Sunrise in the La Jolla Valley |
The La Jolla Valley walk in campsite burned in the Springs
Fire in 2013. The area has not fully recovered from that event and won’t for
some time, but re-growth of the vegetation has occurred. Additionally, the park
service has added brand new food boxes to the picnic tables at each site so you
can keep your edibles and other aromatics beyond the eyes and hungry reach of the local varmints during
the night. Super deluxe if I don’t say so myself.
The night we were there, the moon was full and bright, the sky
brilliantly clear. We sat at the picnic table solving the world’s problems,
enjoying an adult beverage, and listening to our boisterous coyote neighbors
who apparently were doing the same thing. Later, as the moon began to make its
way across the sky and our eyelids became increasingly heavy, all became incredibly still
as we entered our tents for the night. At first light, we jump out of bed, made some cowboy coffee, packed up, and headed out.
La Jolla Valley is a super nice, easy to reach spot to get some solitude in the midst of the greater Los Angeles concrete jungle. The La Jolla Valley campsites are available on a first-come, first served basis, but I have never had a problem getting a site. In fact, on most of my trips to La Jolla (this one included), I have been the only one camped there, even on warm summer weekends. As an additional, added bonus, there is a fairly clean pit toilet in a concrete enclosure at the site. The night we were there, the facilities were adequately stocked with all the necessities if you catch my drift. There is a $10/night fee to camp at La Jolla Valley which you pay at a self-serve terminal located in the parking lot at the Ray Miller trailhead.
Now get out there and experience the local mountains.
One of Many Campsites |
Food Box Hanging from the Picnic Table Hidden Behind the Blue Pack |
First Light at La Jolla Trail Camp |
Morning Sun Creeping Across the La Jolla Valley |
Sunrise as it Crests the Eastern Ridgeline |
Looking West Along the Road Through the Valley |
Now get out there and experience the local mountains.