Guides

Ten notes on the practical side of being outside in San Diego County. Each one is written for someone going out without a guide.

• How to Read a Tide Chart

  Plan a beach walk around the water instead of against it, and learn what a negative low tide is actually offering.

• San Diego's Microclimates, Explained

  Why it can be 62 degrees at the coast and 95 in El Cajon on the same afternoon, and how to pack for both.

• May Gray and June Gloom

  The spring marine layer, why it hangs on so long, and when the sun usually shows up along the coast.

• Getting Around Without a Car

  Trolley, Coaster, Sprinter, buses, and the Coronado ferry, and the transfers that actually work.

• Tide Pooling at Cabrillo

  Low tides on Point Loma: what lives in the rocky intertidal zone and how to look without damaging it.

• Hiking Chaparral in the Heat

  Water, timing, rattlesnakes, and the case for turning around before the summit looks close.

• Walking Sunset Cliffs

  A bluff-top route through Point Loma, plus why the sandstone edge is not a viewpoint.

• Surf Etiquette for Beginners

  Right of way, rip currents, stingrays, and the summer rules that clear the lineup at midday.

• Birding the San Diego River Estuary

  Least terns, plovers, and a river mouth where the best hour depends entirely on the tide.

• Torrey Pines Trails Compared

  Four routes through the reserve, from flat overlooks to a climb down to the beach.