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Thousand steps, United States

Stay in Laguna Beach: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Laguna Beach

All 35 on Laguna Beach's map

Watch this spot We email you when Thousand steps is worth the trip.

GoldenGateBridge BakerBeach MC
California, the wider area. Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Thousand steps

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (228°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (48°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 11). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 21°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March, April and May, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Laguna Beach, 6.6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 9 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. ORD to SNA, direct.

    See flights ORD → SNA · Skyscanner from about £215 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 45 min from the airport to Thousand steps.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Laguna BeachAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Laguna Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Laguna Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Thousand steps on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct603 ft13 shollow333kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct674 ft13 shollow400kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct624 ft12 shollow332kJ25°C
Wed 21Oct543 ft12 shollow251kJ24°C
Thu 22Oct493 ft11 shollow161kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct423 ft10 shollow124kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct382 ft12 shollow127kJ24°C
Sun 25Oct312 ft12 shollow93kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct242 ft12 shollow79kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct202 ft10 shollow41kJ20°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SNA, then 45 min by road. About 7h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Rocky Point

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Rocky Point

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Rocky Point

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Thousand steps

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SNA, then 45 min by road. About 7h door to door

The plan picks the best of 15 spots near Laguna Beach each day: 10th street - 1000 step, Agate st., Aliso Creek Beach, Brooks Street, Cliff st., Crescent bay, El Morro Cove, Oak street, Rockpiles, Rocky Point, Scotchmans Cove, Sleepy Hollow, Thaila Street, Thousand steps, Three Arch Bay.

The trip from Laguna Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £935–£1,700 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to SNA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£215–£445
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£40–£65
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£935–£1,700

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Laguna Beach

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.