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    Beach Trail

    4.6 (118 reviews)

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    Off the boardwalk/trail from North Parking lot to walk the rest of the way to the pier
    John S.

    One of the most enjoyable things to do in Orange County, in good weather. Yes, you can walk from the North Beach parking lot trail to the pier now (I did it on May 27th), however the trail/boardwalk is closed at around the bridge. All you need to do, however, is exit to the beach at that point. You can also walk the entire way on the beach.

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    Jo S.

    Still love it and it's beautiful! But a tad of warning, just walked the Trail this past Saturday and a part of it it's closed due to a storm (I guess it's going on for a year). Near Mariposa, a nice local man helped us when we saw the fence ahead. We walked up the stairs and walked through a neighborhood and we were trying to find another way down further down. Another nice local lady who was walking her dog saw us and maybe our looks seemed confused, she showed us the way! Otherwise, we wouldn't have found it, it seems like you go through somebody's yard. Don't hesitate to ask local people to retract back on the trail, they are kind and helpful! Otherwise, great walk, amazing views and nature alongside the track and the ocean with great spots to admire the beach and take photos. Nothing can beat this walk on a sunny day! Paradise!

    Sign
    Elisa G.

    I always enjoy walking on this beautiful beach path and today, Easter Sunday 4/20/25 was even better than I remembered. Phenomenal views and watching the sunset is so incredible!! I'm at the cutest dog on this trail, she was a Basenji and she looked like my dog that I had a while back. And then I saw another Basenji, which was super exciting and made my Easter Sunday phenomenal. Thank you, San Clemente Beach walk for being so beautiful and groomed and easy to walk at least 5 easy miles

    Madeline S.

    The San Clemente Beach trails has some of the best views in the city! It feels clean and safe. You can walk from T-street, the pier and North Beach. No E-bikes are allowed thankfully. You'll see people walking their dogs, walking as a family, jogging and exercising. It's one of my favorite parts about this beautiful beach town! Great place to come and refresh and feel very grateful for this beautiful city!

    Jeremy J.

    Beautiful place to walk/run. I go here as much as possible to workout and to relax. It stretches from North Beach to Califia beach.San Clemente Beach Trail is one of the most beautiful trails ever! It is parallel with the ocean and the train tracks. A perfect walk to enjoy the Southern California weather, people watch and train watch and then enjoy some good eats in San Clemente.

    Rhiannon H.

    Beautiful trail for a stroll, it's relatively easy and flat. Should be fine for kids or older people. Trail is dirt, not always shaded so bring some sun protection. Parking is paid, you have several options depending on where you want to start/end your walk. Overall beautifully kept & well maintained. I'll be back!

    Flowering succulents along the trail
    Frank F.

    A nice trail to walk, look out over the ocean and get some fresh air. It's a great place to walk your dog, with well defined trails and nice flowering succulents along the sides of the path. The trail offers a few areas where you can cross the train tracks and enjoy the beach. Be careful and aware while walking because at times bicycles can move up on you rapidly attempting to pass. I like to park at the North Beach parking lot, although it can feel a bit sketchy at times. From there, you can head south, enjoy a nice walk to the pier, restaurant and shopping area. The eateries offer some outside dining, where you can enjoy a meal near the fresh ocean air. It's definitely a nice relaxing way to spend an afternoon. You can get a little exercise, take some photos and enjoy a view of the coastline.

    Lindsay K.

    This trail is so convenient! Not only is it perfect for running, hiking, biking and walking but it's also great if you're camping in San Clemente or at the State Beach parking and want to walk up to the Pier to grab something to eat. It is very accessible and connects all the way to Doheney. The views of the ocean and cliffs are gorgeous and it spans from paved, to fine gravel to wooden bridge. It's a great connection trail between Dana Point and San Clemente.

    Travis T.

    I really enjoy jogging on this trail! The San Clemente Beach Trail runs along the coastline for over 2 miles next to some train tracks. You get some amazing views of the ocean and a nice cool breeze to go with it. Parts of it are paved and others parts of it are sand. It's dog friendly and people usually walk, jog, or ride their bikes on it. The most common spots to access the trail and park your car are at the San Clemente Pier, North Beach and Calafia State Park. I grabbed a coffee and walked around the San Clemente Pier recently. The Pier is located pretty close to the halfway point of the trail. I ended up jogging the trail for a good mile and really enjoyed the cloudy morning while listening to the ocean. It is such a beautiful trail and full of activity. It looks like lots of locals jog it early in the mornings. The San Clemente Trail has helpful signage with a map at various points so you know where you are at. This is much appreciated by out-of-town folks like me.

    Valerie K.

    This is definitely a must see while in SoCal! We went on a Monday afternoon and it wasn't too crowded and parking was only $1.50 per hour which was very reasonable. Nice and easy walk along the trail for every level. They have areas for picnicking and playgrounds for kids. I has fun on the swings!

