Upper Trestles
Uppers
Now
Thu Nov 5 · 12–3 PM forecast
3–4 ftwaist to chest
Best tomorrow · Fri 6
Compare bothNothing good left today.
Best tomorrow · Fri 6, 6 to 10:45 AM Pacific.
then the wind picks up
2–3 ft · thigh to waist
Small waves for a shortboard, even with light wind keeping them smooth.
Upper Trestles surf guide
The northern Trestles right, a high-performance wave a short walk from the trail · 3 things to watch
Upper Trestles guide
The northern Trestles right, a high-performance wave a short walk from the trail.
- Good for
- Advanced surfers on high-performance shortboards.
- The wave
- A fast right over cobblestones, with a left when the creek flows.
- Watch for
- A skilled, competitive pack.
- Rocks and urchins underfoot.
- Cross under the bridge, never the tracks.
- Best when
- Best on a SW to WNW swell (230°–285°) with NE offshore wind, at mid tide (about 1.5–4 ft).
MoreLess about Upper Trestles
Shortboards at 3–8 ft. Most consistent in fall and winter.
It has more peaks than Lowers, so the crowd spreads out a little, and winter swell from the west is its best stretch.
Cars stop at the trailhead, so pack in water and food. The only facilities are portable toilets near the tracks.
It belongs to San Onofre State Beach, on land leased from Camp Pendleton, just inside San Diego County.
- Local tip
- Park at the State Parks lot by Cristianitos Road or on the street, walk or bike the trail about a mile, and pass under the Trestles Bridge. Uppers is right there.
GOOD TIDE TODAY8:35–10:50 AM2:30–5:00 PM
Guide updated October 2026
Spot research: WannaSurf, Surf-Forecast, Deepswell, American Surf Magazine, San Clemente Guide, Center for Surf Research, Surf in San Clemente, Wikipedia, California State Parks, Fun Orange County Parks, Los Angeles Times, BikeHike, DayTrippen, OC Register and SurferToday.
Send a spot correctionNo cam for this spot yet.
Live buoy Red Beach Nearshore
- WAVES
- 3.2 ft
- PERIOD
- 13s
- FROM
- SW 234°
- WATER
- 75°
Observed 1:00 PM · 1 hr 22 min old
7-day surf
SB shortboard · LB longboard
Thu 12 PM · now
3–4 ft · waist to chest ·
7 mph onshore · tide 0.8 ft falling
Swell near the beach: 3.1 ft every 13 s from SW
| Time | Surf | Rating | Wind | Tide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 12 AM | 3–4 ft | Shortboard Fair–Good, longboard Fair–Good, dark hours | 3 mph offshore | 0.6 ft and rising |
| Thu 3 AM | 3–4 ft | Shortboard Fair–Good, longboard Fair–Good | 5 mph offshore | 3.1 ft and rising |
| Thu 6 AM | 3–4 ft | Shortboard Fair–Good, longboard Fair | 6 mph offshore | 5.5 ft and rising |
| Thu 9 AM | 3–4 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair | 3 mph cross-onshore | 3.5 ft and falling |
| Thu 12 PM | 3–4 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor | 7 mph onshore | 0.8 ft and falling |
| Thu 3 PM | 3–4 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 8 mph, gusts 10, cross-onshore | 2.0 ft and rising |
| Thu 6 PM | 3–4 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 5 mph, gusts 11, cross-offshore | 4.4 ft and rising |
| Thu 9 PM | 3–4 ft | Shortboard Fair–Good, longboard Fair–Good, dark hours | 6 mph, gusts 15, offshore | 3.0 ft and falling |
| Fri 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 4 mph, gusts 8, offshore | 0.9 ft and falling |
| Fri 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair | 3 mph offshore | 2.7 ft and rising |
| Fri 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 5 mph offshore | 5.7 ft and rising |
| Fri 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair | 2 mph, gusts 7, glassy | 4.2 ft and falling |
| Fri 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor, longboard Poor | 7 mph, gusts 8, onshore | 0.7 ft and falling |
| Fri 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor, longboard Poor | 8 mph, gusts 10, cross-onshore | 1.0 ft and rising |
| Fri 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 8 mph, gusts 17, cross | 3.9 ft and rising |
| Fri 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 7 mph, gusts 8, offshore | 3.6 ft and falling |
| Sat 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 3 mph offshore | 1.4 ft and falling |
| Sat 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair | 3 mph offshore | 2.5 ft and rising |
| Sat 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 9 mph, gusts 12, cross-offshore | 5.7 ft and rising |
| Sat 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 4 mph, gusts 5, cross-onshore | 4.9 ft and falling |
| Sat 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 4 mph, gusts 5, onshore | 1.0 ft and falling |
