San Diego, CA (Black’s Beach)

Want to know where you can experience San Diego’s very own nude beach, an abandoned building, AND a unique hike all in one?!

LOOK NO FURTHER, because Black’s Beach has all three of those (don’t worry, you can totally avoid the nude beach)!

Length: .6 miles

Difficulty: Intermediate

HISTORY

The beach is named after the Black family, who purchased the 248 acres in the 1940’s. With Del Mar Fairgrounds in the works, the Blacks decided to invest in what was supposed to be an incredible horse farm. Their horse farm never lived up to its expectation and the family eventually sold their land.

Today, you can find a row of mansions lined up by the cliffs.

Concealed between two of those mansions is a trail leading to one of San Diego’s many hidden gems.

The Hike

Just like with any hike, the early bird gets the worm.

Free street parking is available in front of the mansions (make sure to turn your wheels the right way if parked uphill, so you don’t get ticketed)!

The trail is tucked in between two properties, so I’ve snagged a picture that should help in locating the entrance.

The beginning looks like a regular dirt trail.

Stay patient and keep going.

A little further up, you will get a taste of what you’re up against.

The trail will first offer you an obstacle..

… before thinning out and giving you nothing but faith to hold on to.

This is NOT the hard part of the trail, by the way!

Keep going and you’ll experience an incredible view..

..and find the entrance to the slots:

I hope you like tight spaces!

When you exit, this is where the real fun begins.

You’ll have to be very careful here, because many hikers have had to get med-evac’d or seriously injured themselves by slipping.

Some parts will be very slim and slanted..

.. while others will widen out and allow you to catch your breath, before introducing you to the cliffs again.

You’ll find a beautiful opportunity to take a photo right before the end!

Then be ready to get dirty, because you’re gonna have to slide…

Once you’re down at the beach, you can either take a right (North) and head to the nude beach or turn left (South) and explore an abandoned mushroom house.

These coordinates will lead you right to the trail entrance: 32.8852, -117.2492

While you’re here, don’t forget to explore and take pictures!

There have been dogs on this trail, but because of the dangerous cliffs I’ve decided to explore without them this time.

I will update as soon as I take them!

Anyway, what are you waiting for?

Pack your bags, grab your pawtners, and Follow Me Into The Wild!