Trails surf guide

Just south of the San Onofre Power Plant is Trails, a beachbreak that gets pretty empty most of the time. This spot can turn good and punchy when there’s a combo of SSW and WNW swells. It’s a basic beach setup where you can find some fun waves as long as you’re not expecting it to be the best spot around. 

The surf here can handle swell sizes from about 5ft to 10ft (1.5m to 3m), working well with swells coming from various directions like South, SouthWest, West, and even WestNorthWest. Waves can break right or left over a sandy bottom, making it suitable for different board types like shortboards, fish, funboards, longboards, and even bodyboards. The best time to surf is usually during low to mid tides, especially when the wind is coming from the north or northeast. On average days, the paddling can be a bit of a workout, particularly when the conditions are firing. 

Accessing Trails is straightforward. Just take the exit at Basilone and head south until you hit the State Park gate, and then pick your trail. The local vibe is pretty much non-existent, so you can enjoy a laid-back session without the usual crowd hassle. It’s a year-round spot, but conditions can be affected after a rain, so keep that in mind.