Milestones
- 20th camping trip in 20 months. (SHOW ON MAP)
- 2nd time camping at a California State Beach (SHOW 1ST).
- 3rd time camped in Orange county (SHOW 2ND).
- 1st time camping by a State Marine Conservation Area.
Camping and Biking
It was hot when I arrived (82F ambient temperature but closer to 90F radiant temperature) because I was in direct sun, no shade anywhere. I hoped it would cool off once the sun went down. It did, but I would have liked it to be even cooler… I sleep better that way.
Due to its popularity, I got a campsite that was a little ways away from the beach. But even if I had gotten closer, there was a large sand berm that was put in place to help prevent beach erosion. The berm blocked any views of the water. The best way to see the ocean was to bike around Dana Point Harbor… which is exactly what I did.
This is the view towards my campsite, looking south-east (down the coast).
The “RICHARD HENRY DANA STATUE”
Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882) In 1835, Dana arrived on board the brig ‘Pilgrim’, a tall-masted sailing/ship out of Boston, bound for the California coast. For reasons of health, Dana left his studies at Harvard and at the age of 19 signed on to the ‘Pilgrim’ as a common sailor. Later he vividly described life on ship and on shore in his famous book “Two Years Before the Mast” (1840). In 1884 Dana Point was named in his honor
Dana Point SMCA
Both west and northwest of Dana Cove is Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area.
What is an SMCA? Like state and national parks protect wildlife and habitats on land, marine protected areas (MPAs) conserve and restore wildlife and habitats in our ocean. Under the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) passed in 1999, California began a historic effort to establish a science-based, statewide network of MPAs through a collaborative effort that includes the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California State Parks.
Here’s the view from the cove looking northwest towards the SMCA…
