Laguna Canyon

Laguna Canyon (also called Cañada de las Lagunas, Spanish: Lagoon Canyon, informally Laguna Greenbelt) is a canyon, formerly a water gap, that cuts through the San Joaquin Hills in southern Orange County in the U.S. state of California, directly west of the city of Irvine. The canyon runs steeply northeast-southwest, drained on the east side by San Diego Creek and on the west by Laguna Canyon Creek. Starting as a wide and shallow valley, it narrows to a steep gorge as it nears Laguna Beach. California State Route 133 runs the entire length of the canyon connecting Laguna Beach and Irvine, while California State Route 73 crosses it, running southeast-northwest. A majority of the canyon is located within the Laguna Coast Wilderness; small portions are part of Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park and the cities of Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods and Aliso Viejo.