There are two small parking lots, so parking is convenient. The hiking route is relatively short, making it perfect for a relaxing walk. From here you can overlook the Pacific Ocean and Highway 1. If you come around sunset, the view should be especially beautiful. read more

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There are gorgeous views of the ocean from the trail. We were there in the early afternoon on a November day in the mid-70's. The ocean breeze felt great and kept us cool enough for light sweatshirts. But my sister who lives in a nearby community says it can get very hot in the late Spring through early Fall. Id like to try it out for trail running, though I can see how it might be slick, with its coarse sand trail on wood ties for stairs; it's metal stairs in other places. read more

Great place to walk with your pup. It's a clean and well maintained trail. A few stairs in the beginning, but the view makes you forget about the 3- 5 minute climb!! There are different paths you can take to make the walk longer but my 14yr old dog has made my adventure a bit shorter so I can't comment about what else is out there to explore. Enjoy! The view is 10/10!! read more

To give you an idea of how much I enjoy this trail I've done it both twice and for the first time this summer. Figure that out. Ha. Ocean views , clean air,and one with nature . Fellow hikers are mostly nice and social distance . One even took the time to point out a flatter, less stair filled pathway for me . So yeah be aware that depending on the trail you choose portions of the trail have stairs that go up and down.I think you can get a different trail experience every time you go depending on which path you choose . My first time on the trail I came across a cracked egg shell on some stairs. I looked around to see if I could spy baby, but no.My second time on the trail it let out in a residential area. During the day it can get hot and there are no shaded areas or fountains so you may want to bring a drink. read more

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Conclusion : the best trail with breathtaking view requires minimal effort. When driving passing San Clemente on the N El Camino Real, you will see the train track on the right side ;before E Avenida Pico rd, you will also see some trails along the hillside. Have you ever wondered how to get to the trail? It took me a while to figure out because there's no obvious sign and parking from the El Camino Real. Perhaps it's more a neighborhood trail/park. There are two parks with access to the trail, both with a small parking lot and clean public restroom. Direction: -Pico Park: @the corner of E Avenida Pico and N El Camino Real. https://www.yelp.com/biz/pico-park-san-clemente -Vista Del Sol Park: Turn south onto Avenida Costa Azul from W Avenida Vista Hermosa. After the roundabout, keep straight the road will end in the parking lot of the park. https://www.yelp.com/biz/vista-del-sol-park-san-clemente Good time to visit: Morning or late afternoon, sunset is amazing and changes during the season. No shade so it could get hot during the day. If you just want short walk to the vista point for the view, it's totally flat from Vista Del Sol Park parking lot and involving minimal effort to enjoy the breathtaking view. (this part is also wheelchair accessible). The trails does not all connected but it's short so don't panic if you find yourself lost and have to turn back. Good for daily workout because lot of stairs can get intense. It's short, total won't take more than 30 mins. Very clean and well maintained trails providing dog waste bags and trash can everywhere. Lot of benches to sit and rest. If you are visiting Outlet at San Clemente, this trail is just 5 mins south of it and much much better than the outlet IMHO:XD read more

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I found this trail on Yelp and decided to check it out because it mentioned this trail has access to San Clemente beach! There is no actual parking lot and you cannot park on the street, since it's on a main street. I truly believe it's for local residences. I parked at the outlets across the street and walked over. It was a nice, peaceful walk on a dirt trail. The trail has lots of forks in the road and wasn't labeled. I had trouble finding my way. Once the trail is about to end, you are confronted with like a dozen flight of stairs and there is NO beach access!!! It was a long freaking walk to the beach!!! Also I walked around the beach and saw the sunset. The only bad idea, was the beach itself does not have lights and this trail back to my car, also does not have lights. This is a simple trail to enjoy nature. read more

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Fantastic hiking trail with a combination of flat land and steps. The best part is the gorgeous sea view. There are plenty of mini trails so you can easily decide how long you want your workout to be. This trail is not shaded at all so could be brutal in the summer. Parking - I'm not sure where the best place to park would be. I parked at Pico Park for free and also used their clean restrooms before the hike. read more

Sea Summit At Marblehead Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Clemente, California

Awesome trails, very clean and great views. No trees for protection though. Difficult to find the trail from Jim Johnson Sports Park. Head out of park on foot and turn right (Vista Hermosa) to find the signs to the trail. read more

Excellent place to take a hike overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Excellent place to climb up and down stairs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Excellent place to stop on your bike between Dana Point and San Clemente to take a hike or stair workout to supplement your ride. Bathrooms available. Other hikers are friendly. Many live in the area. Only thing that is annoying is lots of dogs, and too many off the leash, and some poop not cleaned up. Look down while you hike lest you take some of the poop factory back to your place. Note to all dog owners: Dogs do not like running, climbing stairs, and hiking. They rather be at the mall shopping or home watching animal planet. read more

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Beautiful views and well paved hiking trail. Only negative is the trail doesn't go on for very long but it is still worth a stop ! read more

