Visiting the Carlsbad Tide Pools

One of our favorite things to do in Southern California is to visit tide pools. It is such an easy and fun way for kids to see wildlife in their natural habitat without having to go to an aquarium or zoo. Snails, urchins, anemones, and other sea creatures get trapped in pools on a rocky shore when the tide is low. We have some beautiful tide pools that are great for visiting year round, right here in Carlsbad. We'll help you find this low-traffic hidden treasure.

Plan your trip:

Search a tide schedule in Carlsbad, CA

Where to find the tide pools:

Search for cross streets Cerezo Dr and Carlsbad Blvd.

Park along Carlsbad Blvd.

You get down to the tide pools via stairs after the last house on the bluff near Cerezo Dr.

Tide pools are to the right of the stairs, down a little ways. When the tide is low you will see a rocky shore.
*Note that when the tide comes back in, you may have to walk through the water to get back to the stairs as the ocean comes all the way up to the cliffs.

What will you see?

We saw anemones, crabs, urchins, and Turbin Sea Snails

*KEEP OUR BEACHES CLEAN!*

Somebody had scattered a ton of fake red rose petals last time we were there which I'm assuming they didn't consider that they were polluting but they are made out of PLASTIC. Plastic pollutes beaches and kills sea life. Leave nothing but footprints and if you see trash help us all by picking it up.

Also, be kind and respectful to the animals that live here.