La Jolla · RedAwning

La Jolla Cove200-yard sand cove inside the 6,000-acre Matlahuayl Marine Reserve, with a year-round sea-lion rookery and seven sea caves

A 200-yard pocket cove tucked beneath the Ellen Browning Scripps Park bluffs in the village of La Jolla — the protected heart of the 6,000-acre San Diego–La Jolla Underwater Park (Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve since 1971, and the only no-take marine reserve in San Diego County). Free public access, 24-foot summer visibility, a year-round sea-lion rookery on Boomer Beach, the Garibaldi-rich kelp forest of "The Caves," and the seven sea caves accessible via the historic 1903 Sunny Jim Cave tunnel at The Cave Store.

Hours todayOpen 24 hours – Tuesday hours
TicketsFrom $10Sunny Jim Sea Cave (Cave Store) — Adult
LocationLa Jolla, California1100 Coast Boulevard
Official sitesandiego.govPlan your visit

6,000 acMarine reserve
7Sea caves
1971Protected since
FreeAdmission

The cove tucks under a sandstone notch carved by 30 million years of Pacific surf — the village of La Jolla rises directly above on the Mount Soledad mesa. Designated part of the San Diego–La Jolla Underwater Park (1971) and elevated to the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve in 2012, the cove and its 6,000-acre kelp-bed offshore zone are the only no-take marine reserve in San Diego County. The protection has produced one of California's healthiest kelp ecosystems — bright orange Garibaldi (the state marine fish), leopard sharks pupping in shallows June–November, sea hares, octopuses, and the year-round California sea-lion rookery just north on Boomer Beach.

Above water: Ellen Browning Scripps Park is the bluffside grass strip with the eucalyptus tunnel, a 1933-vintage Spanish Revival lifeguard tower (the working tower replaced it in 1999), and the lookout at Goldfish Point. The 1903 Sunny Jim Sea Cave is the only one of the seven sea caves with a land entrance — Professor Gustav Schultz hand-dug a 145-step tunnel from his beach-cliff curio shop, which still operates as The Cave Store. North along the bluff trail is Children's Pool — the 1931 seawall built by Ellen Browning Scripps as a calm swim spot for kids, and now a year-round harbor-seal rookery (closed during pupping, December 15 – May 15).

Plan two to four hours. Park along Coast Boulevard or Prospect Street by 9:00 AM (the village fills up by mid-morning). Snorkelers head straight into the Cove for the kelp at "The Caves" — visibility runs 15–25 feet in summer, drops to 8–12 feet in winter. Watch from the Boomer Beach overlook north of Scripps Park to see the sea lions; do not approach within 50 feet — California state law and federal MMPA enforcement is active. Tide-pool best at low tide minus-0.5 ft or lower, posted on the NOAA tide schedule. Sunset at Goldfish Point is the village's most-photographed view.

