We love discovering hidden secrets wherever we live. San Diego has been full of them, including a secret sea cave and dangerous surf trail named after a trail in Vietnam. While hiking the Ho Chi Minh Trail, we discovered yet another San Diego secret: the Mushroom House.
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Last Updated: June 26, 2020
The Abandoned Mushroom House & Blacks Beach San Diego
Hidden away at the bottom of the cliffs at Blacks Beach is a unique building shaped like a mushroom. Built in 1968, it was originally called the Pavilion and could be accessed from the cliffs above via a nearly vertical tramway running almost 300 feet down the cliff. It was used as a guest house and was designed by architect Dal Nagle to withstand naturally occurring rock slides, earthquakes, and waves. It offers an 180-degree view from Torrey Pines State Park to La Jolla.
It was last said that the house was owned by UCSD to be used as a place where professors and administrators could take a sabbatical, but it looks mostly empty now. It is private property so you can’t enter the house, but we enjoyed taking photos and relaxing on the beach.
If you’ve explored the beaches in San Diego, you’ll know that Blacks Beach is also known as the nude beach in San Diego. If you want to hang with the nudes, they’re usually at the north end of the beach. Don’t forget to grab directions to the Mushroom House here and check out our ultimate bucket list of 101 things to do in San Diego!
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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust
Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.
Mary V Melcher
8 Nov 2019It was part of the property above it, a very nice but relatively modest house) which is on the highway. It was owned by the Bell family (Mr. Bell was the heir to the General Mills fortune). I think at the time (1970’s) these properties were in possession of one owner, Mr. Bell. I have stayed in the mushroom house, but the interior is nothing to shout about….
J
21 Oct 2019I went to high school with a gal who’s dad bought it in the 80s and it then went to another LJHS fam after that. I’ve got a couple old pics of us inside it…..
jacob
18 Nov 2019Oh nice!
James A DeVore
3 Oct 2019That is a very cool house I do not why it’s not being used just sitting empty I would love see it and make an offer to purchase it I could see it rented out it would pay for itself it in no time at all