San Clemente’s Ridgeline Trail is a great little 4.7 mile out-and-back hike along a ridgeline above the city. The trail is suburban and paved, making it a great choice for rainy weather when you don’t want to slog through the mud but you still want to get your heart pumping. And the ocean and mountain views are terrific.
Time: 1.5-2 hours
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Elevation gain: 1,545 ft
Dogs: OK
When to go: Year-round
Though it’s not a wildnerness trail, the Ridgeline Trail has a fair amount of roller-coaster hills, and a total elevation gain of 1,545 feet. Because it follows the ridgeline, you get great views in every direction. You can see Dana Point marina, Santiago and Modjeska peaks, and on clear days, Catalina and San Clemente islands.
There is one point along the path where you cross Calle del Cerro and jog about 30 yards uphill to the trail on the other side, but other than that, the path is clearly marked. The water tower is your turnaround point. Stretch, enjoy the coastal views, and head back to the beginning.
Trail Map and Elevation Profile
Photo Gallery
Jennifer says
July 25, 2010 at 9:02 amOur family loves this trail, beautiful views! Fun for the whole family!
David says
October 26, 2010 at 5:18 pmHoping to get out and hike this one tomorrow. Nice pics!
sasidhar79 says
April 16, 2014 at 10:25 amHow to get to the trail head ? please let me know
Jeff Hester says
April 16, 2014 at 10:36 am@sasidhar79 — I’ve added a link to the trailhead in Google Maps to the top part of this post. If you click that, you can calculate turn-by-turn directions from any location.
sasidhar79 says
April 16, 2014 at 11:06 am@Jeff Hester – Thank you very much ! I can hike this trail this weekend.
Jason says
October 21, 2014 at 1:43 pmLots of fun on the ridgeline trail this past weekend. Pretty challenging hills with some sweet views. We parked at the opposite end on Avenida Salvador – just below the water tower. Nice cloud cover with ocean breezes. Thanks for the tip.
Diane Travis says
January 26, 2016 at 2:37 pmThis trail was closed when we went to hike it this morning!
Jeff Hester says
January 26, 2016 at 2:38 pmThanks for the heads up! Was there any indication why?
mary beth mcgowan says
August 4, 2016 at 9:58 amDoes anyone know if this trail has opened up again?
Jordan says
October 22, 2016 at 1:56 pmThank you for the detailed description! We loved the hike.
Kristina says
February 11, 2017 at 10:48 amCLOSED (2017) – I have never done this trail, but there is a sign on the gate at the end of Calle Cordillera that says “No Tresspassing – No public trail access”, and also a No Parking sign so we didn’t attempt this one from that entrance.
Larry U says
March 31, 2017 at 4:25 pmYou can park your car on Bolivia, which has a trailhead and puts you at about the halfway point of the hike. I live in that neighborhood and have never heard of a complete trail closure.
Larry U says
March 31, 2017 at 4:28 pmOops, Bolivia to Del Dios.
olga ltaylor says
September 30, 2017 at 12:14 amThanks for all the information. We are a couple of 70 and 86 years old we like hiking and never went to hike to this part of Orange County. misslazotaylor@gmail.com
Jeff says
December 25, 2017 at 4:16 pmI recommend you delist trails that allow dogs – hiking is for people. Every time our family encounters dogs it’s not enjoyable. This one was so full of dog crap we gave up early. I caught a local walking his dog and not cleaning up and gave him an earful but he ignored me. The parking spot is not safe. It’s a hangout for lowlife. Our car was vandalized. This trail is just for lazy local dog walkers and the views aren’t all that great unless you enjoy gazing down on commercial buildings and condos.
Jeff Hester says
December 26, 2017 at 7:05 amThere are lots of people who hike with dogs, which is one of the reasons we add that info to each of our trail guides. Many of the trails do NOT allow dogs (i.e. any State or National Park, for starters), so it’s pretty easy to avoid them if you don’t want to see dogs.
Sorry to hear your car was vandalized. I hope you reported it to the police. I’ve parked there a number of times and never had any problems.