Emerald Canyon is a canyon and seasonal watercourse in Laguna Beach, in the San Joaquin Hills northwest of the town center. Its creek begins near the hill crest by State Route 73 and runs southwest to Emerald Bay beneath the Pacific Coast Highway. Within Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, the canyon is used for hiking and mountain biking, with access from the northern end because the lower reach is private property. A well-known feature is Emerald Canyon Falls, a 20-foot waterfall that usually appears only after heavy rain. Historically also called Mayate Canyon and Nigger Canyon, it is now part of a protected coastal landscape valued for trails, its intermittent stream, and drainage.