| Sat 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor, longboard Poor | 7 mph cross-onshore | 0.2 ft and rising |
| Sat 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 8 mph cross | 3.2 ft and rising |
| Sat 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 3 mph, gusts 4, offshore | 3.9 ft and falling |
| Sun 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 4 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 1.9 ft and falling |
| Sun 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair | 6 mph offshore | 2.3 ft and rising |
| Sun 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 7 mph offshore | 5.4 ft and rising |
| Sun 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 1 mph, gusts 3, glassy | 5.4 ft and falling |
| Sun 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 5 mph onshore | 1.5 ft and falling |
| Sun 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor, longboard Poor | 8 mph cross-onshore | −0.3 ft and rising |
| Sun 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 6 mph cross-offshore | 2.3 ft and rising |
| Sun 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 4 mph, gusts 5, offshore | 4.0 ft and falling |
| Mon 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 3 mph, gusts 4, offshore | 2.4 ft and falling |
| Mon 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair | 6 mph offshore | 2.2 ft and rising |
| Mon 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair | 5 mph offshore | 5.1 ft and rising |
| Mon 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 0 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 5.7 ft and falling |
| Mon 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 6 mph onshore | 2.2 ft and falling |
| Mon 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor | 7 mph cross-onshore | −0.4 ft and falling |
| Mon 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 3 mph cross-offshore | 1.5 ft and rising |
| Mon 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 1 mph glassy | 3.8 ft and rising |
| Tue 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 2 mph glassy | 2.8 ft and falling |
| Tue 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair | 3 mph offshore | 2.3 ft and rising |
| Tue 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Fair, longboard Fair | 2 mph glassy | 4.7 ft and rising |
| Tue 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 1 mph glassy | 5.8 ft and falling |
| Tue 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 5 mph onshore | 2.9 ft and falling |
| Tue 3 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor, longboard Poor | 5 mph onshore | −0.1 ft and falling |
| Tue 6 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair, dark hours | 3 mph cross | 0.8 ft and rising |
| Tue 9 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 2 mph glassy | 3.3 ft and rising |
| Wed 12 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair, dark hours | 1 mph, gusts 2, glassy | 3.1 ft and falling |
| Wed 3 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair | 2 mph, gusts 3, glassy | 2.4 ft and rising |
| Wed 6 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Fair | 2 mph glassy | 4.3 ft and rising |
| Wed 9 AM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor–Fair, longboard Poor–Fair | 2 mph glassy | 5.7 ft and falling |
| Wed 12 PM | 2–3 ft | Shortboard Poor, longboard Poor | 6 mph onshore | 3.5 ft and falling |
| Wed 3 PM | Waves unavailable | Shortboard Unavailable, longboard Unavailable | 7 mph cross-onshore | 0.4 ft and falling |
| Wed 6 PM | Waves unavailable | Shortboard Unavailable, longboard Unavailable, dark hours | 6 mph cross | 0.4 ft and rising |
| Wed 9 PM | Waves unavailable | Shortboard Unavailable, longboard Unavailable, dark hours | 1 mph, gusts 3, glassy | 2.7 ft and rising |
Today’s tide
GOOD 8:35–10:50 AM2:30–5:00 PM
San Clemente · feet above low water
Swell
Wave forecast checked against the live Red Beach Nearshore buoy.
Updated 2:03 PM · CDIP/Scripps, Open-Meteo and NOAA.
Common questions
Is Upper Trestles good for beginners?
Not really; it suits surfers with some experience.
What tide is best at Upper Trestles?
It’s best at mid tide (about 1.5–4 ft).
What swell works at Upper Trestles?
A SW to WNW swell (230°–285°) is best, with NE offshore wind. It picks up swell from S to WNW (170°–295°). Most consistent in fall and winter.
What board should I ride at Upper Trestles?
It’s mainly a shortboard wave, best at 3–8 ft.
What should I watch out for at Upper Trestles?
A skilled, competitive pack; rocks and urchins underfoot; and cross under the bridge, never the tracks.