    Jessie A.

    Walked this trail and LOVE it! I think the entire span is a little over 5miles along the beach. It's flat and an easy walk. There are restaurants and cafes, little straw shady areas, picnic benches and of course the beach. Perfect for a nice stroll, chill day, or quick meal.

    A bridge in the trail
    Jodi H.

    This runs for a few miles. It's a dirt pass for bikers, trail runners and good old fashion walking. You can hear the waves, but for much of the trail there's large rocks with only small breaks where you can see people playing in the water and surfing out in the distance. But you never can beat that lovely sound of the waves rolling in. It's a whole different venue than some of the other beaches that have paved paths. Stay on the path long enough you'll run into the pier. Overall any beach experience to me is quite the exuberant experience and lovely. Bring your dogs on a leash and enjoy the view; but mostly just enjoy the sound of the breeze & the waves.

    Park at north beach.... come before 9a.
    Sharon H.

    For sure if u plan to come here, do not follow the directions on Yelp. Instead, listen to others and park at North Beach. Parking is ONLY $1/day if u get there before 9a. Easy peasy.... I wish this was closer to where I live... I definitely enjoyed the ocean view and waves.... and dolphins. The only thing I really didn't care for was when the trains were going by and blew the horn.... aside from that, love this walking/running trail. Great for dog walks too. There are plenty of restrooms and it's kept clean.

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    7 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Beautiful hiking area in San Clemente Beach always a lot cooler here in this area near the ocean

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    1 year ago

    A perfect day exploring! Beautiful view of the beach and the trill of watching the metro line go by!!

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    2 years ago

    A beautiful walk with lots of friendly people! Go there on a Saturday morning and you'll set yourself up for a great weekend.

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    4 years ago

    Such a nice trail. There were lots of people that morning but enough room to share the trail. Dog friendly and nice breeze along the beach.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Beach Trail

    Review Highlights - Beach Trail

    There is also a beautiful iron footbridge north of the pier that takes you through a narrow section of the beach.

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    Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail - Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail Map from City of San Clemente

    Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail

    4.3(7 reviews)
    8.0 km

    Great fully paved hike. We started at the south end of the hike, which was a gradual decline for…read morethe most part. Definitely felt the gradual incline on the way back! Finding the trail entry was a bit of a search, I'd recommend parking at Ave Salvador and Calle Monserrat. There's a green and yellow sign for the start of the trail and plenty of neighborhood parking. Would highly recommend for a nice day outdoors.

    So, paved paths are my favorite find considering I have to tote my 18 month around in a stroller &…read moreI easily get bored with sticking to the beach trail/seeing the same view every day. There are definitely some not so very stroller friendly parts of this trail unless you're looking for a hardcore leg workout! We ended up ditching the stroller at the bottom of the hill with the benches so we could get up the steep incline to absorb the view. My 18 month old did better than I did walking up this monster...good lord I am out of shape. Beautiful view though all around though! It's a nice little getaway from city life while being able to observe the city below you. Don't follow the vague directions listed on the SoCal hiking website that say to park at the end of Calle Cordillera unless you like being confused, worried about all of no trespassing signs, & lost like me. However, if you're like me & you're already frustrated trying to find a trailhead after following the above directions: pass the gates clearly marked private property/utility access road (you daredevil) and FOLLOW the winding paved road all the way up. You will come across an "intersection" of the trail going through this utility road. You should see a water tower standing in front of you as well. If you make a right, it's a short hike to the top where the benches are. If you make a left, I'm assuming there are more trail options. Looking at google maps, it seems you can park at the end of La Pata around the Richard Steed Park and reach it from there as well. Oh and don't forget to say hi to the friendly people and their dogs! I got a nice little doggie kiss from a friendly Golden Retriever this morning

    Photos
    Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail - Stretching !!

    Stretching !!

    Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail - ...pet selfie at the top of the hill. the little guy is #pooped!

    ...pet selfie at the top of the hill. the little guy is #pooped!

    Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail - ...selfie stick fun!

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    ...selfie stick fun!

    Roller Coaster Trail

    Roller Coaster Trail

    4.5(4 reviews)
    14.5 km

    If biking this is an excellent trail, but if walking it is a bit of an effort to get up the hill,…read morewhich can be muddy, and 20 minutes to get into the back canyons with the scenery. I would try to get to those canyons via another route. Parking is easy and plentiful.

