A sea cave located in the picturesque Sunset Cliffs area of San Diego, CA.
Location: Sunset Cliffs, San Diego, California
Distance: 1 Mile Out and Back Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate
Foot Traffic: Light to Moderate
Date Hiked: Friday, March 17, 2023
Overview
This stunning sea cave is located in the Sunset Cliffs area of San Diego. The cave is viewable from above but has an aesthetically unappealing fence encircling it to keep visitors safe. The cave is located directly off of Sunset Cliffs Blvd, between Hill Street and Monaco Street. Free street parking is available on both sides of the main street of Sunset Cliffs Blvd, directly in front of the Sunset Cliffs Sea Cave.
The view from behind the fence, looking down into the cave is about as much of the sea cave as most visitors will ever see and there is a reason for this. For those who make it all the way down to the cave, it will be a short, wet adventure that you surely won’t forget. The mossy rocks can be very slippery and hikers will undoubtedly get wet. That is just part of why this can be a bit of an adventure.
While the cave is not necessarily hard to access or to find, it inevitably can cause headaches for those trying to reach it that aren’t familiar with the area. There are three separate routes that one can take to access the cave (which I will describe below). In my opinion, there is really only one route that should be taken. This is because it is the safest, easiest and by far the most scenic. All though many people do have a horrible time finding the correct path down to the cave, this isn’t even the most challenging aspect of accessing it.
Why the sea cave can be so hard to access
The biggest issue comes from timing your visit with low tide. It is immensely important that you do this. If the tide is not low enough the cave will not be accessible and could be life threatening to attempt to gain entrance to. The ideal time to go is not just during a low tide but during a “negative low tide”.
I would suggest that any low tide over .6 would be too high to safely attempt, but would recommend the tide be a negative tide. Know what you are doing, start promptly (a half hour before the lowest low tide) and turn around if at any point you aren’t comfortable. Going during a negative low tide will not only keep you safe, but will allow for wading in knee deep instead of waist deep or higher water. This will allow visitors more time to enter and spend in the cave before retreating before the tide rises.
How tides work and why they can make it difficult to access sea caves
Tides are very similiar to how the Milky Way Galaxy visibility and the night sky work. Think of them as a rotating 24 hour clock. In this time, 2 low tides and 2 high tides will occur (so every 6 hours the tide is switching from low to high). Low tide and high tide will vary by about 45 minutes to an hour and a half each day. So if low tide is at 9 am one day, then expect it to be anywhere from 9:45 to 10:30 the following day and so on and so forth. The same goes for high tide.
Realistically, the cave will only be accessible during the lowest of the two low tides. This is why accessing the caves can be so difficult. For example, if you are visiting the area for say a week, the lowest low tide may never reach a safe level or may be occurring during non daylight hours for the duration of your stay. This is why many people never make it inside of the cave.
It is imperative to your safety that you pay attention to the tide levels and know what you are getting yourself into. The ocean is a very unforgiving and dangerous force, and the utmost respect must be given to it at all times. Never underestimate its strength and power. Do not attempt this trek if you did not comfortably comprehend the knowledge I just put forth. Knowing, understanding, and utilizing the tides is paramount to safely navigating this beautiful area. Once again, the best bet is to attempt this during a “negative low tide”. Additionally, tide levels can be checked for each day by googling Sunset Cliffs tide chart.
The 3 Routes to access the Sea Cave
To understand what I am describing, it is important that you start from atop the sea cave. There is a huge circular fence around it and you will want to be looking towards the ocean. There are 3 main routes that most people will use to access the cave. I will briefly describe two of them and then I will describe the one that I always use and think is best and why I believe so.
Route 1
From the fenced area above the sea cave, there is an obvious cove immediately to the right. On the right side of the cove there is a steep, eroded climb that one could descend to the beach. From there, a short walk to the left for about a minute will bring you to the sea cave. There have at times been ropes put in place here making the descent manageable, however, they are often taken down and without them this route can be dangerous and definitely not doable for everyone. The cliff is constantly eroding more and more, so the status of the climb/descent is constantly changing. Additionally, you are missing some of the best scenery if you go this way.
Route 2
This is the route that has become known as “The Surfers Route”. From the fence by the sea cave, you will head right and to the far right end of the cove. This will bring you to Luscomb’s Point (it will pop up on Google Maps upon Googling). This spot is easy to find. You will know you are there when you see a small rectangle fence over another tiny sea cave below. The surfers route is just in front of this and requires a tough scramble down wet rock. This is a shorter route but is definitely not suitable for everyone and can be dangerous. Many of the most scenic areas will be missed on this route, as well.
