Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → San Diego Area → San Diego Coast → Sandtrap Canyon

Location: La Jolla, central coast of San Diego

Distance: 2 miles total, 0.3 miles semi-technical

Elevation Ascent/Descent: 330 feet

Time Required: 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: Free to park and access the canyon, no permits or shuttles required; just as a heads up, when we visited in late 2017, there were several homeless camps in the canyon. Ropewiki has an excellent post, including a good description of the approach, which is not obvious.

What’s Nearby?: Gliderport, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, Miramar Air Show, La Jolla Sea Caves

If you’ve been cooped up for too long and need to get out and do something off trail, with some rock hopping and down climbing, possibly getting wet, this canyon is a reasonable option, being short and with easy driving access (it’s right next to the Gliderport). It holds water year round, though I’m pretty sure this is because of run-off from the golf course above it. Still, the water adds a fun element and it’s probably quite wet in the late winter and early spring (we were in the fall, when it was easy to navigate but still involved some wet feet). The homeless camps along the canyon detract somewhat (for various reasons) but their impact only covers small areas and there are plenty of fun and attractive sections of the canyon; I imagine this canyon is even prettier in the spring, with nice vegetation. All drops can either be down climbed or by-passed by side trails, including the significant drop at Mottram Falls, near the end, which has an optional 100 foot multi-stage rappel. After Mottram Falls, it’s a short distance to the outlet, which exits onto Black’s Beach, where you can either enjoy the beach or hike the access trail back up to the parking area.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → San Diego Area → San Diego Coast → Sandtrap Canyon