Ho Chi Minh Trail

It’s a short hike but definitely my favorite in San Diego county. For those living near UCSD it’s a secret gem. There are many ways to get through it but my personal favorite is sneaking through the under-​constructed homes.
It’s the thrill. The two inch ledges, the 50 feet drop, the 10 feet high wooden planks, the smooth limestone, natural interesting sand formations. It’s always fun every time. When you make it at the end it drops you right in the middle of blacks beach. It’s a must go.

This is a SUPER COOL hike. It is sort of a secret (kind of) and is inbetween the 15 million dollar houses on La Jolla Farms road. So, you’ll feel like a financial failure driving here but will soon get over it once the hike starts.
This is a short hike. Like 2.3 miles round trip or something. It is super fun and way cool, though! FIRST THINGS FIRST: SAFETY. DO NOT COME HERE WHEN IT IS RAINING OR AT NIGHT. Bring hiking poles if you have them because it just makes it easier. I have a friend who came here at night and that is just so dumb. If you’re reading this, that was so dumb. There are a lot of really steep parts and there’s no reason to risk slipping due to not being able to see or due to slippery terrain.
Now that safety is covered, onto what to expect:
It starts out slowly, then there is a really cool erosion canyon thing, and you walk down a narrow crevice (full disclosure, not sure a pregnant lady could fit through that so very pregnant ladies, maybe stay away?). It’s kind of narrow. So cool!
Then you get to a narrow path, so be careful! It is quite beautiful. Then you’re almost there! There’s a rope to help down the last part, which is very steep. I felt like such an adventurer. Super fun.
Then you’re at Black’s Beach! We saw a naked man in the distance. So… be warned, or if that’s your thing, go down a little ways and be free.
It’s not hard to do a round trip of this hike in 1 – 2 hours, if you don’t rush, dependent on the conditions. I think we took 2.5 hours but we took our sweet time once we were at the beach.
I highly recommend this for families with older kids, singles, couples, etc. Just a note about pets: I saw a group with a medium sized dog who was kind of scared at some parts, so it might not be ideal for dogs unless your dog is a real adventurer.
This place is just great.
Love, Natalie F.

This is a great trail to hike if you’re up to be challenged. Access to this trail is located in between two green construction fences.
The trail splits off into two wooden beams. The right leads up to the peak and view of the ocean. The left leads through the mini canyon then to a small waterfall. There is a cave in between (see if you can find it!) The end of this trail takes you to the beach.
Many surfers take this route barefooted from the residential area. I recommend going barefoot as you get closer to beach access as well because it is very slippery. There is water running over the rocks. It might be a good idea to bring rope and extra change of socks and clothes.

Trail head is a easement located off of this residential road between two quaint little houses :-) By quaint I mean multi million dollar digs. One is currently under construction.
After walking around a hundred yards along this corridor between the two houses it open up to nice views of the ocean. Not a strenuous hike by any means but footing can be a little dicey. Want to not wear worn out shoes. Trail treads recommended.
After a few minutes you have a choice to continue down to beach or up towards the cliffs. Beach route has a bit of a skinny canyon crevice pass. Footing is ok since there are semi steps. Not wide enough for passing traffic. It’s only one way. Make sure to call out to clear the way. Upon exiting you come to a small waterfall. Can be slick. Actually I slipped and landed on my butt lol. Got pretty muddy. Luckily there is a knotted rope to hold which leads you down to the shore.
Total to time maybe 15 minutes.

Wow nice little hike. Fun with incredible views. Canyoneering in San Diego. It’s great to see so many people enjoying this hike on New Years. Perfect sunny skies and cool temperatures. Thank you Unilocal

Too scary for me and my husband. Walking on narrow slippery rocky cliffs with gaps in between is just too much for us. It was probably easier to go barefoot like the surfers do, but we didn’t make it to the end because we were too chicken. I don’t think we are going back there.

One of La Jollas best kept secrets. This short trail is too beautiful especially during sunset. I run to this place in between classes when I’m at school because it’s the best form of therapy for me. I suggest you be respectful and do your best to preserve the beauty here. We are lucky enough that this trail isn’t considered trespassing. (Or is it?) There was a lot of trash everywhere and it saddened me that people would litter here.
Wear comfy shoes because you won’t be able to get to the shore with slippery shoes especially when the trail sometimes is only a foot wide and the bottom is very dangerous fall. The white sandy walls you see in pictures are easy to get to BUT afterwards, the mini trail to the beach is harder.
Somehow, surfers are always able to get to the beach and they are always barefoot… I might even give that a try some day! Besides the white sandy walls, there is a small plank to cross, and a cliff that overlooks the shore, a lot of photo ops. I’m pretty glad this place is not that popular among UCSD students but I do hope that the people that have seen this trail appreciate and respect it!

Hike is fairly short but watch your step. There’s lots of loose rocks and sand. Trail head was nearly impossible to find. It located between 2 construction project right now (as if you’re walking between two houses)

We parked at the Gliderport and made our way down to Black’s Beach. As it was my first time at a nude beach, I stripped down fully and got to walk to the Ho Chi Minh Trail in full nude (a liberating experience I highly recommend to everyone!) Once at the trail, we made our way back up. *IT IS VERY PRECARIOUS* and I’ve done some pretty precarious trails. I found that walking barefoot gives you better traction than flip flops. I’d recommend going with someone who has been there before if you can, cuz I was freakin’ out when my friend slipped and almost tumbled into the ravine.

