24 Aug Ho Chi Minh Trail to Black’s Beach in La Jolla, San Diego

The town of La Jolla in San Diego has a variety of attractions. Not only are there ample beaches but also kayaking, snorkeling, sea lions, and of course the Ho Chi Minh Trail (aka Saigon Trail). The Ho Chi Minh trail attracts hikers from all over San Diego, California, and the United States for a few reasons. First, it has a unique hiking trail. There are steep ravines, beautiful views of the ocean, and an approximately 20 foot (~six meter) long rope at the end which hikers can utilize to help them make the final descent. Second, the trail leads to Black’s Beach. This beach holds some great waves for surfers and in addition is a nude beach. 

Why not plan an entire day exploring San Diego? You can hike Ho Chi Minh Trail in the morning, check out the seals and sea lions at La Jolla Cove in the afternoon, and watch the sunset at Sunset Cliffs in the evening.

Contents:

1) Location of Ho Chi Minh Trail in San Diego

2) General Visitor Information

3) General Trail Information

4) Description of the Trail

5) Information on Black’s Beach

6) Optional: Alternative Trail 

7) Recommend Items to Bring

1) Location of Ho Chi Minh Trail in San Diego

Ho Chi Minh trail is located in La Jolla, San Diego and leads to Black’s Beach. It is also known as Saigon trail, but for the remainder of the article I will refer to it as Ho Chi Minh trail as that name is more well-known. For reference, the trail is 13 minutes north of the popular La Jolla Cove area. I definitely recommend you take a detour to see some seals and sea lions or to go kayaking in the sea caves. 

Parking

Visitors can park in the surrounding neighborhood, though do be aware a lot of street parking is limited to only two hours.

Town of La Jolla

For reference, Ho Chi Minh trail is an approximately 20 minute drive north from downtown San Diego in the town of La Jolla. La Jolla has a variety of attractions, the main one being a beach full of sea lions. This beach is known as La Jolla Beach and is just slightly south from Black’s Beach. There is one small section of the beach where visitors can swim and snorkel. The remainder of the beach is left to the sea lions, for it is fairly rocky anyways.

Nearby Lodging

For lodging accommodations, there are a variety of options in the town of La Jolla itself. However, if you are more of a city person, there are also many options in downtown San Diego.

Nearby Airports – Ho Chi Minh Trail, San Diego

The closest airport is the San Diego International Airport, which is located 25 minutes south. Public transportation is available from the airport to the trailhead. However, it will take you around an hour and half on public transportation compared to only 25 minutes for driving. Therefore, you can also rent a car from the airport or utilize a ride share service such as Uber. 

Hiking the Ho Chi Minh Trail to Black’s Beach

2) General Visitor Information

First, you are able to hike along Ho Chi Minh Trail whenever you wish, for the trail is open all day, every day. However, I can imagine the trail would be a bit more difficult in the dark, so be sure you are prepared with a flashlight and have prior experience hiking in the dark. 

Second, there is neither an entrance nor a parking fee for the trail. You can park along the neighborhood streets at no cost, though do be aware parking is limited to only two hours. 

Third, the best season to hike the trail is in spring or autumn due to milder temperatures. Furthermore, the best time of day to hike is in the morning or evening. The afternoon tends to be the hottest part of the day, so you generally want to avoid that time while you are hiking. If you are visiting in the summer and still want to hike along the trail, my suggestion is to tackle it in the early morning before temperatures start to rise. 

Walking through the weeds along the trail

3) General Trail Information – Ho Chi Minh, San Diego

First off, let me begin by saying this trail is steep, includes narrow walkways, and has loose dirt/rocks at various points. This trail thus might not be appropriate for those who have difficulty with balance or walking in any way. While on this trail you might see surfers or others carrying large items or wearing flip flops (some were even barefoot). However, they have most likely hiked this trail dozens of times before. For those of you hiking this trail for the first time, I would recommend to limit the amount you are carrying to only what can fit in a backpack and to wear tennis or hiking shoes. As a side note, I love my Merrell hiking shoes.

Difficult Sections

Furthermore, the trail includes a few more difficult sections. There is a wooden plank hikers can walk across, or they can choose to hike through the ditch instead. Throughout the trail there are also steep ravines where water runs off. At some points the height of the ravines is around 10 to 15 feet (~three to five meters) tall. Hikers have the option to hike through the ravine or on the path above the ravines. However, do note that you will likely get wet and/or muddy if you choose to hike through the ravine. We thus chose the higher path above and remained cautious throughout the entire hike, especially when there were higher drop-offs.

Lastly, there was a rope section at the end of the hike. The last 20 feet (~six meters) or so are quite steep, and hikers can thus help themselves down while utilizing the rope tied there.

Are you the type of hiker who seeks out adventurous trails? Then you definitely need to check out Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park as well as the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park.

Appreciating the view along the Ho Chi Minh Trail

4) Description of the Trail

For other nearby hiking / walking trails, check out Los Penasquitos Canyon Trail and the La Jolla Coast Walk Trail. They lead to a waterfall and a secret swing, respectively.

Start at the Trailhead 

The Ho Chi Minh trail (also known as Saigon trailhead) is located within a neighborhood in the town of La Jolla, San Diego. Visitors can park along the neighborhood streets, though parking is limited to only two hours in certain spots. There is a sign for the trailhead slightly off the sidewalk between two fences, but you might miss it if you are not looking carefully. Be sure to have the trailhead location pulled up on your phone so you know where to go if this is your first time.

