What the Railroad Changed on San Clemente's Reopened Beach Trail
North of Casa Romantica, where the steel-and-wood Mariposa bridge used to cross, the Beach Trail now runs right beside the tracks. A new wall rises above it, 10 to 20 feet tall and tinted to match the bluff. The retaining wall is faced with about 8,600 interlocking tiles. A new pedestrian bridge crosses the Mariposa Channel, and the path is lined with fresh fencing and landscaping. The section reopened on Friday, Oct. 9, so the full 2.3 miles from North Beach to Calafia has been walkable again for about five weeks.
The new stretch looks the way it does because it was built mainly to protect the rail line. The trail came along with it. The same is true of the rules for walkers and of the work coming to the coast this winter. Once that's clear, the reopened trail is easier to read on the ground.
A landslide in January 2024 damaged the railroad and destroyed the Mariposa pedestrian bridge. OCTA and Metrolink put up a first protective wall that let regular passenger trains return in March 2024. The permanent fix is OCTA's Coastal Rail Emergency Project, Area 3. Its main piece is a catchment wall of about 1,400 feet on the bluff side of the tracks at Mariposa Point, running from the El Portal beach access to Linda Lane. OCTA's project page lists the work as complete in October 2026.
The whole project cost about $93 million. According to the Orange County Register, removing the old bridge and reconnecting the trail alongside the railroad accounted for about $24 million of that, and construction started in September 2025. In OCTA's announcement, parts of the restored trail sit about 10 feet higher than before to open up ocean views.
The old bridge still has fans. One walker at the ribbon cutting told the Register, "We'll miss the cute little iconic rickety bridge, such a nostalgic piece of our little San Clemente." She also said her group texted each other about the reopening right away.
The City describes the Beach Trail as a 2.3-mile connection between North Beach and Calafia Beach, with stops at the Pier and T-Street. Metrolink's trail guide calls it generally flat and parallel to the tracks. It puts roughly a mile between the North Beach and Pier stations and about 1.2 miles from the Pier to San Clemente State Beach. That makes it easy to plan a walk anywhere from 1.0 to 4.5 miles.
From north to south, the beach access points are North Beach, the 204s at Dije Court, El Portal, Linda Lane, the Pier, Boca del Canon, Riviera, Mariposa, Corto Lane, T-Street, Lasuen and Lost Winds, and San Clemente State Beach at Calafia.
| Anchor point | Getting there | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| North Beach | Paid lots, plus the San Clemente/North Beach Metrolink station | Miramar Food Hall and Ole Hanson Beach Club are next door |
| Linda Lane | Parking lot | South end of the new Area 3 catchment wall |
| The Pier | Parking, plus the San Clemente Pier station, which is weekend-only | Fisherman's Restaurant & Bar and the Sand Toy Station |
| T-Street | Trail access | West Toast Cafe; trail hours change south of the restrooms |
| Calafia | Parking at San Clemente State Beach | South end of the trail, 243 Avenida Calafia |
The City lists two ADA-accessible sections, North Beach to Mariposa and Linda Lane to the Pier. The rest of the route doesn't carry that designation.
The trail sits right next to an active rail corridor. The LOSSAN line carries Metrolink, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, freight and military trains. OCTA owns that corridor, and walking into it counts as trespassing. Several of the City's posted Beach Trail rules come back to that fact.
The split hours catch early walkers. A 5 a.m. start from the Pier works going north. Going south, the last stretch past T-Street doesn't open until 6. For questions or to report damage, the City's Beaches, Parks and Recreation Department is at 949-361-8264.
At the north end, Miramar Food Hall opened on Thursday, June 18, 2026, after a long wait. The Register's opening-day coverage describes 15 food options along an L-shaped hall under vaulted, wood-beamed ceilings. They include sandwiches, street tacos, lobster rolls and pizza, with a large patio and two bars on the property. Vendors named that day included Cosmos and RolledUp SC. The hall fills the old bowling-center building near North Beach. The Miramar Food Hall site lists its address as 150 W Avenida Pico, and Immersion Coffee Co. inside is listed as open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. That makes it an easy coffee stop before a southbound walk. The Register also noted a parking lot on Avenida Pico next to Ole Hanson Beach Club, and suggested the train as another option.
At the midpoint, Fisherman's Restaurant & Bar sits at the pier and is currently taking Thanksgiving 2026 takeout reservations. In the sand just north of the restaurant, near the showers, is the City-approved Sand Toy Station. It runs on borrow, play, rinse and return.
Farther south, West Toast Cafe serves food and coffee at T-Street, right where the trail's hours change.
Mariposa is finished, but other spots on the same shoreline are still getting work. Surf from Hurricane Marie over Labor Day weekend cost the pier one pylon and 17 braces. Voice of OC reported on Sept. 16 that City staff estimated pier repairs at about $300,000. As of the San Clemente Times' September reporting, engineers had cleared the pier for pedestrians and maintenance vehicles, and the City had limited heavier-load activities. Repairs were expected in spring, after the king tides forecast for December and January. Check the City for the latest before planning an event on the pier.
At the north end, the City Council unanimously approved emergency action in September. It authorizes up to $1 million to place sand on North Beach and build berms around coastal structures such as the restrooms there. City Manager Andy Hall told the council the City would also keep a close watch on lifeguard headquarters, Voice of OC reported. OCTA has separately finished an initial nourishment at North Beach, placing about 2,500 cubic yards of sand. The agency describes it as a first step toward a much larger plan.
South of the pier, OCTA's next segment, Area 4, calls for engineered shore protection. The schedule is still being worked out, and in late September the OCTA board authorized more procurement and sand placement. Any work there will be paid for and planned around the rail line, just as it was at Mariposa. Walkers will likely notice it the same way they noticed Area 3.
The bluffs, the sand and the pier along the Beach Trail will keep changing through the winter. If you want to talk about a home near the trail, whether that's a short walk from Linda Lane or close to the T-Street steps, Nick Hartman and the team are happy to meet you at one of the access points and walk it together. Contact Us.
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