    It's all in the name! This trail mimics a roller coaster. We came here yesterday for a morning hike…read morewith the doggos and it got pretty hot by the end. It's a hiking and mountain biking trail so be aware of your surroundings if you're hiking, especially with a big group. I don't know how many groups I saw walking 4-5 people across, but I guess that's just hiking etiquette in general. With steep ups and downs, this trail is lined with beautiful flowers and plants. It has several offshoot trails, making the trail itself open to multiple routes. At the top it gives a nice view of the surrounding San Clemente area and the Harbor. We've been before on a spring afternoon, and I have to say that's the best time of year to come. It's after the morning fog burns off and you get clear views of the ocean with lush tall green grass and gorgeous wildflowers everywhere. As with all trails in this area, be careful to look out for snakes. Other than that, it's a semi-challenging 4.5 mile loop with great views while getting a nice little workout in. This would be a great training loop for backpacking-steep steep grades for uphill and downhill training. Bring water, wear appropriate shoes with treads and wear sunscreen-totally exposed trail.

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    Roller Coaster Trail
    Roller Coaster Trail
    Roller Coaster Trail

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    Thousand Steps Beach - 8/13/22 - Can you spot baby fishies? There were some in here.

    Thousand Steps Beach

    4.5(806 reviews)
    23.2 km

    1000 Steps Beach in Laguna Beach (off PCH and 9th) is absolutely worth the visit! First off, don't…read morelet the name intimidate you, the stairs are not literally 1000 steps one way or even round trip... unless you decide to go up and down a few times, then yeah, you'll definitely hit that number!! We went on a Monday and it was pretty busy lots of college-aged people, maybe even some high schoolers, but the beach itself still felt pretty secluded, and there were hardly any kids around maybe like a handful of them. It was overcast when we went, which actually made it perfect, not too hot and super comfortable. Parking is street parking only, just make sure to read the signs carefully. Once you head down, you'll find restrooms and showers right at the bottom of the stairs, which is super convenient. The restroom is clean earlier in the day (before noon), but like most beach spots, it gets a bit wet as the day goes on. There's plenty of space to set up and relax. One thing to watch out for--seagulls! They will go after your food, so definitely cover it with towels if you're hopping in the water. The stairs themselves are pretty narrow, and people usually stick to one side going down and the other going up, so just be mindful and take your time, they tend to also get wet as the day goes on so it's a little slippery.

    Thousand Steps Beach feels like a hidden gem... if you're willing to earn it…read more The walk down is definitely a workout, though it didn't feel anywhere close to 1,000 steps. Still, the stairs are steep, so caution is needed both going down and coming back up. After spending the day at the beach, that climb somehow feels like 2,000+ steps and hits way harder than expected, so it's best to pace yourself. The beach itself is nice, calming, and clean, which makes the effort worth it. It's a great spot to relax once you're finally down there. Pro tip: pack light. If you bring every single beach "necessity," you will regret it on the way back up. I'm giving this place 4 stars, and the main reason it's not 5 is the parking situation. Parking is honestly horrifying. Parking lot is limited, and street parking is competitive, and mildly stressful before you even touch the steps. Amazing beach, great vibes, killer workout... just come prepared and patient.

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    Thousand Steps Beach - Steps Down

    Steps Down

    Thousand Steps Beach
    Thousand Steps Beach - 1000 steps lifeguard at top of the steps on PCH

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    1000 steps lifeguard at top of the steps on PCH

    204's - Meditation Pyramid on the Beach http://www.orgoneemfprotection.com

    204's

    4.7(3 reviews)
    11.2 km

    I go to this place a lot. Not always to lay out at the beach, but to run the stairs. The beach…read moreaccess or beach trail access is by stairs from the above residential street up on the top of the cliff. Running or walking the stairs is an excellent workout. I stop halfway sometimes (there are benches on both sides, so you can get out of the way of the stairs) and do some extra exercises by the benches. Beautiful view! A lot of people also go surfing here and usually go halfway done the stairs to check the surf out. It has direct access to the beach trail that goes along the San Clemente coast line. The shore is not very long, so at high tide sometimes it may be hard to lay out or you might get swept out to sea - you can't say I didn't wan you! haha.

    This is one of the best and most hidden beaches in San Clemente! For many reasons one of them being…read moretheres FREE parking on the street above! The surf is generally pretty good here I mostly believe that it's due to the fact that there is a small reef not to far from the beach. Keep in mind that the tide here is usually pretty high this is not the type of beach to bust out the lawn chairs at unless you wanna go swimming for them! The name 204's some will say it comes from how many steps there are but I believe it's deprived from the sign on the train tracks that says 204 not sure what its meaning is to the trains but the name has definitely stuck over the years. I've spent countless days on this beach over my years of growing up in San Clemente and every time it's been fun I will keep coming back to this beach because of the location it's beautiful and a great place to just chill and ease your thoughts or to catch some waves! Ride On!

    Photos
    204's - New Stairs!

    New Stairs!

    204's - The trail from the street to the beach starts here!

    The trail from the street to the beach starts here!

    204's - Hike it!

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    Hike it!

    Beach Trail - beaches - Updated May 2026

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