the view is worth it.

Beautiful views! Perfect quick hike to get your heart rate pumping but not an all-​day affair. It’s pretty steep at parts but it’s definitely fine for your nikes to handle, no need for full-​on hiking gear.
We went pretty leisurely and felt like an hour was more than enough time.

This is a gorgeous, tough, but short trail with sweeping views from Dana Point all the way up to Long Beach on a clear day. The trailhead is hidden in the back of a neighborhood off Valido St in south Laguna. It’s 0.5 mile pretty much straight up with some stairs along the way. Beautiful canyon views and pretty much 360 degrees at the top. Well worth it for a gorgeous view and quick workout. Though I’ve seen some people hiking this in flip flops, I would NOT recommend that. Extremely steep and rocky in parts, especially on the way down. Wear hiking shoes or boots, not sneakers or flops.

Beautiful hidden trail next to million dollar Laguna Beach homes. This trail is short but pretty intense. Most of it was uphill which is what made it so difficult for me.
It was such an adventure hiking here. I loved that it wasn’t just a smooth path the whole way! We encountered rocky areas and steep rocky steps which were hard but doable.
The view at the top is absolutely beautiful. You get a 180 scenic view of the blue ocean, mountains, hills, and windy roads. All the sweat and hard work is well worth it! Free parking in the surrounding neighborhood :)

This hike was very fun! But it was a little odd that the hike starts in a neighborhood. if u follow the directions on the map it will lead u to the right spot! So don’t worry about trying to find the hike. And I loved that dogs are allowed so I definitely took my little pup. Just remember to bring a leash and water:) and your all good!
Laguna has breathtaking views of the beach and Pacific Ocean! I bet it’s great to be there for the sunset, if you are planning to see the sunset then great! There is a peak where there is this nice clear view of the blue ocean and sun so you’ll be right there when the sunset is in action!

SHORT & SWEET, you’re only hitting about 1 mile or less on this trail but it’s pretty much straight incline (stair master anyone?) but the view of the entire Laguna Beach at the top is beautiful on a clear day!
As other Unilocalers have said, there is not much shade cover so come early before it gets hot!
NOTE: the trailhead is located on a residential street but the Unilocal address was on point & we found parking around the corner from the trailhead

This trail was an awesome find. So glad I was able to take my dog here on a hiking adventure recently. :) Some of the most breathtaking views of Laguna Beach and the local areas/​Pacific Ocean. You’re high up on the cliffs /​mountains, and enjoying the nice sun and warm breeze. It’s quite an uphill trek but the views are completely worth it.
Stay alert as there are large rocks, and your dog could get tired from so much uphill hiking. Leash required, and bring water! :)
There is a bench at the very top of the trail, to rest and take it all in!
More photos here:

Would you like a strenuous and short day hike with spectacular ocean views and easy parking? This is a great spot. Tips: wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring your phone for pics of ocean. Know that it is lots of steps!!! says difficult hike but I did it. Worth the heavy breathing though!

It was indeed a trail less travelled. We had a perfect day to hike this occasionally challenging slope– cool breezes from the ocean kept the sweat at bay.
The top rewards you with beautiful views of the ocean and the South Laguna homes.
A few segments were a bit challenging on the way down, so good shoes and careful lines are called for.
Overall a great short hike with some great vistas as the payoff at the top.

GREAT TRAIL! Absolutely loved it came with a couple of friends to enjoy the beautiful day in SoCal. Recommend to all you guys will enjoy it!

Beautiful place to hike. Hidden trailhead near the coast and among the million dollar homes in south Laguna Beach. When you use Unilocal to find directions it may seem a bit odd at first, but it’ll take you exactly where you need to go.
A few things I like — this hike has great views of the rolling hills and OC coast, dog friendly, free parking since it starts in a neighborhood, and has different options to make it a short hike or longer one. There is a point where there is a fork in the road and you can turn left (to the higher point towards the coast), or right, which will give you other longer options. I’ve done the route that goes to the top, closest to the beach, then back down, and its a quick and easy 2 mile hike.
Highly recommended for locals

This trail is awesome! So scenic. If it’s your 1^st time hiking, I’d say it’s highly moderate border line tuff. The hike up was a nice little challenge (Well for chunky asses like myself)

