Hike to Black's Beach via the Gliderport
2 Miles
350 Feet
Chillin, Photography, Hiking
Intermediate
Year Round
Out-and-Back
In the early morning hours, the world is your oyster. Soak up the tranquility of this secluded paradise before sunrise and experience one of Southern California's most rare and sought-after states: peace and quiet.
Park at the Torrey Pines Gliderport, which is conveniently empty before sunrise. The hike down to Black's Beach features a steep hike down a winding path of natural and manmade steps along the cliff face, but stay left and cruise the bluff for endless opportunities to observe, reflect and explore off the beaten path in the solitude of the predawn hours. When you're ready, take the main trail down or find your own way down to Black's for a 3.5 mile stretch of black sand beaches and killer surf.
It should be noted that this is a clothing-optional beach and cameras might be greeted with mixed reactions if there are people looking to take advantage of this beach's (lack of) swimwear policy!
Black's Beach is part of the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and is the Southern end of some of the most beautiful and pristine views of the Southern California coast - use it as a starting point for a killer day hike!
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations.
Reviews
Overall rating:
Steep, But Not Bad
The walk down to the beach is a ton of winding steps, but they can be pretty uneven. The walk back up can be exhausting though
Best Nude Beach
Best nude beach period. The beach is huge so there's lots of places to post up without being too close to other nude patrons. The hike down is kinda long and even longer coming up. Make sure to bring water! No easy/quick way to get back to your car.
Sunset Destination
Excellent place to go for sunset or just for hiking around and heading down to the beach to catch some sun or head in the surf. You can take the main trail down or there is a small "goat" trail that goes down along side of it that adds a little more challenge. Only reason it isn't five stars is the occasional naked old guy strolling on the beach.
