01 Bayside Trail

OVERVIEW

LENGTH: 3 miles

CONFIGURATION: Out-and-back

SCENERY: View of San Diego Bay, coastal sage scrub, wildflowers

EXPOSURE: Mostly sunny

TRAFFIC: Moderate

TRAIL SURFACE: Gravel

HIKING TIME: 1.5 hours

ACCESS: $5 car parking fee (free with a National Parks Pass); open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily

MAPS: Distributed with parking fee at ranger booth

FACILITIES: Restrooms at nearby Cabrillo National Monument Visitor Center and also near the lighthouse; for more information, call (619) 557-5450 or visit the Web site edweb.sdsu.edu/cab.

SPECIAL COMMENTS: Stay close to children on this trail, where cliffs drop to rocky bay shores several hundred feet below in some sections.

SNAPSHOT

Cool coastal breezes and sweeping views of San Diego’s bay make the Bayside Trail a top choice for warm spring and summer days. Taking in the nearby lighthouse and museum lend a historical perspective to this hike.

CLOSE-UP

Its close proximity to the historic Point Loma Lighthouse and the Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Museum make the Bayside Trail a favorite among energetic tourists. Locals come for the pleasant hike with breathtaking bay views.

From the parking area, proceed south across the road (there’s a crosswalk) and head up the sidewalk toward the lighthouse. A sign to the west of the lighthouse indicates the route to the Bayside Trail. Follow this asphalt route down to the southwest for approximately 0.3 miles to the marked trailhead, where there is a bench from which you can see the bay. Foghorns warn sailboats and military vessels to slow down at regular intervals.

The gravel trail, once used as a military patrol road, gradually descends to the southeast. The valley to your right is furred with thick coastal sage scrub and a grove of mature silver-dollar trees stretching up from the cleft base. On the left, the sandstone cliff rises as the trail descends. Numerous whiptail and Western fence lizards scuttle from open sunning spots into the scrub at the side of the trail. Some will dash across the trail, then pause to look up with curiosity, as if assessing your reaction to their presence.

On warm days in the late winter, one can see signs of spring. Like flaming match heads, bright, coral-red Indian paintbrush blooms peep from the ground. The daisylike flowers of the low-growing encelia shrub bloom in yellow profusion all along the trail, while California buckwheat grows in thick, cottony tufts alongside last year’s dried brown leftovers.

This eastbound path stretches down about 0.3 miles, then bends to the right (north), where the trail levels out for a while. You may hear sea lions barking and catch a glimpse of them frolicking in the water or sunning themselves on the rocks far below. Meanwhile, the blue-green water forever undulates, and sailboats of varying sizes bob peacefully or tilt precariously in the wind. It’s not unusual to see a U.S. Navy submarine, partially submerged, gliding south like a gray whale among the pleasure boats.

The trail follows a V-shaped inlet in the cliff westward for several hundred yards, past locked metal military bunkers from World War II. Look for a drinking fountain at the point of the V where the trail bears left to head back east to the bay view. The trail swings further left, taking you north for approximately 0.25 miles and affording views of rocky shore, the bright-blue curve of the Coronado Bay Bridge far to the east, and the buildings of downtown San Diego looking like a child’s model in the foreground. Don’t let children run ahead or get too close to the edge. The sandstone cliffs can be dangerous.

Another, slightly shorter, inlet takes you into a shaded V where toyon and lemonadeberry bushes thrive, growing in thick, man-tall groupings. Wild cucumber vines with delicate white blossoms creep over the smaller shrubs, and tiny hummingbirds hover, moving this way and that. Be careful as the trail heads east toward the bay—the inlet valley isn’t as guarded by shrubs on this side.

Along this last stretch of northbound trail, watch for the succulent tubes of the ladyfinger plant along the ground. Also notice the tall, spindly bladderpod and its narrow, pale-green leaves and yellow flowers with protruding stamens. The sweet smell of black sage fills the air. You may also note the tangy-sweet smell of wild licorice. Watch for its pale, fernlike leaves growing on foot-high bushes with vanilla-white blooms.

A sign announces the trail’s end (and a chain-link fence several yards past the sign blocks further passage). Follow the trail back the way you came, this time uphill. On hot days, you’ll enjoy the shady V inlets as you make the gradual 300-foot climb. Slow down and count the succulent agaves growing on the cliff, or spot the creamy white of a cluster of milkmaids peeking out from beneath the cascading ferns that thrive in the cooler nooks of the inlet trail. If you’ve taken this hike in the afternoon, look at the silver-dollar trees in the valley to your left as you head west and up toward the trailhead. The trees catch the wind and light, and the leaves sparkle like coins.

MORE FUN

Tour the historic Old Point Loma Lighthouse with its spiraling staircase and glassed-in rooms furnished with artifacts and notations that chronicle the lives of the keeper, Robert Israel, and his family. The visitor center offers a museum describing the expeditions of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on the West Coast of the United States. There is also a gift shop, vending machines, and pay-per-view telescopes for viewing the bay.

TO THE TRAILHEAD

From I-5 North or I-8 East, exit at Rosecrans and turn right on Canon, then left on Catalina Boulevard. Follow Catalina Boulevard past Fort Rosecrans Cemetery and drive into the park. Turn left into the well-marked parking area.