Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Sinister nonnatives at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

View impressive ocean views and sandstone cliffs

Sunset Cliffs Linear Park-View of the natural bridge
Sunset Cliffs Linear Park-View of the natural bridge

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, a 68-acre City of San Diego regional park, offers spectacular sunset viewing, as implied by the name, however beauty can be found at any time of day. The park is most commonly enjoyed as a 1.5-mile walk along sheer cliff faces along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard from its intersection with Adair Street in the north to Ladera Street in the south. This portion of the 18-acre Linear Section of the park is complemented by a hillside component which encompasses land at the south end of the park. Parking in the lot just off Ladera Street gives easy access to both sections of the park, and is often more plentiful than parking along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. If parking in the lot, begin the trail on the north end of the parking lot, which immediately descends with a few stairs. Follow the trail along a 1.5 mile stretch of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard before turning back to return to your car.

Sunset Cliffs Linear Park trail map

Dramatic ocean views and impressive cliffs overlooking pocket beaches are the hallmark of this park. The sandstone cliffs erode naturally with wave action, though this process is dramatically hastened by urban runoff. A walk along the Linear Section of the park shows many examples of human-caused erosion. In some areas, one must venture onto sections of the main road, however, these sections are separated from traffic by small barriers. If you visit the park between December and March, head down to one of the benches near the intersection of Hill Street to look for migrating gray whales in the distance. This is also a great spot to watch sea birds such as pelicans, western gulls, and cormorants glide above the ocean’s surface. The stairs at the corner of Ladera Street and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard offer a breathtaking journey down the cliffs to the north end of Garbage Beach which can be explored at low tide.

View of the cliffs

As you observe the vegetation throughout the park, many of the plants you will encounter are invasive species. These plants evolved in other geographic areas and were brought to California. They often spread rapidly and make habitat unsuitable for animals that once called the area home. While they add color to the landscape, their sinister effects on the area’s ecology should not be overlooked. Crystalline iceplant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) with succulent leaves, Prickly-Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) which resembles a very spiky tumbleweed, Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) with bright yellow flowers and heart-shaped leaves, the wide-leaved Cheeseweed (Malva parviora), and Garland Daisy (Glebionis coronaria) with lacey leaves and cheery flowers are abundant. In contrast to these invasive species, California encelia or sunflower (Encelia californica) is a native shrub that blooms abundantly in the spring months and adds a welcome sunflower-yellow flower to the cliffs. Heading south from the parking lot, you will notice a revegetated area that is filled with native species including juvenile Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana).

Sponsored
Sponsored

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park — Linear Section

Distance from downtown San Diego: approximately 9 miles. Allow 20 minutes driving time (Point Loma). From I-5 N take I-8 W until the terminus then turn south (left) onto Sunset Cliffs Boulevard for 3.2 miles. At the end veer to the left onto Ladera Street. Park in the signed parking lot towards the end of Ladera Street. Alternatively, intermittent parking can be found along Sunset Cliffs Blvd past the intersection with Adair Street. Facilities in the Ladera Street parking lot.

Hiking length: 3.0 miles round trip.

Difficulty: Easy. Minimal change in elevation (less than 50 feet). Check tide schedule.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

A history of the house on the hill at Ivanhoe Ranch

From Apolinaria Lorenzana to Jane Goodall
Next Article

Live Five: Andrew Peña, Frankie J, Beat Farmers, Jesse LaMonaca, Puddles Pity Party

Latin, roots rock, and pity parties in Mission Beach, Little Italy, El Cajon
Sunset Cliffs Linear Park-View of the natural bridge
Sunset Cliffs Linear Park-View of the natural bridge

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, a 68-acre City of San Diego regional park, offers spectacular sunset viewing, as implied by the name, however beauty can be found at any time of day. The park is most commonly enjoyed as a 1.5-mile walk along sheer cliff faces along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard from its intersection with Adair Street in the north to Ladera Street in the south. This portion of the 18-acre Linear Section of the park is complemented by a hillside component which encompasses land at the south end of the park. Parking in the lot just off Ladera Street gives easy access to both sections of the park, and is often more plentiful than parking along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. If parking in the lot, begin the trail on the north end of the parking lot, which immediately descends with a few stairs. Follow the trail along a 1.5 mile stretch of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard before turning back to return to your car.

Sunset Cliffs Linear Park trail map

Dramatic ocean views and impressive cliffs overlooking pocket beaches are the hallmark of this park. The sandstone cliffs erode naturally with wave action, though this process is dramatically hastened by urban runoff. A walk along the Linear Section of the park shows many examples of human-caused erosion. In some areas, one must venture onto sections of the main road, however, these sections are separated from traffic by small barriers. If you visit the park between December and March, head down to one of the benches near the intersection of Hill Street to look for migrating gray whales in the distance. This is also a great spot to watch sea birds such as pelicans, western gulls, and cormorants glide above the ocean’s surface. The stairs at the corner of Ladera Street and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard offer a breathtaking journey down the cliffs to the north end of Garbage Beach which can be explored at low tide.

View of the cliffs

As you observe the vegetation throughout the park, many of the plants you will encounter are invasive species. These plants evolved in other geographic areas and were brought to California. They often spread rapidly and make habitat unsuitable for animals that once called the area home. While they add color to the landscape, their sinister effects on the area’s ecology should not be overlooked. Crystalline iceplant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) with succulent leaves, Prickly-Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) which resembles a very spiky tumbleweed, Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) with bright yellow flowers and heart-shaped leaves, the wide-leaved Cheeseweed (Malva parviora), and Garland Daisy (Glebionis coronaria) with lacey leaves and cheery flowers are abundant. In contrast to these invasive species, California encelia or sunflower (Encelia californica) is a native shrub that blooms abundantly in the spring months and adds a welcome sunflower-yellow flower to the cliffs. Heading south from the parking lot, you will notice a revegetated area that is filled with native species including juvenile Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana).

Sponsored
Sponsored

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park — Linear Section

Distance from downtown San Diego: approximately 9 miles. Allow 20 minutes driving time (Point Loma). From I-5 N take I-8 W until the terminus then turn south (left) onto Sunset Cliffs Boulevard for 3.2 miles. At the end veer to the left onto Ladera Street. Park in the signed parking lot towards the end of Ladera Street. Alternatively, intermittent parking can be found along Sunset Cliffs Blvd past the intersection with Adair Street. Facilities in the Ladera Street parking lot.

Hiking length: 3.0 miles round trip.

Difficulty: Easy. Minimal change in elevation (less than 50 feet). Check tide schedule.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Fix it Clinic, Gaslamp Holiday Pet Parade

Events December 14-December 18, 2024
Next Article

National City to junk permissive land-use code

Airbnb regs would be like Chula Vista's
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader