How To Get To The Mushroom House In La Jolla (2024)
Are you wondering how to visit the abandoned mushroom house in La Jolla? This is the article for you.
The mushroom house is an entrancing mushroom shaped house on the south shore of Black’s Beach in San Diego. Given the unclear directions available, it took me two attempts to find this unique piece of architecture!
This article will cover step by step directions on how to get to the mushroom house, and helpful tips for visiting. For your convenience, we’ve included a Mushroom House Map of where to park and start the hike.
Here’s everything you need to know to visit the abandoned mushroom house.
How To Get To The Mushroom House
To get to the Mushroom House, you’ll park at the “Black’s Beach trailhead”. There’s easy free 2-hour street parking, right across the street from the trailhead (Blackgold Rd) from 8am-6pm.
From there, it’s a short but steep hike down a paved hill to the shore.
As soon as you get down to the shore, you’ll turn left (south) and continue walking for around 10 minutes until you reach the Mushroom House. Keep in mind that this is a nude beach, if you plan on visiting with family. But, you’ll likely only encounter surfers around this area of the beach.
When I visited, the tide was very high, so I had to climb over this section of rocks right before I approached the house.
These rocks are slippery and easy to trip over. Just make sure to wear shoes with good grip, and take your time crossing over.
Once I got to the house, the outside of it was covered in graffiti, and there was one other person standing to the right of it.
The house had an interesting UFO-like shape, and you could see the elevator that connects it to the top of the mountain.
Since it’s so far out of the way, you’ll likely be the only person there. You can get up close to the house, and take pictures of it from many different angles.
Note: Some directions online say to park at the Torrey Pines Gliderport to get to Mushroom House. This route is not a great option, as you’ll have to walk an hour south to reach the house. It can take around 2 hours in total and you’ll be walking through a nude beach, so I definitely don’t recommend it.
Instead, park by Black’s Beach trailhead, and it’s just a short 15-20 minute hike.
Tips for visiting the Mushroom House
- Park at Black’s Beach Trailhead, not Torrey Pines Gliderport!
- There’s free 2 hour street parking from 8am-6pm right by the trailhead (Blackgold Rd)
- Arrive at least an hour before parking expires (6pm) to avoid a ticket
- Wear comfortable shoes with good grip to cross over the rocks
- Bring water, as the hike back up the hill is very strenuous
What is the Mushroom House?
The Mushroom House is a fascinating mushroom shaped house, originally built in 1968 by Dale Naegle for Sam Bell of Bell’s Potato Chips. It’s actual name is the “Bell Pavilion”, and it was purposely designed to withstand earthquakes and other strong forces. It’s built below a 300 foot cliff, and connected to the top of the cliff by a once operating electric tramway.
The house has a unique UFO-like shape and modern futuristic design. Unfortunately, it’s currently abandoned, and has become vandalized with graffiti over the past decade. However, the interior and immediate exterior of the house is locked up, so you cannot explore inside of it.
Who owns the Mushroom House?
The Mushroom House was originally owned by Sam Bell of Bell’s Potato Chips, then sold to the Woolley family in 1987, and later purchased by the entrepreneur Buzz Woolley in August of 2015.
Now, the owner is unclear. However, it’s rumored to be owned by either a philanthropist, or the University of California San Diego.
Can you go inside the Mushroom House?
No, you cannot go inside the Mushroom House as the interior and immediate exterior is private property and locked up. However, you can get up close to the house from the beach to see many different angles of it.
Mushroom House La Jolla Map
Mushroom House FAQs
Where do you park for the Mushroom House?
To get to Mushroom House, you’ll park along the street by Black’s Beach trailhead. The street right across the trailhead (Blackgold Rd.) typically has plenty of 2-hour parking spots from 8am-6pm.
Just remember that parking expires at 6pm, so you’ll want to be out of there at 6pm to avoid a ticket.
How difficult is the hike?
The hike down Black’s Beach trail is relatively easy, but the hike back up is super steep and strenuous on the legs.
However, it’s very doable as long as you bring water, and take breaks on the way up. The hike took me around 30-45 minutes roundtrip.
Is it located on a nude beach?
Yes, it’s located on Black’s Beach which is a nude beach. The south area of the beach near Mushroom House is more popular amongst surfers, so I thankfully didn’t encounter any nude people on my hike.
Are there restrooms?
Yes, there are restrooms at the bottom of the hill, but they’re not in the best shape.
How else can you get to it?
You can also get to the Mushroom House via Ho Chi Minh Trail or by walking from Black’s Beach. I don’t recommend either of these options, as they can take 1-2 hours to get there.
Ho Chi Minh Trail is a steep hike through a narrow slot canyon down to Black’s Beach. This hike is known for being dangerous, and it’s an extra 2 mile hike along the shore to reach Mushroom House, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Black’s Beach is accessible by parking at the Torrey Pines Gliderport, and hiking down the hill to the shore. There’s a large dirt parking lot at the gliderport, open from 9am-6pm. From Black’s Beach, it’s around a 2 mile hike south to reach Mushroom House.
This will take around 2 hours roundtrip, and you’ll be walking through a nude beach, so I definitely wouldn’t recommend this route.
Is Mushroom House worth visiting?
If you’re interested in architecture or enjoy hiking along the beach, visiting Mushroom house is definitely worth it. This area of the beach is secluded, free of crowds, and the hike back up is a great workout!
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