During low tide, the shore’s reef is usually exposed revealing hundreds of barnacles and mussels. You will find hermit crabs, sea hares, and brittle stars hiding in the nooks and crannies of these rocks. The tide pools here are located at the north end of the stairs. Located in Encinitas, Swami’s State Beach is a local favorite. The rock belongs to La Jolla Underwater Park marine reserve and doubles as a great spot for watching the sunset. Local biology students from the nearby universities frequent the tide pools here because there is so much to see. It is made up of volcanic rock that houses starfish, crabs, sea anemones, mussels, and occasionally, octopuses.

You will find Dike Rock north of Scripps Pier at La Jolla Shores Beach. Aside from the tide pools, this spot also offers hiking and is home to a historic lighthouse. Park rangers are on the scene to happily provide information and answer any questions that you may have about the creatures and plants that live there. The protected tide pools at this location are teeming with various types of life, including crabs, snails, barnacles, mussels, sea anemones, fish, lobsters, and at times even octopuses. It costs $15 to enter this national park, named after the first Spanish adventurer to discover San Diego Bay, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, but the fee is absolutely worth it. It’s a great place to spend the whole day as a family!Ĭabrillo National Monument is widely known as the absolute best place to view tide pools.

It is an offshore rock area reserved to protect local sea lions and seals. When you finish exploring the tide pools at the beach, check out Seal Rock Reserve. Of course, seashells of various kinds can also be found scattered along the shore of Shell Beach. This is when an array of sea life can be discovered among the rocky coastline. We recommend viewing the Shell Beach Tide Pool during the lowest tide of the day. This is definitely another big perk when bringing your kids along! San Diego’s Shell Beach Tide Pool Restrooms and showers are also available for beach visitors to use. Make sure to bring cash, as the parking lot here requires payment. Talk about walking back in time! These sedimentary rocks even have clam fossils baked into them. These tide pools belong to Table Top reef, which is a 45 million-year-old flat. The tide pools at Cardiff State Beach are easy to get to, making them perfect to go to with kiddos! They are located south of Lifeguard Tower #10 between the Cardiff and Solana beaches. You can buy Aquarium tickets here! Cardiff State Beach Tide Pools You will find leopard sharks, seahorses, and a rescued sea turtle. While you’re at the aquarium, don’t forget to check out the mesmerizing sea creatures inside. Tidepool locations for the guided tours include False Point at North Pacific Beach and Dike Rock. Just in case you want to dive deep into discovering more about the creatures that live there. You can also take guided tide pool explorations on the beaches at Scripps. Sea anemones, lobsters, hermit crabs, starfish, abalone, and sea cucumbers are just a few different creatures they have here. How easy is that? It is the perfect spot to bring your kiddos without having to worry about any of the dangers of the ocean.

Here you can get up close and personal with San Diego’s local sea life at its outdoor touch tide pool. Birch Aquarium at Scripps– #1 Touch Tide Pool San Diegoīirch Aquarium is definitely one of the best tide pools in San Diego for little ones.

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