Laguna Canyon, Canyon in Orange County, California, US

Laguna Canyon is an 8-mile (13 km) gorge through the San Joaquin Hills, about 1 mile wide at its widest, running northeast to southwest from Irvine to Laguna Beach. California State Route 133, locally Laguna Canyon Road, winds along the entire floor, while State Route 73 crosses it. The southwestern end near Laguna Beach is deeper and more rugged; most of the canyon lies within Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Before the land became a preserve, parts of Laguna Canyon were slated for a housing development called Laguna Laurel. The 8.7-square-kilometre settlement was dropped in the 1990s when the city of Laguna Beach bought the land to protect the landscape, and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park opened in 1993. A few years later, construction of State Route 73 across the valley drew citizen protests, but the road was completed. In 1993 a wildfire driven by strong Santa Ana winds burned over 65 square kilometres in the canyon, with flames reaching heights of up to 61 metres.

The establishment of Laguna Coast Wilderness Park in 1993 resulted from community protests against proposed housing developments in the canyon area.

State Route 133, locally Laguna Canyon Road, runs the full 8-mile length between Irvine and Laguna Beach, and State Route 73 crosses the gorge. Most of the canyon lies within Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, with trail access from the lower section near Laguna Beach. Creeks have only seasonal flow, so expect dry channels outside the rainy season.

Barbara's Lake within the canyon is Orange County's only natural lake, formed where groundwater rises along a geological fault line. This rare freshwater ecosystem attracts birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.