Sea Summit At Marblehead Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Such a nice walk! This would be great to bring kiddos, and it has a beautiful view of the beach. I came here at sunset just for the view. And it was beautiful. You can hear the ocean, and so many great views read more

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Great trail for dog walking or jogging. You really can't beat the view (you follow along the coast line and can see the ocean from most of the trail). It does have a stairs (although I think there is a wheel chair accessible area too) so be prepared for that. I'm not sure how long it is in total...it doesn't wrap around. We did about a 1.5 and didn't get to all of it. As far as parking, we mapped and drove to Avenida Costa Azul. At the end of the street you get to a park (with restrooms) that has a couple dozen parking spaces. read more

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I like this trail although there is a lot of construction work in the area but when that is over I believe the landscape will be looking good.. 1. Kind of short but you can easily access the beach trail and continue walking along the beach or the railway 2. Good for biking 3. Parking is easy but if you couldn't find a parking spot it is easier to use the San clemente outlets parking and just cross the street. 4. No sign of snakes or whatsoever read more

Sea Summit At Marblehead Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Clemente, California

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This place is beautiful! I recommend early or late afternoon hikes here. Not much shade. It has wide trails that's great for double strollers and provides easy access for handicaps that need space for wheelchair. The views are amazing!!! My 5yr old loves coming here and we sit at the bench... stare at the beautiful blue ocean and eat snacks! ;) Bring your water. Bring your kids. Go out! Enjoy nature. It's free!!! ;) and bring your camera! U will love the views!!! And it's just a skip to the San Clemente Outlet Stores!!! ;) read more

Sea Summit At Marblehead Trail - The views are just amazing! - Hiking Near Me - San Clemente, California

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For an interesting trail unlike the ones I've seen in LA, try Sea Summit at Marblehead Trail. There is no designated parking lot at this point, so I suggest going to the other side of the canyon and park in the residential area near the mormon church and start your walk there. Cross streets: Camino San Clemente and Via Socorro. Right across the mormon church is Via Bellas Artes and Via Artemesia. You'll see a huge housing development going on, and mostly the roads/sidewalks are built. Keep following the road and then you will see the trail head: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sea-summit-at-marblehead-trail-san-clemente?select=2383D2FO28U0kYMp17VUpg Once past this point, the dirt paths await you. If you head towards the bluffs and look down, you can see the beachfront homes and El Camino Real http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sea-summit-at-marblehead-trail-san-clemente?select=WZCJH9F2DfM_Ch-Pv3uweQ and the Pacific Ocean below. Cars will be the size of a small bug. You're going to be pretty high up for this view. Sea Summit has some wheelchair accessible paths but to get close to see the ocean, you'll need to take some stairs. We saw some parents lifting a stroller over their shoulders up and down the stairs like slaves lifting royalty on a throne (but just the throne - no babies were inside as far as we could tell). There were, some preserved wetlands, some man-made wetlands, and some habitat area (seemed to be in the works or nonexistent) but I didn't notice until I looked at the map. There was a boat ramp for some reason, but access to the bottom was restricted. The cons about this trail: It doesn't seem bike friendly even though the map shows bike paths. Well it's all dirt and not worth taking the bike because if you want to enjoy more of Sea Summit, you will need to brave the stairs if you want to see the ocean and carrying your bike is no fun. There are no big trees to provide shade. I don't recall any benches or shade at all. Also, the paths are not quite circular or connects with one another so you'll need to plan you path carefully...most likely backtrack unless you can get dropped off at one point and picked up at another so that you can make the most out of Sea Summit. For example, if you want to start near the housing development and end up near Avenida Pico or even El Camino Real, not having to walk back the same way you came back to your car will be tricky as there are several canyons separating the trail paths. Be sure to park legally and read signs. We saw from across the canyon a police SUV chasing a passenger car away from parking his or her vehicle in some dirt area And, as always, bring enough water because there are no vendors. Hats and sun protection because there is no shade. Overall, pretty cool place to spend an hour or two. read more

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The views are beautiful and the trails are fun! I was curious and decided to wander over here to see for myself, what everyone was talking about. I ended up walking the trails for a couple hours and eating my breakfast up here. The trails are great and well made. They are wide enough for a double stroller or wheelchair. There are also designated paths that do not have stairs, that a wheel chair could handle-- with easy access from the parking area. The views are amazing! I am a local to San Clemente, and I was even blown away with the great views of the ocean and south SC. There are benches on every trail, to enjoy! I took my 2 old dogs here and the trails were easy enough for them to handle and love. There are signs that say they allow dogs, as long as you keep them leashed, and there are dog bag stations through out. I would recommend coming early, to skip the crowds and the heat, since there is not much shade. So bring some sunscreen, kids, dogs, and enjoy being outside taking in the view! read more

