San Clemente State Beach (Blog Hike #995)

Trails: Butterfly and Access Trails
Hike Location: San Clemente State Beach
Geographic Location: south side of San Clemente, CA (33.40563, -117.60425)
Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2024
Overview: A loop hike up the bluffs, around the campground, and along the beach.
Park Information: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=646
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=956109
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: Between Los Angeles and San Diego, take I-5 to exit 73.  Exit, cross over to the west side of the interstate if necessary, and then head west on Avenida Calafia.  Avenida Calafia dead-ends at the day-use parking lot for San Clemente State Beach.

The hike: Established as a California state beach in 1937, San Clemente State Beach is one of the most popular state beaches in California.  The mile-long beach is known for the steep bluff that rises above its sands.  The bluff gives this beach a very different feel than nearby San Onofre and Doheny State Beaches, and it is popular with ocean sports enthusiasts and with people from nearby San Diego and Los Angeles.

            In terms of amenities, the small park features a 160-site developed campground, a picnic area, and of course the beach.  The park features several short trails, and combining them in a clever way forms the loop described here that explores both the bluff and the beach.  I came here as an add-on after hiking at nearby San Onofre State Beach and had an excellent short hike with a wide variety of scenery.

Start of trail at day-use area

            From the restroom building at the beach day-use parking lot, walk back uphill along the parking lot you just drove down through and look to the right for the start of the trail.  The trailhead is unsigned and unmarked, but the obvious well-worn dirt trail starts beside a large eucalyptus tree.  Stay to the left as the trail winds uphill, sometimes steeply, through badland-type bluffs; the trail that goes right leads to the campground.  These bluffs consist of light-colored easily-eroded dirt and rock that gets hot and sunny in the summer, so this hike can be harder than the elevation and distance would indicate.  Some prickly pear cacti living in these bluffs will brighten your path in season.

Climbing through the bluffs

            At 0.25 miles, you reach the top of the bluff and start paralleling the campground entrance road.  A bench near the campground entrance station gives a great view back down the bluffs toward the ocean.  After passing the entrance station, cross the campground road to the left and begin the trail through the park's butterfly garden.  This area features plants such as milkweed that tend to attract butterflies, but I did not see any butterflies when I came here on a sunny Monday afternoon.

View from campground entrance station

            0.5 miles into the hike, you reach the park's pedestrian entrance on the left.  Turn right to begin hiking west along the south end of the north campground.  This trail is ADA-accessible, and it ends at the Visitor Center parking lot near 0.8 miles.  Cross the parking lot and angle right to enter the park's picnic area, which offers more fantastic blufftop ocean views.

Tunnel under the railroad tracks

            Exit the rear of the picnic area on a wide dirt trail that heads steeply downhill through the bluffs.  After curving left to parallel an active railroad track, you reach a trail intersection 1 mile into the hike.  The trail going uphill to the left heads back to the Visitor Center parking lot, so you want to turn right to pass through a tunnel under the railroad tracks and arrive at the beach.  This beach is rockier than most southern California beaches, and the rocks combined with the close bluffs give this beach a distinctive and rugged look and feel.

San Clemente beach

            To get back to your car, turn right and begin hiking north along the rocky beach.  The beach is quite narrow with the ocean on your left and the bluff rising to the right.  At 1.3 miles, you reach the wooden steps that lead back to the day-use parking lot.  The first step off of the sand is a tall one, a testament to how much erosion this beach has sustained.  A concrete path crosses the railroad tracks and returns you to the parking lot to complete the hike.