[3] Up until the arrival of the Spanish Missionaries, the region was a series of native villages built around two different natural springs.

[4] Being a favorite spot to James Irvine II, he allowed his friends and family as well as employees to build cottages on the area that we now refer to as Crystal Cove.

In 2006, after 26 years of litigation, the California Coastal Commission, who purchased the property in 1979, evicted the tenants and demolished the El Morro Village mobile home park converting the private community into a day-use and overnight campground.

[12] Crystal Cove has long been a source of inspiration for plein air painters, a type of landscape painting that originated in France.

Early plein air painters documented Orange County's coastline, and Crystal Cove, in particular, with their paintings.

[15] In addition to the beach, the park has 2,400 acres (970 ha) of undeveloped woodland inland of the coast highway, which is popular for hiking and horseback riding.

There are 34 different lots spread across the 3 designated backpacking camping areas, including the Upper Morro, Lower Moro & Deer Canyon campsites.

Some of the birds seen regularly include the Turkey vulture, Mourning dove, Ring-billed gull, the Common raven, the Greater roadrunner, Quail and the House sparrow.