Hiking Trail Guide: San Onofre Beach Walk

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San Onofre Beach Walk

Distance
3 miles

Elevation
150 feet gain

Difficulty
2/10

City
San Clemente ,CA (92549) 90.37 miles from you Weather Map

Trailhead
From Interstate 5, take the Basilone Road exit (three miles south of San Clemente). Head west on Barsilone and then south on Old Pacific Coast Highway. The entrance station is past the San Onofre Nuclear Power Generating Plant.

There's a $5 day use fee.

Trail 1 begins just past the first restroom/shower facility. The trail follows the beach. Observe trail closures and stay away from cliff tops: you are standing on mud not stone.

Description

Ever want to put your finger right on an earthquake fault? This walk takes you to the Cristianitos Fault which runs too close to the adjacent San Onofre Nuclear Power Generating Station. Geologists say that the fault has not moved for more than 125,000 years which makes it unlikely to topple SC Edison's twin domes into the sea.

Trail 1 takes you from a parking lot where you are drenched by the noise from I-5 to water-bleached silence. The upper cliffs along this walk consist of alluvium (read "mud") which means you should not attempt to climb them or walk near them.

The scenery changes after every storm, so a visit to San Onofre's seaside badlands can be a fresh experience every time. Avoid the temptation to explore side canyons: falling debris can injure or kill you.

Do not enter Echo Arch Campground.

Map / Directions: