Trestles (surfing) facts for kids

The railroad tracks that gave Trestles its name

Trestles is a famous group of surfing spots in California. It's located between northern San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County and southern San Clemente in Orange County. Trestles has several main surf spots, from north to south: Upper Trestles (Uppers), Lower Trestles (Lowers), and Middle Trestles (Middles). Just north of Upper Trestles is a spot called Cottons, and south of Middles is a spot called The Church.

Middles got its name because it was in the middle of the main Trestles surf breaks (Uppers and Lowers) and The Church. The entire area is named after the old Trestles Bridge. This was a wooden bridge that surfers had to walk under to reach the beach. In 2012, a new concrete bridge, called a viaduct, replaced the old wooden one.

Lower Trestles is known for having the best waves in the area. For many years, big surfing contests like the WSL World Tour and the NSSA Nationals were held there every year. Uppers doesn't always have great waves, but sometimes it can offer a really good, long ride. North of Uppers is Cotton's Point. This is where former President Richard Nixon used to live in a home called La Casa Pacifica, also known as "The Western White House". There's also a surf spot there called Cottons.

How to Get to Trestles

There are two main ways to reach the Trestles surf spots:

Walking from Cristianitos Road

• You can park your car and walk down a paved path to Trestles. This path starts near Cristianitos Road, where it goes over the San Diego Freeway.
• As you walk, you might see surf-related drawings and messages on the sidewalk.
• There's a parking lot near a Carl's Jr. restaurant on Coast Highway at Cristianitos. You can also find some public parking on nearby streets.
• Walking, skateboarding, or biking into Trestles from this trail is free. Most visitors use this path.

Hiking from San Onofre State Beach

• You can also park at San Onofre State Beach. To get there, exit the San Diego Freeway at Basilone Road and head west to the Surf Beach entrance.
• The walk from Surf Beach at San Onofre State Beach to Trestles is much longer than the walk from Cristianitos Road.
• There is a fee to drive into the State Park at Surf Beach.

Plants and Animals at Trestles

Trestles park is home to many different kinds of plants and animals.

Coastal Sage Scrub

• The most common plant you'll see is the coastal sage scrub. This plant naturally grows along the California coast. It loves the area's warm, dry climate, similar to the Mediterranean region.

California Brown Pelicans

• Trestles park also has a lot of animal life, including California brown pelicans. These large birds used to be an endangered species, meaning their numbers were very low.
• However, their populations grew so much that they were removed from the endangered species list in 2009.

Beach Evening Primrose: A Special Plant

• One interesting plant that grows right out of the sand is the beach evening primrose.
• Each primrose plant creates a large mat of roots and leaves. This mat is very important for the environment because it helps other plants grow by providing a stable surface.
• You can spot the primrose by its bright yellow flowers, which have four petals. These flowers open in the morning and turn reddish as the evening comes.
• The primrose also has unique benefits. In the past, these flowers were used to help with sore throats and eye problems.

Tadpoles in the Stream

• During times of heavy rain, a small river, called a river delta, often flows into the ocean. You can often find tadpoles in this water.

The Seasonal Stream at Trestles

Trestles has a stream that flows through its middle and into the ocean, but only when it rains a lot.

Stream Flow and Life Cycle

• Usually, this stream flows during the winter and spring. These are the seasons when Southern California gets the most rain.
• The stream doesn't have much ocean life because it dries up when there's no steady water source.
• When the stream flows, it creates a small pool that mainly contains tadpoles.
• Even when the stream dries up above ground, water still flows underground into the ocean.

Keeping Trestles Clean

• Trestles has had problems with littering. Many visitors leave trash in the dry stream bed.
• When the stream flows, it carries this trash into the ocean and onto the beach.
• There are many signs at Trestles reminding visitors to throw away their trash properly to keep the area clean.

Trestles in Pop Culture

• Trestles is mentioned in the 1963 Beach Boys' song Surfin' U.S.A..

See also

In Spanish: Trestles para niños