Exploring a Hidden San Diego Cave
Article courtesy of Maggie’s One Way Ticket Blog
View from bottom of cave
Do you dare spend the day in a hidden open ceiling cave in San Diego? A cave that requires repelling down a cliff, climbing over boulders, and walking through several feet of water? If you are looking for a hidden natural gem in San Diego, you have come to the right place!
This cave is only accessible during negative low tide, but be prepared to still get wet!
The views in this cave will quite literally take your breath away. Once you arrive, you will be thrilled you made the treacherous trek to the end!
Although you can complete this on your own, I went with a tour group. Matthew with Granger Nature was a fantastic guide and great photographer. You can book a tour here.
We met at Sunset Cliffs, at this exact spot.
When we got to the spot, we looked over the railing and saw a long rope going down to the beach. It is a relatively steep cliff to repel down, so wear gym shoes to keep your grip on the ground as you go down!
slipping over the rail, proceed at your own risk!
After we repelled down, we crouched to the ground to maneuver over slippery rocks to get to the beach. I would recommend keeping three points of contact on the rocks to ensure you don’t slip!
You will keep heading left down the beach towards Luscomb’s Point, which you can type into your GPS. You will see daring surfers as they make their way to the waves.
You will climb over some more slippery rocks for about 150 feet before you see you have to traverse through the water to forage on your journey! It was less than knee deep water for us, but I kept thinking along the way that the views will be worth the journey.
As we kept walking, we approached a small cove that was beaming with light shining into it. We walked through more rocks to access the open ceiling cave. I was astounded by how massive and breathtaking this cave was. We arrived right before sunset, so as colors lit up the sky, I looked up and felt so connected to nature and all its beauty in that moment.
In the cave you are connected with the sky, the ocean, and the light. It is a tranquil experience to look up and realize how incredible it is to explore such an uninhabited and difficult to access part of nature. You can look up and feel so accomplished, you made it! I felt proud as I thought about the process it took to get here, and how I was daring enough to take the road less traveled to experience this moment.
As we left at sunset, I looked up and saw the most beautiful sunset I have ever witnessed.
Are you going to explore San Diego’s Open Ceiling Cave?
Check out Maggie’s One Way Ticket Blog for more exciting trip ideas!