Parking and Getting to La Jolla Shores
Planning your visit?Timed slots are limited, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. Reserve today, decide later.
Check ticket availabilityKellogg Park and the boat launch
Nearly every paddle tour and every rental launches from Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores. It is the only beachfront boat launch within San Diego city limits, which is the whole reason the cave tour industry sits here rather than closer to the caves themselves. The park is open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the lot on Camino del Oro is closed overnight between those hours. When you arrive, head for the boat launch area; it is signposted, and the shops that rent kayaks and snorkel gear sit a short walk up Avenida de la Playa.
Parking: the honest version
The beach lot at Kellogg Park is free. I mention that first because half the guides to this beach imply you will be feeding a meter, and you will not. What you will be doing is circling. Free beachfront parking in La Jolla is a scarce resource, and on a warm summer weekend the lot is gone by mid-morning. An 8 a.m. tour is usually a non-event. A 10 a.m. or later tour on a Saturday in July is where people get caught out.
The surrounding streets are the trap. Time limits in the area run from about 30 minutes up to three hours, they are signposted per block rather than uniformly, and they are enforced. Limits generally lift in the evening, which is worth knowing if you are booking the sunset paddle rather than a morning one. Residential blocks further back carry permit restrictions. One reviewer on a Cove tour reported being ticketed and said nobody had warned him — so consider yourself warned. Read the sign at the specific space you park in, then work out whether the limit covers check-in plus the paddle plus rinsing off, not just the paddle.
Operators on two separate tours tell you in writing to allow at least 30 minutes for parking or to use rideshare. That is not boilerplate. Stack it properly: 30 minutes to park, 30 minutes for check-in and the safety briefing, then your time on the water. Late is not forgiving here — on the Cove snorkel tours, more than ten minutes late counts as a no-show and there is no refund.
Meeting points
Most Shores tours meet at the boat launch area itself. Some check you in first at the shops at 2158 Avenida de la Playa or 2261 Avenida de la Playa, a few minutes back from the sand. The La Jolla Cove snorkel tours do not meet at the Shores at all: they meet at the flagpole and grass at La Jolla Cove, a separate beach about half a mile south, where parking is tighter still. The Coronado tour meets at Coronado Ferry Landing, 1201 First Street, and is the one product on this site with parking fees included. Check your confirmation for the exact point — the map page plots all of them.
Getting there by car
La Jolla Shores sits on the coast next to UC San Diego. From downtown San Diego take I-5 or I-805 north to the La Jolla exit and head for the water; allow 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. From the airport it is a similar run up the coast. Weekday mornings move quickly. Summer weekend late mornings do not, and that traffic arrives at the same lot you are trying to park in.
Getting there without a car
San Diego’s MTS network runs bus service into La Jolla Shores; check current routes and timings before you rely on it, because headways are not frequent. Rideshare is the pragmatic answer on a summer weekend — it removes the single biggest variable in the day, and the operators themselves suggest it. Fares vary by demand and time of day, so price it in the app rather than trusting a number on a website.
What to bring
Bring photo ID and a card. Most operators accept digital vouchers on a phone, but confirm on your booking rather than assuming. If you are renting gear rather than joining a tour, expect a refundable security deposit to be taken at the counter. Lockers are available at the Shores shops for a fee if you would rather not leave anything in the car — and given that this is a beach lot, you would rather not. What to wear covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Where do tours launch from?
Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores, the only beachfront boat launch inside San Diego city limits. The park is open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Cove snorkel tours are the exception — they meet at La Jolla Cove, a separate beach half a mile south.
Is parking at La Jolla Shores free?
Yes. The beach lot at Kellogg Park is free, with no meters and no attendant. That is precisely why it fills up: free beachfront parking in La Jolla is scarce, and on a warm summer weekend the lot is gone by mid-morning.
How early should I arrive?
Allow 30 minutes to park on top of the 30 minutes of check-in the operator already asks for. So roughly an hour before your departure time on a summer weekend. An early morning tour is far more relaxed than a late-morning one.
What if the lot is full?
Street parking nearby is timed — roughly 30 minutes to three hours depending on the block, signposted individually and enforced. Read the sign at your actual space and check the limit covers check-in plus the paddle plus rinsing off. Otherwise take a rideshare; the operators suggest it themselves.
Will I get a parking ticket?
You can, and people do. One reviewer reported being ticketed near the Cove and said nobody had warned him. Limits are per-block, not uniform, and residential streets further back carry permit restrictions. The free lot has no such problem, which is the argument for arriving early.
Is there parking at La Jolla Cove?
There is, but it is tighter than the Shores and fills earlier. Both Cove snorkel tours tell you to allow 30 minutes or use rideshare, and both treat arrivals more than ten minutes late as no-shows.