Then start making your way down the trail. There will be a fork slightly after you begin with one route going uphill and the other down towards the beach. Continue down towards the beach for the Ho Chi Minh trail. However, you can also hike uphill for a short detour and a nice overarching view of the area.

For a location that offers panoramic views of the coastline plus the entire San Diego area, then head to Mount Soledad.

Cross the Wooden Plank – Ho Chi Minh Trail, San Diego

After you pass the fork in the trail and start hiking down to the beach, you will then shortly come to a wooden plank over a ditch. Walk across the plank or step down into the ditch to cross. Now, let me say that I do not pride myself on having the best balance. Nevertheless, I considered walking across the wooden plank easy. It was wide enough for me to feel comfortable and not think I would fall off.

Continue Along the Ravine

Then continue hiking along the ravine. You do have the option of hiking in the ravine vs. hiking on the path above it. We chose to hike on the path above so as to avoid the little bit of water and mud present in the ravine. Do be aware, although, that the path above the ravine does have a few steep sections. The ravine ranges from about five to 15 feet (~two to five meters) tall, so be careful and watch your step. You might notice others walking pretty fast through the trail or even carrying surfboards. They have most likely hiked this trail a lot and thus are more experienced.

Additionally, there are a few narrow sections on the trail. We had to hug the side of the hill and step carefully. The path is mainly dirt or sandstone, so it can be easy to lose your footing if not paying attention. The path is also not completely flat. It is tilted for the majority of the trail, which adds to the difficulty.

Eventually the path above the ravine heads down into the ravine itself. At this point there are some natural steps leading down into a narrow section between two ridges. I am not claustrophobic, but someone who is claustrophobic might not particularly enjoy this portion of the hike. There is just enough room to walk and maneuver your way down.

Maneuvering through a ravine along the trail

Climb Down the Rope – Ho Chi Minh Trail, San Diego

The very last portion of the hike is a rope section. If you are a skilled hiker or just have really good balance, you might be able to hike down the slope without any assistance from the rope. However, I used the rope so as to ensure I would not fall. This section is only approximately 20 to 30 feet (~six to nine meters) long, so it thus only takes a minute or so to descend. Once you descend, you have made it to the beach!

Climbing down a rope that leads to the beach at the final section of the trail

5) Information on Black’s Beach

First off, it is important to note that Black’s Beach is a nude beach. That being said, a lot of people still choose to wear swimsuits while there. For example, I believe everyone was wearing a swimsuit on the day we visited. 

Second, Black’s Beach has some great waves for surfers. While hiking the Ho Chi Minh trail in San Diego, you are likely to see plenty of surfers making the trek (with some of them probably barefoot). 

Third, look into the sky and you will see one, two, or even 20 people paragliding. There is a glider port up on the hill, and thus you can see multiple people gliding overhead while strolling along the beach. 

People paragliding over Black’s Beach

6) Optional: Alternative Trail – Ho Chi Minh, San Diego

Instead of hiking back up Ho Chi Minh Trail to get to our car, we chose an alternate route. We strolled down the beach a bit to Salk Canyon Road and then hiked uphill. It was less strenuous than Ho Chi Minh trail in the sense that there were no steep drop offs or ropes you had to climb down. However, the trail was pretty steep. My quads were starting to feel it by the time we made it to the top. The elevation gain is approximately 330 feet (~100 meters). Moreover, the trail is around 0.55 miles (~0.9 kilometers) one way. An average hiker can complete the trail (one way) in 20 minutes. You can choose to hike this trail both ways to the beach or just one way. 

Furthermore, the trail is partially paved. About 5 minutes uphill from the beach, there is a small parking lot with bathrooms.

Black’s Beach – looking back at the Ho Chi Minh Trail

7) Recommended Items to Bring

For additional recommendations on what to pack for traveling, check out my travel essentials for women as well as my travel accessories for men.

1. Water bottle: Please please please be sure to bring water with you while hiking the Ho Chi Minh Trail. I do not mean bring water and leave it in your car. Nope. Carry your water around with you as you hike along the trail and down to the beach. Water is even more important if you are visiting in the summer, for the heat can make you become dehydrated real quick. I always carry around my Yeti water bottle.

Hygiene

2. Sunscreen: While this might not be as important on a cloudy day, it will be on a day full of beautiful clear skies. Walking around even for just 30 minutes can lead to sunburn if you have fair skin.

3. Bug spray: Let’s be honest – mosquitos, gnats, and any other little type of fly can ruin an experience. You cannot truly enjoy an attraction if you are swatting away bugs from your face the whole time. Therefore, be prepared with bug spray or a mosquito repellent bracelet.

Hiking Items for Ho Chi Minh Trail, San Diego

4. Hiking shoes: A pair of hiking shoes will be incredibly helpful as you hike along the trail and work to maintain your balance on the more difficult sections. 

5. Hiking poles: Bring along a pair of hiking poles if you would like a bit of extra support while hiking along the trail.

6. Optional – crampons: These are only necessary in the winter months if there is snow or ice along the hiking trails. Crampons are spikes that attach to the bottom of shoes. However, San Diego does not tend to see much snow, ice, or even frost during their winter season so you are most likely good to go. 

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Take a quick flight up north to explore Seattle: Day Trip to North Cascades National Park.

For more Seattle adventures: How to Spend One Day in Seattle.