Being in Southern California for my wife’s business trip, I thought I’d find a little bit of a hike to kill some time, in honor of my climby/​hikey Los Angelino Unilocal friend Stephanie P. Near where my wife and I were staying were staying, I found the Valido trail: a nice climb with a quick payoff. Starting from right above the PCH, on the south side of Laguna Beach, it is accessed by turning inland into the neighborhood onto West Street, then going a couple blocks until you hit a left at Valido Road. It connects with a couple other trails in the area to make even longer hikes, though I just stayed to the Valido Trail up to the Aliso Peak.
THE SETUP
Some are put off by the neighborhood street parking. I didn’t bother. Since we were staying at the lowly Travelodge, across from the Montage Resort, I just took advantage of the 1.25 miles along the PCH as a warmup/​cooldown. Most of that stretch is not sidewalked, though you always see joggers on the hard shoulder. Honestly, crossing at the pedestrian crosswalk at West Street was more frightening than jogging along the road. It’s one of those where you push the button, and the lights flash across the road, and you just pray that the cars yield to you. And unlike closer to «downtown» Laguna, they are going 60mph. One time I went the two additional blocks further south to Eagle Rock Way, where there is a real traffic light to stop traffic.
THE HIKE
At the start, there are the usual warnings about poison ivy, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, or packs of wild boars or whatever, but I never encountered any drama. The hike was technically challenging for me in my regular sneakers, (and a bit physically challenging due to my fitness level), as it is fairly narrow and steep (and a little slippery) in parts. I could have used handrails… or an escalator. Pretty much everyone I encountered after the first quarter mile had hiking shoes and sticks to help them. After about a half mile up, you’ll hit a level spot with a couple signs. The path to the right takes you up an obvious (and steep) path to some impressively expensive looking housing at the top of that mountain, which I believe is the «Toovet Trail». The most left path stays relatively level, and takes you directly to the ocean side of the hill. But it is really boring, compared to the other (middle) path that takes you further up to the peak (look for the Orange County Surveyors metal marker near the top).
THE PAYOFF
The obvious astounding views of the Laguna area are one thing. Depending on how clear it is, you can easily see Catalina Island. When I was there, a couple had binoculars and could see the dome next to the Queen Mary all the way up in Long Beach where Howard Hughes kept his Spruce Goose. But the most amazing thing was that, from several hundred feet above sea level, we went whale watching. Yes… WHALE WATCHING! From our elevated vantage point, about 2 miles away, we saw the occasional spout from a pair of whales having fun in the Pacific. That was surprising, and also pretty darned incredible.
SUMMARY
If you want to take a short time clearing your head, or just work up a bit of a sweat, I strongly recommend the hike up the Valido Trail to the Aliso Peak. The second time I did it, I encountered no other people until I got back to the bottom, and saw a man walking his dog. So, you’ll either love the isolation or be frightened by it. It’s definitely BYOW (bring your own water), and there are no «facilities» besides supplied dog poo-​bags. And, to keep my sanity, I’ll pretend I didn’t read the review where the dad says his 3-​year-​old did it, and just wipe the sweat off my brow and be proud of my achievement.
4.75 stars

Love this trail. My boyfriend and I come here at least once a week. If you take the lower levels of the trail its a very nice view and it’s not too exhausting. However we like to go up the trail to the right and go up to the top. It’s a great work out. And not to mention everyone you stop to catch your breath it’s taken away by the views… Wish I had more time in the day to get back there more.
Parking is on the side of the residential road and you enter up a dirt path in between some houses. I love the wooden steps that are there. Super helpful.
Go try it!

A very quick and relatively easy trail. My favorite hike in Southern CA is Parker Mesa Overlook in Pacific Palisades. It’s a beast of a trail during the summer, though. No shade whatsoever and deep enough in the valley that you miss the cool ocean breeze.
Valido Trail offers the same kind of view, but with the ocean breeze, and complete with a bench at the top. Golf course to your right and beautiful bright blue water all around. We saw the prettiest butterflies when we were up there too. We would’ve stayed up there even longer but we got some company and weren’t in the mood for chit chat. There were a couple of dogs on this hike too, so keep in mind it’s dog friendly.
There’s different hikes that extend along this trail, but if you’re short on time (or just a little lazy), this trail is perfect with a quick reward to the top.

I love this trail! I was visiting from LA, decided to stop for a short hike before we hit the beach. Figured I’ll connect with the earth beneath me, and really experience/​see the area.
The entrance is somewhat «camouflaged» — you basically walk through a chain link where you follow a dirt road (with people’s backyards directly on the left of the path).
There is street parking directly above the hiking entrance. (If you see a long high metal fence/​gate you walked too far, just walk directly back down).
Why I like the trail is because you get to warm up by getting into the trail from the entrance, then it is 0.5 miles of straight uphill, it’s pretty steep going uphill so you def get a hardcore workout pretty much immediately. Once you make it to the end of the steep first part, you see a map where it tells you what paths are a) beginners b) moderate c) hard.
We took the beginners path and went up the top where you can take panoramic pictures of the laguna beach sea front and the view is so worth that initial steep hike! Walking back downhill wasn’t too bad, it is a little scary for folks who are a little afraid of walking downhill.
A must go!