Sunny Jim's Sea Cave - Scout's Joy

Overview

The city of La Jolla is such a beautiful place and has so many great activities to offer. For years I had wanted to visit Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave but every time that I ended up being in the area I ended up bailing on that idea. There’s one main reason for this. The parking in and around Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave is horrific. This goes for beach access and everything in the area. For those willing to arrive early or wait out finding parking, make sure to visit Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave and make a day of exploring the nearby area. A short walk down the street leads to the beautiful beach at La Jolla Cove and a chance to view sea lions as well.

Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave to be anything that special. However, I was pleasantly surprised and the whole experience was unique and an absolute delight. My wife and I brought our daughter Scout (who is 3) along with us.

Entering Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave and Scout’s Story

The entrance starts from “The Cave Store” and enters into what looked like a mine shaft to me. The trail down is steep and the stairs are very wet and slippery at times. There are handrails to help visitors get down and despite being steep, the walk is just a ton of fun. My wife and I took turns carrying Scout and trying not to bounce her head off the ceiling of the cave.

Trying not to bump our heads on the ceiling inside Sunny Jim's Sea Cave

It’s pretty cool to see how the cave was dug out and how it carves its way through the sandstone cliffs down to the sea cave. In all it took us less than five minutes to reach the bottom. There we were met by a neat wooden bridge and we could now see light shining into the cave. We walked straight ahead and were greeted by a few sea lions sleeping just under the viewing platform that marks the end of the trail.

I wasn’t sure how Scout would do with being so young, but she thought the cave was just the coolest thing. The trip back up is incredibly steep so be prepared. Scout of course took advantage of being 3 and smiled while saying she was tired in order to be carried back up.

The steep staircase leading back up from Sunny Jim's Sea Cave

Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave was a lot neater that what I had expected and was absolutely worth the visit. We exited the cave store and made our way to the numerous viewpoints outside before heading down the street to the La Jolla Cove.