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Gorgeous view! Several stairs to climb & get your heart rate up. I parked in the new housing development area, because I didn't see any "marked" parking lot for the trails. I'm sure once the construction in the immediate area is complete, that won't be an issue. Bring water & maybe wear a hat, as there isn't any shade unless you walk down particular sets of stairs. Did I mention the view? read more

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Good place to work out and be motivated by the beauty of the ocean! If you have a hard time looking forward to working out, this trail will make you want to get up early and work out. read more

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This is such a beautiful trail with amazing views. It is perfect for running and walking. It is a dirt trail but it is packed tightly so it is not really loose dirt. It is really well maintained. Something to note is that there are some stairs in some parts of the trail. But not too many. My parents live in Sea Summit so I literally take these trails from their house all the way down to the Metrolink station and continue on the beach trail down there. There are signs that show where to go and there are also plaques and stuff that display history of San Clemente. I know that some locals to San Clemente were not happy about the development of sea summit but honestly it turned out really nicely and I believe these trails are a great addition to San Clemente. Million dollar views of the ocean for sure, can't be beat. read more

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I wandered over here today thinking I would just take a look around the new housing that was being built. I ended up seeing the trailhead and decided to take a little stroll. 3 miles later, I had covered most of the developed trails, and found this to be a wonderful area for a good cardio workout. These trails and this new park, which will probably look a lot better in the coming years as the coastal sage scrub begins to fill-in, are a good example of a partnership that was hammered out between the developer of Sea Summit / Marblehead and the community. This area has a long history, and much of it was actually a sewage treatment facility from the 1930s up until it was closed and removed in the 1980s. The land has been restored, and those ponds are retention basins used to collect and treat stormwater runoff per Federal and CA water quality laws. Those are not boat ramps that go down there, those are access roads for utility equipment. Fortunately, today was warm, but partly cloudy so the sun was not too bad. The next time I walk here though, I will bring a widebrimmed hat and some water. The stairs are interesting and fun, and this is definitely not the sort of trail to take if you're looking for a leisurely flat stroll, although there are portions of this park that fit that description. Currently, you can access the northern end of the San Clemente Beach Trail by walking down to the access to El Camino Real, walking past the Metrolink station, and connecting at North Beach. From there, one can walk all the way through the San Clemente beach area to Calafia Beach, and if one is intrepid enough, on down to Cotton's Point and Trestles. That would make for a very long day of walking, but a spectacular walk it is. I've done all of that in sections, one day I might do it all at once... read more

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I like the trails and I go frequently with my dog. There are a lot of stairs so it may not be ideal for those who have challenges walking. You can walk by the beautiful homes of sea Summit and then stroll above PCH to enjoy beautiful ocean views. If you just want a 30-40 minute hike it's great. I park for free at Pico park. Restrooms available. read more

Oh my goodness. Everyone was nice and energized and wished us a GOOD MORNING. The trail itself is easy and level but my friend and I made it difficult. What do I mean by that? Well we did lunges and squats and I like to call "the crab walk" on every staircase/steps we saw. The view is amazing, the air is clean and the view of the ocean is breath taking. We went on a Thursday and we are now calling it "THICK THIGH THURSDAY" For obvious reasons. See you guys again on Thursday! read more

Now that more of the trail is opened up, it's worth it to go check it out for a change of scenery, but be forewarned: It's supposedly wheelchair accessible and has a bike trial. However, either they were poorly planned or they aren't finished yet because you still hit areas where you are suddenly faced with stairs, which makes for a hell of a time (or workout) if you're pushing a baby in a stroller. Some of those stairs are a killer of a workout even if you're on your own! If you want you can even pop out at the El Camino Real exit and walk right over to the beach trail for more mileage. Check out Canyon View Park off Ave Costa Azul/Ave Vista Hermosa , more parking has opened up there, and it's a good spot for a pitstop. read more

Cool trail system with great views of the ocean. Tons of signage and trash cans along with facilities including drinking fountains, bathrooms and play sets for the kids. Lots of stairs but it's a good workout , my dog loved it. read more

Very nice trail with views of the ocean. Mostly flat. Some stairs. Great to take kids and dogs since it's an easy walk.

Great view of the ocean. Can make your hike add intense as you want by adding in extra stairs. read more

Sea Summit At Marblehead Trail - Hiking Near Me - San Clemente, California

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It's hard to find the beginning of the trail but it's neat how it goes down towards the beach. What's nice is you can shop afterwards.

Amazing new trails. I love the views. There's different routes you can take on the trail, and is perfect to take my daughter in her jogging stroller. The trails are very well maintained, without any rocks in the way so it's also good for biking and jogging. read more

Great trail, best early or later in the day. Not very shade friendly, or stroller friendly. Enjoy the sunset and sunrise, Pet friendly, if your pet can tackle stairs. Plan ahead for parking. read more

Great trail workout close to home. Stairs galore give a good work out and you can change it up by taking paths in different directions. Wear sunblock and bring water. Plenty of benches if you want a spot to read a good book as well. read more