Fall and winter are the best times to explore the La Jolla caves on foot because tides are favorable. Extreme low tides occur many afternoons from now through March.
When the tide is negative 1 foot or more – check tide tables to find out when – hikers can navigate the exposed boulders and tide pools to reach several of the seven caves in the cliffs.
The largest cave is the best-known because it's accessible through a man-made tunnel inside the Cave Shop, at the northern end of Coast Boulevard.
L. Frank Baum, author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” named it Sunny Jim's Cave after a cartoon mascot for a breakfast cereal from the early 1900s. The cave's opening is said to resemble the mascot's profile.
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La Jolla caves
Trail head: Immediately south of the Marine Room restaurant, near Spindrift and Roseland drives.
Length: About one mile round-trip; allow an hour or two.
Difficulty: Easy, but watch out for the slippery green boulders.
Fee: Free
Before you go: Check tide tables to find extreme low tides during fall and winter afternoons. It's best when the tide is negative 1 foot or more. Start at least half an hour before predicted low tide, and be back to the sand before the tides swallow the tide pools.
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The other caves, from west to east, are Clam's Cave, Arch Cave, Sea Surprise, Shopping Cart, Little Sister and White Lady. They are usually accessible only by water, making them a popular kayaking destination.
Begin your hike at least a half an hour before the predicted low tide at the public beach access immediately south of the Marine Room restaurant on Spindrift Drive. I started an hour before the low tide and finished an hour after it, enjoying a leisurely exploration without worry about the incoming tide.
As soon as the cliffs rise south of the Marine Room, the sand disappears and the boulders begin. A little cove of a beach has lots of these tumbled rocks, rounded and smooth from eons of pounding waves.
Next are the tide pools. They cover a large terrace of flat sandstone, which is carpeted by sea grass that provides an easy walking surface. In the tide pools, look for sea anemones, hermit crabs, sea urchins and small fish.
The fish attract waterfowl, the prettiest of which are the snowy egrets, with their bright white plumage and yellow feet. There are also brown pelicans, which fly in graceful formation, and lots of gulls. Dozens of black cormorants usually can be found on the cliffs above the caves.
There are large algae-covered boulders that must be crossed to get to the western caves, but these big green rocks were too slippery for me. My first misstep landed me flat, so I decided against going further.
Dean Kaufman, 19, of Poway said he slipped once, too, but made it to the second big cave we could see. The sure-footed should have little difficultly reaching the caves, but don't rush it.
The tide pools are a worthy reason to visit the area. The colorful rocks in shallow water range from pink to green. Sometimes sea turtles stick their heads out of the water at the surf line. Watching the egrets pick their way gingerly through the rocks, grabbing a fish here and there, was great entertainment.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Birch Aquarium occasionally offers guided tours of these tide pools. Check its Web site at aquarium.ucsd.edu for a calendar.
Priscilla Lister is a freelance writer who lives in San Diego.
