San Clemente State Beach
Managed by California Department of Parks and Recreation
122 acres2.1 mi of trail
California Coastal TrailSan Clemente Beach Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Don Ramey Logan · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in San Clemente
San Clemente has 45 miles of mapped trails, 2.5 for every square mile of land
91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: San Clemente State Beach (2.1 mi), San Gorgonio Park (1.2 mi), Rancho San Clemente Park (0.5 mi). 537 acres are parks and preserves, 8.5 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #300 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
491 acres · of 18.3 sq mi of land
Trails
45 mi
2.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
537 ac
8.5 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
44 mi
37 mi lanes · 5.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
6 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is San Clemente?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does San Clemente have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, San Clemente is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #300 of 847 in California. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of San Clemente’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%BTrails2.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (45 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land8.5 acres of park per 1,000 residents (537 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home91% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 77%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 65%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is San Clemente State Beach, with 2.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rancho San Clemente Park
Park
8 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 23 parks & preserves
San Clemente State Beach122 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · California Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsSan Gorgonio Park23 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRancho San Clemente Park8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Parque Del Mar5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMarblehead Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
San Onofre State Beach1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · California Department of Parks and Recreation
Forster Ranch Community Park25 acres
DirectionsRichard T. Steed Memorial Park20 acres
DirectionsLiberty Park11 acres
DirectionsTalega Park11 acres
DirectionsTierra Grande Park10 acres
DirectionsJim Johnson Memorial Sports Park9 acres
DirectionsBonita Canyon Park9 acres
DirectionsVerde Park4 acres
DirectionsMax Berg Plaza Park4 acres
DirectionsMira Costa Park4 acres
Vista Bahia Park2 acres
Linda Lane Park2 acres
Altea Park2 acres
San Luis Rey Park2 acres
Pico Park1 acres
Ocean View Park1 acres
Canyon View Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
491 conserved acres
4% of San Clemente’s land. Who manages San Clemente’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city371 ac
State parks119 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 131 acLocal Recreation Area · 129 acState Park · 119 acLocal Park · 112 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente holding 1 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 130 | Open |
| San Clemente State Beach State Park | State parks | 118 | Open |
| Vista Hermosa Sports Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| Richard T. Steed Memorial Park/ Sports Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| San Gorgonio Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Forster Ranch Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Liberty Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Vista Bahia Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Tierra Grande Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Bonita Canyon Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
57 places to go in San Clemente
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in San Clemente
El Portal
DirectionsNorth Beach
DirectionsPlaya Las Palmeras
DirectionsPlaya Las Palmeras
DirectionsT Street Beach
DirectionsThe Pier Beach
DirectionsPublic pools in San Clemente
Plus 3 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in San Clemente
Rayzilla Climbing TreeIn Rayzilla Circle
DirectionsRayzilla PlaygroundIn Rayzilla Circle
Directions35 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Scenic views in San Clemente
Knob Hill
DirectionsLookout Point
DirectionsNob Hill
DirectionsPanorama Point
DirectionsSan Clemente Summit
DirectionsTop of the World
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in San Clemente
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in San Clemente
San Clemente State ParkFee · In San Clemente State Beach
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 23.2 miHorses · 8.0 miUnpaved · 30.6 mi
Cristianitos Trail4.6 mi
Prima Desecha Trail3.1 mi
Forster Ranch Ridgeline Trail3.0 mi
San Clemente Beach Trail2.2 mi
Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail1.8 mi
California Coastal Trail1.4 mi
Hiking Trail0.6 mi
State Park Connector0.5 mi
Prima Desech Trail0.4 mi
Car Crash0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
44 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
37 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.0 mi
off-road bike paths
1.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
California Coastal TrailBike route
3.6 miCourts & fields
46Tennis
32Basketball
18Baseball
10Pickleball
7Soccer
4Beach volleyball
1Multi-sport
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in San Clemente: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.2 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 66 | 65 | 66 | 68 | 69 | 72 | 75 | 77 | 77 | 74 | 70 | 65 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 2.2 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 3.3 inches fall in February, the wettest month. The climate in San Clemente →
Next door
San Clemente and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente | 4% | 2.5 | 8 | 91% | A− |
| San Juan Capistrano | 13% | 5.4 | 35 | 97% | A+ |
| Dana Point | 9% | 1.2 | 12 | 98% | A |
| Rancho Mission Viejo | 2% | 1.6 | 7 | 95% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in San Clemente
Where can I hike in San Clemente?
The longest trail networks: San Clemente State Beach, 2.1 miles; San Gorgonio Park, 1.2 miles; Rancho San Clemente Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of San Clemente is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on San Clemente’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at San Clemente State Beach (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in San Clemente?
44 miles of bike routes are on the map: 37 of painted or protected lanes, 5.0 of off-road paths and 1.7 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: California Coastal Trail.
Is there public land near San Clemente?
23,849 acres of parks and open public land lie inside San Clemente or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 537 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does San Clemente have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #300 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from San Clemente neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →