• Members Only Paint the Park: May

    Paint the Park: A Plein Air Experience Series Join Crystal Cove Conservancy for Paint the Park, a rotating plein air series designed to help you slow down, look closely, and connect with the landscape through art. Inspired by our Great Plein Air experience, this series invites participants to explore new locations across the park, each […]

  • Explore the Cove – Coastal Ecology Hike

    Education Commons 5 Crystal Cove, Newport Coast, CA, United States

    Description This guided interpretive hike explores Crystal Cove State Park’s sandy shoreline and coastal bluffs, offering an up-close look at the plants, animals, and ecosystems that define our marine and coastal environment. Participants will walk along the beach and blufftop, stopping to learn about native plant communities, intertidal habitats, coastal geology, and the dynamic forces […]

  • Japanese American Historic District Tour

    Crystal Cove State Park Historic District

    In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, join Crystal Cove Conservancy educators for a special Historic District tour featuring State Parks Historian Diana Chang. This guided experience will explore the stories of Japanese American families who lived and worked at Crystal Cove as residents and tenant farmers from 1927 to 1942. Through themes of community, perseverance, […]

  • Explore the Cove – Backcountry Ecology Hike

    Berns Amphitheatre

    Description Set in the heart of Crystal Cove’s rugged backcountry, this immersive hike ventures into Moro Canyon to explore some of Southern California’s most unique and threatened ecosystems. Participants will learn about coastal sage scrub, riparian corridors, and the rare plant and animal species that make this region a biodiversity hotspot. Guided by Conservancy staff, […]

  • Paint the Park Plein Air – June

    Paint the Park: A Great Plein Air Experience Step outside the studio and into the landscape with Paint the Park, a welcoming plein air experience set in some of Crystal Cove’s most inspiring locations. Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or looking to deepen your practice, this program invites you to […]

  • Cove Talk with Kate Huckelbridge: Celebrating 50 Years of the California Coastal Act

    Crystal Cove State Park Historic District

    Join us for a special Cove Talk with Kate Huckelbridge, Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act—one of the most influential environmental laws in the nation. Since 1976, the Coastal Act has helped protect public access, preserve coastal habitats, guide responsible development, and safeguard […]

  • Paint the Park Plein Air – June 4

    Paint the Park: A Great Plein Air Experience Step outside the studio and into the landscape with Paint the Park, a welcoming plein air experience set in some of Crystal Cove’s most inspiring locations. Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or looking to deepen your practice, this program invites you to […]

  • Paint the Park Plein Air – June 8

    Paint the Park: A Great Plein Air Experience Step outside the studio and into the landscape with Paint the Park, a welcoming plein air experience set in some of Crystal Cove’s most inspiring locations. Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or looking to deepen your practice, this program invites you to […]

  • 2026 Parks Week Family Art Day – Celebrate Community & Culture

    Education Commons 5 Crystal Cove, Newport Coast, CA, United States

    Celebrate California State Parks Week with a creative morning at Crystal Cove’s Historic District. Hosted by Crystal Cove Conservancy, this family-friendly art program invites participants to gather at the Education Commons for hands-on activities inspired by the Cove’s coastal landscapes, wildlife, and conservation stories. Conservancy staff will lead a series of drop-in, nature-inspired art activities […]

  • 2026 Parks Week Family Plein Air – Celebrate Community & Culture

    Crystal Cove State Park Historic District

    Photo Credit: Crystal Cove Conservancy. Celebrate California State Parks Week with a morning of outdoor creativity at Crystal Cove. Hosted by Crystal Cove Conservancy, this family-friendly program invites participants to experience the tradition of plein air painting while surrounded by the Park’s coastal landscapes and historic cottages. During this two-and-a-half-hour program, families with artists ages […]