Home ⎜ Hikes & Wanderings  ⎜ California ⎜ Sunset Cliffs Beach Loop

Distance: 3 miles

Time: 1.5 hours

Difficulty: Easy-Moderate (with short rope climb)

Elevation Gain: 350 feet

Dog Friendly: Yes.

Trail Notes: This place can get crowded at sunset, but even so, there’s always a hollowed out sandstone dune in the cliff or piece of beach you can find and have to yourself. Bringing shoes is recommended.

Trailhead Directions: From I-5, take

Hike Directions: From the parking area, walk to the south end of the lot and toward the cliffs. Once at the cliffs, look to the right and down; you should see a switchback trail heading down the sandstone. Take this trail as it zig zags down the cliffs to a hollowed out area with a rope going down to the beach. It’s possible to not use the rope, and dogs have a fine time getting up and down. Once on the beach, turn right and walk along the shore toward an open sea cave and steps going up the cliffs. From here, you can take the steps back up to their terminus at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, or take a moment to explore the cave-like areas along the beach beyond the steps (be careful!). At the top of the steps, go to the right and up the sidewalk to the entrance to the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park parking area.

Scenery: 10/10