The history of the ranch began with James Irvine. He joined two others owning the property before becoming the sole owner of it in 1878. After his death in 1886, his son James Irvine II (J.I.) became the successor of his father’s ranch. The ranch grew significantly and transformed into...

Capistrano Beach Dana Point Harbor Newport Harbor Salt Creek Beach Sunset Harbour

The County of Orange Paleontology and Archaeology (COPA) collection contains more than six million artifacts and fossils collected since the 1970s from within the County and throughout our parks. As stewards of the collection, OC Parks is dedicated to preserving these artifacts and fossils in perpetuity for the benefit of...

Paleontology The paleontology collection includes local Orange County fossils dating as far back as the Jurassic period 180 million years ago, including notable type specimens. Orange County has particularly excellent records of Eocene terrestrial mammals, late Oligocene-early Miocene terrestrial mammals, and Miocene-Pliocene marine mammals. The collection contains ancient mammals including...

The first recorded archaeological excavation in Orange County was conducted by the American Museum of Natural History in 1912 around Newport Bay. After a hiatus because of World War II, efforts picked up in 1961 when local citizens formed an advocacy group, the Pacific Coast Archaeological Society, with the goal...

OC Parks manages the following beaches in South Laguna Beach: Camel Point Access from Camel Point Drive at Pacific Coast Highway Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Daily Street Parking Only Portable Restroom Available No Fishing Dogs are not permitted on the beaches between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. from...