I hope this review doesn’t deter you from going on this trail because it shouldn’t. This trail is awesome! I just personally think that this trail scared me, and gave me more adrenaline more so than sky diving did. I love the obstacles of this trail; the plank, the rope, the tunnels, the sandy areas, the small little trail where I have to hold on to the mountain for my dear life were all worth it. This trail is only family friendly if your kids are little ninjas that are fearless. Otherwise, I wouldn’t advise bringing kids. From having to hold on to the rope and the wall and pushing yourself off for certain areas, it was a good total body workout.

Wooooo what a trail! I’ve hiked Mt Woodson (Potato Chip Rock), Laguna Canyon, and South Mountain/​Camelback Mountain in AZ. All are longer distance and more strenuous but none have provided the thrill this trail gives. From walking across a plank to shimmying through tight sandstone crevices to clinging to the hillside to keep from falling into a rocky ravine and finally using a rope to get down to the beach, the Ho Chi Minh trail has it all. If you’re up for the challenge I totally recommend it. If you’re not an avid hiker and/​or do not feel you could keep yourself from slipping down a steep hill, you probably should take the paved road down to Black’s Beach. If you’re a regular surfer apparently you can swiftly tackle this trail with board in hand – don’t ask me how they do it, I was shocked!

A neat little trail to the beach. You won’t be able to carry much through it due to the nature of how it dips between two rocks and you’ll have to walk on a slanted edge, but if you’re packing light it could be a good shortcut. It also leads to the top of the mountain where you can get a view of the beach as a whole and the cliff side in general. It’s more of a medium or passageway than a trail of its own however, so I wouldn’t recommend coming if you’re intent on hiking or such. Parking is a bit odd as the entrance is located within a neighborhood, yet worked out for us as we didn’t stay for too long.

If you manage to find the entrance and decide to hike this pathway to the beach, bring appropriate shoes because as stated in previous reviews, there are lots of loose sand and tricky areas to get in and out of. I don’t think I’m exactly out of shape but still had a difficult time hiking down and back up this «locals-​only» 2-​mile trail.
Don’t ruin this special place for others: be kind and let people pass, be prepared to avoid possible injuries and be respectful by not littering. The number of broken bottles I saw while trekking down to the ocean was astonishing so please don’t be that asshole.

I dont think this is the right address. It took my husband and I into a rich neighborhoods. Then the gps pointed to a house. We cant find the entrance. Does anyone know where it is located exsctly?

It’s a short hike, but also a bit challenging. Reading some reviews before going on the trail, I got a little nervous. But it wasn’t that bad. Some parts I was literally holding to the wall for my dear life since certain parts were very narrow but everything seemed like a perfect path. A little sandy at parts, that’s what would mainly cause you to slip.
I would not recommend brining in kids or dogs.
All in all, the hike was a great little hike ! Definitely doing it again. The views and the little pond at the end, were picture worthy. Ending at the beach was a perfect touch !

When someone asked me if I’d ever hiked the Ho Chi Minh trail, my first response was, «Vietnam is a little far for an afternoon hike» but when they explained it was in La Jolla my second response was, «wait, what?»
Hardly any out-​of-​owners know about this trail which is nice bc it’s never crowded. The trailhead Itself is in a neighborhood in La Jolla where your surrounded by million dollar mansions so be mindful when driving to and from. There is security that drives by to make sure people aren’t being rowdy and leaving trash behind but if you show them respect then you’ll get respect back.
The trail itself is fairly easy. I would say 2 miles round trip? Maybe a little more. Going in is downhill and coming out is uphill at probably a 300 ft. elevation gain over the length of a mile or so? My numbers could be off but the point is it’s really easy. Make sure you have on good shoes with good traction as the trail is narrow and loose dirt is everywhere. I’ve seen surfers go in and out with ease with nothing but bare feet so if they can do it, anyone can.
The views are amazing. From the start you can see the ocean and as you get lower you come across the natural slot canyons which is a real treat to go down and walk through.
Torrey Pines glider port is right next door so there’s always a paraglider soaring over head and if you take the trail off to the right, you make your way up to a point that overlooks la Jolla Cove and Blacks Beach below.
Make sure to have your camera ready as there are some really good pictures you’ll want to take! Bring a beach towel and enjoy the beach once you get to the end of the trail. All the times I’ve been (2) it’s been fairly uncrowded except for some surfers and random hikers here and there. It’s a perfect way to spend your morning or afternoon and the ocean has been nice & warm these past few weeks.
Still don’t know why it’s called the Ho Chi Minh Trail but then again I guess that’s what makes it so unique. Have fun out there!

I wouldn’t call this hike family friendly – I’d be too paranoid about my kids falling during 90% of the climb down. It’s a short hike/​walk. Some portions are steeper than others. Going at any time after rain makes the hike a bit more treacherous. The path is very narrow and doesn’t afford much comfortable stepping space if you’re not the sure-​footed sort. Go slow and enjoy the adventure. If you’re concerned at all, bear in mind that families do take this hike together and that barefoot surfers with their unwieldy, giant boards traverse this hike fairly quickly and very often.
There are several opportunities for interesting and beautiful pictures. And, the beach at the end is very nice with great sand and a spectacular view. Parking near the head of the trail is in a residential neighborhood and street parking only.

Great hike with family, down to the secluded beach. A little difficult because of the slippery sand but if you’re up for a challenge the end destination makes it very worth it!

Loved this hike, have visited la jolla hundreds of times and never went! Went today and it was scenic, a little tedious, but overall beautiful! I would recommend it to both people visiting sd and locals! Can’t wait to go back!!! All the reviews said it was really hard and I would disagree, there were slippery parts. But just be careful and wear tennis shoes and you’ll be alright. It was also much shorter than 2.4 miles, or seemed to be!