Route 3
This is the longest route, but is still very short at about .5 mile one way. If done during a negative low tide, this route is by far the safest, easiest, and most beautiful as you will also get to see a few other caves. From the huge fenced area above the sea cave, head right and past the cove to your immediate right. Keep heading right, following close to the street. A guard rail will present itself shortly thereafter and you will see the massive beach below you. Where the guard rail begins, there will be a pile of massive boulders strewn all the way down to the beach. You will carefully rock hop or crawl over and down all of these boulders until you reach the beach.
Once at the beach, you will head left and hug the cliff side. You will need to wade and get wet at points. Eventually, there will be a long sea cave that you can walk through to access the smaller cove or you can bypass it by following the cliffside. Once at the tiny cove, you will head to the far end and that is where the sea cave will be. Another cave will present itself that you can squeeze through to reach the cave. I personally chose to follow around the cliff wall until being met by the impressive opening to this massive cave. You can read my story and description below for more information.
Accessing the Cave and My Story
After a short, two day visit to San Diego, my wife, my daughter Scout, and I were preparing to make the 2 plus hour drive back home. We had visited Balboa Park earlier in the morning and I wanted to stop at the sea cave before heading home. I had checked the tide chart and noticed that there was going to be a negative low tide and realized that I had a chance to catch it if we hurried. Our daughter, Scout, was two months shy of turning two years old.
Despite the fact that she goes on every trail with us, I felt uncomfortable bringing her along on this day. There were several reasons for this and ultimately I made the responsible choice. The decision was made for her to stay behind with her mom and I would go by myself. I have no doubt in my mind that we would have gotten down safely together but my main worry was that my daughter would get wet.
Scout has a central line in her chest and getting it wet isn’t an option. She had just finished a cycle of more aggressive chemotherapy drugs 3 weeks prior. This was our first time out of the house (and hospital) in a few weeks. As Scout has been battling stage 4 cancer for nearly 7 months now, the last thing I wanted to do was make a stupid mistake and get her central line wet and cause an infection that would end up with us back in the hospital. It always feels awkward when I have to hike ahead or go without her.
As Scout played and ran around at the top of the sea cave, I headed right, in the direction of Luscomb’s Point, while staying alongside the street. After about a minute I reached a guardrail overlooking the massive beach below. From here, I scooted my way down the large boulders until I had reached the bottom. Upon reaching the beach, I took a left along the shoreline. I was now heading back in the direction that I had just come from. Within a minute, I arrived at a few beautiful caves that I was not expecting to stumble upon.
There was shin high, clear water in them and I explored both of them briefly. I continued forward, attempting to take the path of least resistance. This eventually led me to try to scramble over the wet, moss covered rocks without slipping.
At this point, I ended up having to wade in nearly thigh high water until I reached two small dry caves. I crawled up into them and was able to get out of the water for a short time.
Continuing forward, I came to the sea cave that is located underneath Luscomb’s Point. I opted to go through it, rock scrambling and dipping into a few of the pools inside.
As I was making my way out of one of the pools, my phone jumped out of my pocket and plopped into the pool. After a few horrified moments of cursing at myself, I was able to pluck it out of the pool. I was fortunate that it was still working.
Reaching the other side of the sea cave, I had now arrived at the small cove just below the sea cave. I followed the cove to its far corner and came to yet another sea cave. Some people choose to pass through here but I elected to bypass it by wading around the big cliff and back up onto the shoreline.
Finally, I was greeted by the massive opening to the sea cave. I was a little awe struck by the sheer size of the cave. I headed inside and spent about 20 minutes just gazing around and taking in the sites.
Knowing that the tide was now rising, and that my wife and daughter were waiting, I reluctantly headed back. On my way back, I once again stopped to appreciate the same spots that I had just seen. I was blown away by this place and the beauty that lied all around it. I felt incredibly lucky to have been able to finally make it here, especially considering that at the start of the morning, I had had no intention to do so. For years of trying, the tides had never aligned and I was never able to visit. I was so grateful that everything worked out on this day and that I was finally able to experience this magical place.
Getting to Sunset Cliffs Sea Cave
Sunset Cliffs, San Diego, California
Notes
Please tread lightly and be aware of the sea life and coral in the tidepools so as not to damage it. Leave everything as you found it so that others will be able to enjoy it in the future as well.
Pack out everything that you pack in. Leave no trash and do your best to limit your footprint.
Is this a fee area?
- No. There is no fee to park nor hike here.
Is there any specific gear I should bring?
- Preferably, yes. Water shoes and a dry bag will make this short hike a lot more enjoyable and stress free.
