San Diego Information & Resources
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park – Garbage Beach in San Diego, California
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a steep hillside park between Point Loma Nazarene University and the ocean. There are boot-beaten footpaths all over the hillside here to explore. The beach below the park, which has been nicknamed Garbage Beach, has a steep access route down the sandstone cliff directly below the lower parking lot. This route follows a broken drainage trough and is so steep at the bottom that a fixed rope is used for safety. This is a popular beach so many locals and tourists make this steep trip down and back up every day – some of them in flip flops.
There are two free public parking lots for the park. One is off Lomaland Drive on the college campus and one is at the corner of Ladera Street and Cornish Drive. You’ll also find street parking at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Ladera Street where a stairwell leads to the rocky shore below. From that access it can require wading through water on a rocky shore to reach the sandy beach. The beach at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is best at low tide when tide pools are exposed.
- Address
-
Sunset Cliffs Blvd and Ladera St
San Diego, CA 92107
- Park Name
- Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
- Owner
- City Beach
- Other Names
- Garbage Beach
- Activities
- Tidepooling, Surfing, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Whale Watching
- Amenities
- Tide Pools, Trails, Fossils
- Pet Policy
- Leashed dogs allowed on beach before 9am and after 6pm from April-Oct. (changes to 4pm Nov.-March).
- Fees
- Free parking
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