Upper Trestles

Upper Trestles is a right-hand reef break that produces long, hollow tubes over a cobblestone and coral reef bottom. It performs best on southwest to west-southwest swell with offshore northeast winds, typically working well during low to mid tides. The wave generates rides of 150 to 300 meters on average-sized days, with winter swells reaching overhead or larger, and suits intermediate to advanced surfers given its steepness and speed.

Trestles entered the surfing consciousness in the 1950s and 1960s after surfers discovered the break while it sat within restricted Camp Pendleton military land. Public access resumed in 1971 following a federal lease agreement, and the area became an epicenter for progressive surfing through the decade. Upper Trestles developed a reputation as a high-performance wave that attracted serious surfers, though it has remained less heavily documented in the historical record than Lower Trestles, which became the spiritual home of competitive American surfing from the 1980s onward and now hosts World Surf League finals annually.

Access requires a mile-long walk downhill via an asphalt trail from a pay parking lot near Cristianitos Road in San Clemente. The trailhead sits at the intersection of El Camino Real and Cristianitos, east of Interstate 5; the path descends beneath the freeway before ascending to the beach. Rocks and reef sections line portions of the shoreline, particularly at low tide, and the area experiences regular crowding given its wave quality and accessibility.