Cove Beach & snorkeling
A 200-foot pocket of sand and the easiest entry into the Matlahuayl Marine Reserve kelp forest. Calm in summer (1–3 ft surf), 15–25 ft visibility 7:00–10:00 AM at high tide. Common sightings: bright-orange Garibaldi, leopard sharks (June–Nov pupping), sea hares, sand bass, octopuses. Snorkel rental from Snorkel La Jolla or OEX Dive & Kayak ($25/day, five-minute walk).
Sea Lion Rookery at Boomer Beach
The year-round California sea-lion haul-out and rookery on Boomer Beach immediately north of the Cove — a colony of 250+ animals that has grown from a handful of strays in the early 2000s. Pupping peaks May–October; the south stairs are closed May 1–October 31 to protect bull territories. Watch from the bluff overlook 50 feet back; do not approach. NOAA enforces a 50-foot federal minimum.
Sunny Jim Sea Cave
The largest of seven sea caves in the bluff — the only one with a land entrance. In 1903, Professor Gustav Schultz hand-dug a 145-step tunnel from his curio shop above; the cave's entry profile resembles the Force Wheaten cereal mascot "Sunny Jim" (named by Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz). Self-guided through The Cave Store, $10 adult / $7 child, daily 10:00 AM–4:30 PM.
Sea-kayak tour of the seven caves
A 90-minute guided ocean kayak tour from the Cove out to the Clam, Sunny Jim, Little Sister, Shopping Cart, Sea Surprise, Arch, and Whale's Tail caves. Multiple operators (Everyday California, La Jolla Kayak, Bike & Kayak Tours) launch from the Avenida de la Playa boat launch around the corner; $65–$95 per person, single or tandem kayaks, all gear included. Year-round, weather permitting.
Ellen Browning Scripps Park
A 5.5-acre grass bluff named for the philanthropist who funded much of La Jolla's civic core in the 1920s and 1930s. The eucalyptus shade tunnel along the path is the village's most-painted scene; benches, picnic tables, and the seasonal Concerts by the Sea on summer Sundays. The 1933 Spanish Revival lifeguard tower (decommissioned, now a historic landmark) sits at the south end.
Children's Pool & harbor-seal rookery
A 1931 concrete seawall arcing out from the bluff — a gift to the city from Ellen Browning Scripps for a calm child-friendly swim spot. Now a contested harbor-seal pupping rookery; access closed December 15–May 15 per the 2014 City Council ordinance. Year-round: viewing from the bluff is the closest legal seal observation in California.
La Jolla Cove Tidepools at Goldfish Point
Rocky tidepool ledges directly above and below the Goldfish Point lookout — accessible at minus-tide via the wooden stairs. Look for ochre and bat sea stars, anemones, hermit crabs, and the namesake Garibaldi (juvenile in tidepools, adult in offshore kelp). Best winter mornings; check NOAA tide schedule for tides below -0.5 ft.
Cove Bluff Trail & sunset at Goldfish Point
A 0.6-mile paved bluff trail from Scripps Park north past Boomer Beach, the seven-cave overlook at Goldfish Point, and onward to Children's Pool — the village's best sunset walk. Goldfish Point at golden hour is the most-photographed view in La Jolla. Free; bring a wind layer year-round (afternoon onshore breeze runs 8–15 mph).

Open hours

Beach and bluffs are open to the public 24/7 with no admission. San Diego City lifeguard tower at the Cove staffs daily 9:00 AM–dusk year-round (extended 9:00 AM–8:00 PM in summer). The Sunny Jim Sea Cave tunnel at The Cave Store: 10:00 AM–4:30 PM daily ($10 adult, separate paid attraction). The seasonal closure of Boomer Beach south stairs runs May 1–Oct 31 to protect harbor-seal pupping.

MondayOpen 24 hours
TuesdayTodayOpen 24 hours
WednesdayOpen 24 hours
ThursdayOpen 24 hours
FridayOpen 24 hours
SaturdayOpen 24 hours
SundayOpen 24 hours

Note · Best snorkeling and visibility 7:00–10:00 AM at high tide before wind picks up. Parking on Coast Boulevard, Prospect Street, and Girard Avenue fills by 10:00 AM in summer; arrive by 9:00 AM or use the public lot at La Jolla Recreation Center two blocks east.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Beach & bluffs accessFreeFree public access — Cove Beach, Scripps Park, Boomer Beach, the lookout at Goldfish Point
Sunny Jim Sea Cave (Cave Store) — Adult$10Self-guided 145-step descent through the 1903 hand-dug tunnel; ages 17+
Sunny Jim Sea Cave — Child (3–16)$7Children under 3 free; closed-toe shoes required
Everyday California Kayak Tour$6590-min guided sea-kayak tour into all seven sea caves; multiple operators offer comparable rates

Public access to the cove, Scripps Park, the tidepools at Goldfish Point, and the bluff trail to Children's Pool is permanently free. Snorkel and SCUBA gear rental is at La Jolla Surf, Snorkel La Jolla, and OEX Dive & Kayak (5-min walk from the Cove) — typical snorkel rental $25/day. Surface kayak tours into the seven caves run year-round from Everyday California (operating since 2008), La Jolla Kayak, and Bike & Kayak Tours; book ahead in summer. The Cave Store tunnel access is paid because it cuts through private property — the cave itself is reachable from the water.

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