There are tons of beautiful hikes in San Diego, and the Bayside Trail is another excellent one to add to your list. This Cabrillo National Monument hike is a lovely and easy 2.5 mile round trip journey that you can add on to any trip to Cabrillo!
About the Bayside Trail
While there are a lot of short trails throughout Cabrillo National Monument, the Bayside Trail is the longest of the trails and takes you on a short historical trip into the past of Cabrillo National Monument.
While hiking this trail, you get an insight into its use during World Wars I and II as well as views of Ballast Point (where Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo landed on September 28, 1542). You’ll also experience native California plant environments and stunning views out over the San Diego Bay and Coronado Island!
So for an easy 2.5 mile hike, the Bayside Trail really packs a punch. It’s a great trail when you’re feeling like taking a nice walk, and is also an excellent trail to take kids on.
You can easily park by the Cabrillo Visitor Center for this hike, but do note that it costs to get into Cabrillo National Monument. You can pay to enter for the day, you can purchase a Cabrillo Pass for a year, or you can purchase the America the Beautiful Pass to get into all the national parks and monuments for the next year for just one price. (I recommend the America the Beautiful Pass as it can save you a lot of money, especially if you plan to visit other great parks in California like Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, or Joshua Tree National Park).
Check out the Cabrillo pass options here!
Hiking the Bayside Trail
This Cabrillo National Monument hike begins near the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. You will see a large white trail sign that says Bayside Trail, as well as letting you know the hike is 1.86 miles round trip from this point.
You’ll take this trail to the left and follow the nicely paved road down the hill, until the white line on the side of the road curves you off into an unpaved path. This sharp left onto the gravel/dirt path is the continuation of the Bayside Trail and where the fun really starts!
While I hiked this trail in sandals, I would recommend wearing some type of closed-toe shoe simply because the gravel occasionally tries to make its way in between your toes if you wear open-toed shoes. You certainly won’t need hiking boots or gear on this trail, though you should of course bring plenty of water with you—as you should on all hikes!
You’ll find this trail is very easy to follow, with some benches along the way for resting, and plenty of signs that give details about what you are seeing along the trail (whether that be plant life, war history, or Cabrillo’s landing spot).
One of the fascinating areas of the trail was the “Night Watchmen” section, which described the use of the searchlight shelter and power plant that are still on this trail today. During World Wars I and II, night watchmen would guard the harbor by rolling out a searchlight that was hidden behind the door in the picture above. If a suspicious boat would approach, they would quickly roll out the light and search the harbor to make sure everything was fine. This light was visible up to 35 miles away!
Along the way you’ll also learn about native plant communities and habitats, and discover which environment each plant community prefers. There are lots of amazing plants to see and it is fantastic that so many of the native vulnerable plants thrive here on this trail! Some of the plants you’ll see include lichens and mosses, California Sage, Chaparral Broom, Indian Paintbrush, and Black Sage.
While much of San Diego has been developed over the years, which has caused issues for native plants who needed those habitats to grow, this protected area is still much as it was back in 1542 when Cabrillo landed. This makes it even easier to imagine this scene as it must have been all those years ago, while you look out over onto the point where Cabrillo first set foot in San Diego.
I found this hike to be quite easy, and suitable for adults and kids of all hiking abilities. There were even a few small children (3-5 years old) out hiking with their parents on the day I went! The way out is the easiest, of course, because you are walking downhill…but even going uphill on the way back isn’t difficult as it really is just a moderate slope. And there are plenty of places to catch your breath with amazing views, so even if you have to stop for a minute you really won’t mind!
This took me about 40 minutes to hike round trip (with breaks to take photos!) so if you’re doing this as part of a workout you could easily do it in half an hour round trip. If you want to go a little slower, read all the signs, and really enjoy your time then you should easily be able to do it in 1-2 hours. (And once you’re done, you should definitely pop over to the Cabrillo Tide Pools to see this unique ecosystem as well). But no matter how long you choose to spend in Cabrillo, the Bayside Trail is a great little historical and beautiful place to spend part of your day hiking!
Looking for more awesome things to do in San Diego? Check out this bucket list!
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