The upcoming minus tides — the daytime lows that uncover the tidepools at the Headlands and Doheny's north end — with the conservation-area rules and how to visit well.
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The reef only shows on the lowest tides. This page lists the upcoming minus tides — the daytime lows below the chart zero that uncover the pools at the Headlands and at Doheny's north end — so you can pick your morning before you drive.
No daytime minus tides in the next 45 days
That happens in the neap-dominated stretches of the year. The lowest daytime tide ahead is 0.8 ft, Thu 10 Sept at 15:11 — the pools closest to the low-water line may still show.
After-dark lows are listed too — the water is just as low, but tide-pooling needs light.
| Date | Low tide | Height | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 30 Jul | 4:36 | −0.4 ft | after dark |
| Fri 31 Jul | 5:02 | −0.3 ft | after dark |
| Sat 1 Aug | 5:29 | 0.0 ft | after dark |
| Sun 9 Aug | 1:41 | −0.5 ft | after dark |
| Mon 10 Aug | 2:26 | −0.9 ft | after dark |
| Tue 11 Aug | 3:06 | −1.2 ft | especially low · after dark |
| Wed 12 Aug | 3:44 | −1.2 ft | especially low · after dark |
| Thu 13 Aug | 4:19 | −0.9 ft | after dark |
| Fri 14 Aug | 4:52 | −0.6 ft | after dark |
| Sat 15 Aug | 5:23 | 0.0 ft | after dark |
| Tue 25 Aug | 2:42 | −0.1 ft | after dark |
| Wed 26 Aug | 3:07 | −0.2 ft | after dark |
| Thu 27 Aug | 3:31 | −0.2 ft | after dark |
| Fri 28 Aug | 3:55 | −0.1 ft | after dark |
| Sun 6 Sept | 0:35 | 0.0 ft | after dark |
| Mon 7 Sept | 1:23 | −0.4 ft | after dark |
| Tue 8 Sept | 2:03 | −0.6 ft | after dark |
| Wed 9 Sept | 2:39 | −0.6 ft | after dark |
| Thu 10 Sept | 3:11 | −0.5 ft | after dark |
Tide charts here measure the water against the station’s zero — the average of the lower of each day’s two low tides, taken over years. A predicted low below zero is a minus tide: the water drops below a normal day’s minimum, and rock and reef that usually stay underwater are briefly out in the air. That is when the tidepools are at their best.
Minus tides come in runs of a few days around the new and full moons, usually a couple of times a month — and in some months, not at all.
Dana Point Headlands tidepools — behind the Ocean Institute
Getting there: Follow Dana Point Harbor Drive to its dead end at the Ocean Institute (24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive), park there, and walk around behind the institute to the rocky reef.
The rocky Marine Protected Area directly behind the Ocean Institute — the richest pools in town, and the reef the institute's naturalists walk on their guided hikes.
Source: oceaninstitute.org/tidepool-hikes-2, checked 17 July 2026 (2 weeks ago).
Doheny State Beach — north of San Juan Creek
Getting there: Enter Doheny State Beach and walk to the north end, past the visitor center; the pools form in the uneven rocky bottom north of the creek mouth.
San Juan Creek's outflow pushes the sand south, which is why this stretch stays rocky. On many days the tide never drops far enough to uncover the reef here — that is exactly what the calendar above is for. There is also an indoor touch tank at the Doheny visitor center.
Source: www.dohenystatebeach.org/aquarium, checked 17 July 2026 (2 weeks ago).
Tide predictions: NOAA CO-OPS (Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services) tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov. Station: San Clemente — Station tide tables. as of 29 July at 14:19.
These pools are in a marine conservation area
Naturalist-led walks on the reef behind the institute, offered on low-tide weekends — about two hours, $18 a person, sturdy closed-toe shoes required. No dates were posted as of mid-July 2026; check the page.
These are astronomical tide predictions from NOAA station San Clemente, not measurements. Wind and swell change the real water level on the day — an onshore blow or a big swell can keep the reef covered through a predicted minus tide.
Predictions are for San Clemente, about six miles down the same open coast — the nearest point NOAA serves; there is no station at Dana Point itself. Times and heights at the Dana Point reef can differ slightly.
This page lists predicted water levels; it never judges whether conditions are safe on a given day.
The station this page reads.
Why the pools form north of the creek, and what lives in them.