Children’s Pool Beach in La Jolla: A Local’s Guide to History, Seals, & How to Visit

Children’s Pool Beach (also known as Casa Beach) is one of my favorite La Jolla spots, and I walk here year-round. It’s also one of the top things to do in La Jolla, thanks to the harbor seals that haul out on the sand. During pupping season, the beach is closed to humans, and the seals take it over completely.

You can also walk out on the seawall for a wider view of the water and the seals. There’s a 100-year-old story behind why this seawall is here at all, and it’s part of what makes this beach worth more than a quick stop. I’ll get into that below. All the photos in this post are mine.

What to Do at the Children’s Pool La Jolla

The main reason why people visit is to see the seals. I’m guilty of this! They are usually there unless it has been raining or very windy, or it’s the time of year when humans can use the beach. You can easily make your visit a half-day or a full-day in any scenario.

Watch the Seals

Some people sit on the benches or lean on the wall above the Children’s Pool along Coast Boulevard and watch our seals (some for hours) as they flop around the sand, swim, and talk to each other. There is something rather zen about the entire scene, with birds flying above and the movement of the ocean in the background.

The key word, though, is “watch.” Keep a respectful distance, at least 50 feet, per the Seal Conservancy and NOAA. They are just as cute from afar, and I typically bring a zoom lens for my camera.

Walk on the Seawall

If you walk toward the ocean, just past the lifeguard station, you’ll find the entrance to the seawall. Unless the surf is really big, you can walk on it for a better view of the seals and the ocean.

I recommend a walk on the seawall because the views are lovely, but I have some tips.

• The seawall is nearly 100 years old, and it’s an uneven path. Unsteady walkers should avoid it.
• While you gaze at the seals, be mindful of the ocean behind you, as it’s not uncommon for the surf to pound the seawall and startle you with a splash. Be mindful of what you are carrying because it would be easy to drop your phone if this happened.
• Don’t wear a backpack or carry a bulky bag, as it will be hard to pass by others on the seawall. The walkway is narrow.
• Keep a close eye on young children. The fence slats are wide, and as I’ve mentioned already, the tread on the wall is uneven and can be slippery if wet. I really don’t recommend this activity for toddlers or small children who could slip easily.

What to Know About Swimming and Beachgoing

Construction on the lifeguard station at Children’s Pool Beach started in 2013 and was completed in 2016 after a $3 million spend and some delays. Now fully operational, this permanent lifeguard station (one of three in La Jolla) watches over nine blocks of our coastline.

This includes beaches that can still have hazardous currents along the San Diego coastline — the very same problem that Ellen Browning Scripps sought to ameliorate more than 100 years ago with the Children’s Pool (more on this below).

A rope barrier prevents people from walking on the beach closer to the shoreline during seal pupping season, roughly December 15–May 15. During this time, it would be hard to access the water anyway.

In the summer, there is a roped-off area to protect the seals, but most of the beach is open for recreational use. People do set up towels and umbrellas, but again, they don’t typically swim here. Lifeguards help make sure that the seals are not disturbed by people.

South Casa Beach

Behind the Children’s Pool lifeguard tower, there is access to a small beach called South Casa Beach. Due to currents and rocks out in the ocean, it’s not a great place for swimming, but you can certainly lay a towel out to soak up some sun. During low tides, this is a great place for La Jolla tide pools.

Walk Along Coast Boulevard

If you are at the Children’s Pool, plan to walk a few minutes along Coast Boulevard from there to La Jolla Cove where our sea lions live. It’s a very pretty, easy, and paved walk.

Along the way, you can take a walk down to Shell Beach, where there also may be tide pools and occasionally shells. Or, take a seat in one of our green huts.

You can even walk up to the Cave Store and walk into Sunny Jim, the only California sea cave that is accessible by land.

Grab a Bite

This part of La Jolla is just steps from some of the best La Jolla restaurants. Be sure that you’re parked in a place that will allow for enough time to also have a late breakfast or lunch during your visit. A few suggestions:

• George’s Ocean Terrace: We like the fish tacos and view of the Cove (make a reservation) from the upstairs terrace.
• Cove House: A good breakfast and lunch spot in between La Jolla Cove and Children’s Pool Beach (up Girard a little bit toward Prospect)
• Bobboi Natural Gelato: A few steps up from Cove House awaits the best Italian gelato, made in small batches with exotic flavors like charcoal vanilla and banana kiwi.

A Quick History of the Children’s Pool

The seawall has a story, and it’s a good one. It explains why this little stretch of sand exists at all, and why it became one of the most controversial beaches in California.

La Jolla’s coast has drawn visitors since the 1870s, but it had a reputation for danger. By the early 1900s, swimmers were being warned away from many local beaches due to hazardous cross currents.

Enter Ellen Browning Scripps

Ellen Browning Scripps, a wealthy La Jolla resident since 1897, had focused much of her life and philanthropy on children. In 1921, she set out to fix the swim problem.

You may recognize her name from local institutions that still bear it: the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Scripps Hospital, and the land she bought that became Torrey Pines State Reserve. Those are three of her many works in La Jolla.

The Sea Wall Idea

Scripps hired hydraulic engineer Hiram Savage to survey the coast and propose a breakwater that would create a safe swimming area for children. In 1923, Savage submitted his plan: a crescent-shaped breakwater right where the Children’s Pool stands today.

The project then sat in limbo for seven years. Public controversies, permitting, budgeting, and personnel issues all slowed it down. Construction finally began in late 1930.

In May 1931, the new breakwater was dedicated with a public celebration. Scripps had funded the entire project as a gift to La Jolla. She was too ill to attend and died the following year. The Children’s Pool remains one of her many lasting marks on the village.

Fast Forward to the Harbor Seals

The seals showed up about 60 years later. In the mid-1990s, harbor seals began using the protected beach to give birth to their pups, and they have stayed ever since. To this day, La Jolla residents have strong opinions about whether they should be there. I’m not here to argue one way or the other. They’re here, and this is the practical guide. Visiting the seals is one of the most popular free things to do in La Jolla.

Much of the historical detail above comes from a longer scholarly article: ‘Until Kingdom Come,’ The Design and Construction of La Jolla’s Children’s Pool, by Jeremy Hollins, published in the Journal of San Diego History (volume 51). You can read it online.

Children’s Pool La Jolla Address, Directions, and Parking

Address: 850 Coast Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037

Pop the address above into your GPS. Once you’re on Coast Boulevard, you can’t miss it.

Parking: It is difficult to find Children’s Pool parking on Coast Boulevard during peak season and weekends unless you arrive before 9 a.m. (the earlier, the better). Street parking is marked as two or three hours, depending on what part of the street you’re on. There are a few residential streets that run parallel to Coast Blvd that you can try.

Alternatively, look out for some of the paid parking lots that are located on Prospect (there is one at the La Jolla Financial Building) and adjacent streets. Walking down to Coast Blvd from the Village is easy.

See also: Best Things to Do in San Diego with Kids