03 La Jolla Shores: Tide Pools Walk

OVERVIEW

LENGTH: 2 miles

CONFIGURATION: Out-and-back

SCENERY: Ocean waves, tide-pool creatures

EXPOSURE: Sunny

TRAFFIC: Moderate to heavy

TRAIL SURFACE: Sand and surf, rocks

HIKING TIME: 1 hour

ACCESS: Free

MAPS: None needed

FACILITIES: In the parking area near the lifeguard tower

SPECIAL COMMENTS: Wear sturdy rubber-soled shoes that will cling to wet rock surfaces. You’ll need protection to climb among the tide pools. Be sure to visit around low tide. For tide schedules, check www.mobilegeographics.com:81/locations/3220.html.

SNAPSHOT

The ocean breeze, rolling waves, and sand beneath your feet. Who could ask for more? But that’s only the beginning—low tides mean plenty of sea creatures to marvel over.

CLOSE-UP

From the grassy area at the north end of Kellogg Park, where free parking is plentiful in the off-season or early on weekday mornings, head north up the beach toward the pier. You might as well kick off your shoes on this wide sandy beach, and let the surf roll in around your feet.

It’s about 0.5 miles to the pier that extends from UCSD’s Scripps Institute of Oceanography on the cliff above the beach (the cliff and the institute are not open to the public). Standing beneath the pier between the wide mussel-encrusted supports, one can only marvel at man’s ability to build structures strong enough to withstand the ocean’s power. A short distance ahead, though, tiny creatures thrive in the ocean’s ebb and flow—proving worthy design on a small scale.

As you continue north you’ll see more and more large rocks, pitted by the sea and sand, strewn along the beach. Stuff your feet back into shoes to cross a strip of piled, rounded rocks that form a hobbling path near the base of the cliffs. The larger rocks, roughened into various shapes by wind, water, and sand, clump together, leaving little sand between them.

As you hop from rock to rock, startled crabs scurry sideways into crevices. Schools of fish trapped in pools left by the receding tide swim to safety among fluttery pink and mauve sea plants. Take the time to stoop and get a closer look at what may seem at first just an empty pool. Often, you’ll discover that the collected water teems with life.

Squabbling over territory, hermit crabs scuttle about in temporary shell houses that are sometimes smaller than a pea. The bigger crabs carry larger shells. Notice the variety of shapes and sizes they select. Even a broken shell may be chosen by a less discerning hermit crab; as he haltingly makes his way across the waterscape, the shell’s uneven edge catches on everything he passes. A rusty-colored sea plant suddenly moves away, and you realize it’s a sea slug. Watch for a moment and see several more that have been camouflaged in plain sight advance into view. Clumps of elongated oval mussels adhere to the rocks. Sea anemones contract when touched. Gently touching the animals is permitted, but you may not collect or remove anything from the area.

From the rocky tide pool area, you could hike about 3.5 more miles to Flat Rock, named for its shape, and access a climbing route (“Beach Trail”) up into Torrey Pines State Reserve. You may spot nude sunbathers along the way: past the rocky tidepools is the area called “Black’s Beach,” well known as a clothing-optional zone—although public nudity is illegal.

MORE FUN

If the tide pools have whet your appetite for knowledge about the ocean and its wildlife, the nearby Birch Aquarium at 2300 Expedition Way in La Jolla is worth a visit. Consult the facility’s Web site at www.aquarium.ucsd.edu or call (858) 534-3474 for more information.

TO THE TRAILHEAD

From CA 52 West, merge onto La Jolla Parkway, drive 1.4 miles, and turn right on Calle de la Plata. Continue 0.2 miles to Avenida de la Playa and turn left. Drive 0.1 mile to Camino del Oro and spot the park. Drive to the north end of the parking area and park near the lifeguard tower and restrooms.