Dog owners know Ocean Beach’s Dog Beach as a great spot to let their four-legged friends have some off-leash fun, but its also the point where the San Diego River flows into the Pacific Ocean – and the start of the San Diego River Trail. The estuary, where ocean salt water and fresh river water mix, is a wonderfully interesting ecosystem great for watching birds and other wildlife.
This section of the San Diego River Trail is a flat, paved path along the bank of the river. There are some other, unpaved trails that wind through the estuary and along the water’s edge, making for a beautiful and varied hike with cool ocean breezes. The exact route and distance available to you in the estuary area will vary based on the tides and water levels, but it’s a fun walk no matter when you go.
It was warm and muggy as we got out of the car, and we were grateful for the occasional breeze that blew in from the water. From the parking lot we headed up the cement walkway to find the trailhead.
The paved path led east, away from the beach.
After about .1 mile we came to a trail leading down into the dunes and turned left. There’s a network of interconnecting trails throughout this area to explore.
We wandered about, heading generally east, keeping our eyes open for birds flitting through the brush all around us.
We continued east as far as we could, eventually meeting water. We spotted an egret hunting in the shallows.
We turned north and walked along the water’s edge, preparing to circle back. We spotted a bunch of tiny crabs in the damp sand, scrambling back into their holes as we approached.
We turned west and walked along the water’s edge for a bit.
We turned south and made our way back to the paved path and once again headed east.
We had nice views of the estuary on our left.
We passed the sports fields at Robb Field on our right (there are some bathrooms over there if you need to stop), and further up was a Skate Park.
We made our way as far as Sunset Cliffs Boulevard – the path continues under the overpass, or you can go up to the street here. But we decided to save further exploration for another day and turned around at this point.
Directions:
Take I-8 west until it ends, then turn left onto Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Follow Sunset Cliffs Blvd for approximately .5 mile, then turn right onto West Point Loma Blvd. Follow West Point Loma Blvd for approximately .5 mile, then turn right onto Voltaire Street. Continue a short distance on Voltaire Street to the Ocean Beach parking lot. map
| Total Distance: | 3 miles |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Total Ascent: | Negligible |
| Dog Friendly?: | Varies by area – refer to the City of San Diego’s website for details and pay attention to signs along the trail |
| Bike Friendly?: | Bikes allowed on paved section |
| Facilities: | Bathrooms and water available near parking and at Robb Field |
| Fees/Permits: | None |
For more information, visit:
City of San Diego – Ocean Beach
San Diego River Park Foundation
View route or download GPX from CalTopo
