Beehive Trail
Steep granite steps, ladders, cliff edges, and quick ocean views deliver serious exposure in short mileage.
Artwork inspired by Louise Nevelson
A compact iron-rung climb rises above Sand Beach. Steep granite steps, ladders, cliff edges, and quick ocean views deliver serious exposure in short mileage. Crowds can make the one-way ascent more difficult than the terrain alone. What distinguishes this from a generic stop is the way iron rungs, Sand Beach view, and Beehive summit remain connected on the ground.
Start early in dry conditions, maintain spacing on rungs, and descend by the Bowl Trail rather than reversing the climb. A fall could be fatal; wet rock, congestion, fear of heights, and winter ice are decisive reasons to choose another route. At Beehive Trail, route choice and environmental conditions matter more than headline mileage or a single map pin.
- Distance
- About 1.4-mile loop
- Gain
- About 450 feet
- Route
- One-way ascent recommended
Quick guide
- Start with
- Start early in dry conditions, maintain spacing on rungs, and descend by the Bowl Trail rather than reversing the climb.
- Look closely at
- Compare Sand Beach view with Beehive summit; the relationship reveals something the headline feature alone cannot.
Know before you go
- Start with
- Start early in dry conditions, maintain spacing on rungs, and descend by the Bowl Trail rather than reversing the climb.
- Look closely at
- Compare Sand Beach view with Beehive summit; the relationship reveals something the headline feature alone cannot.
- Connect the story
- Use the rapid transition from forest to rungs and ocean views to understand why short mileage does not mean low consequence.
- Plan around
- Check current conditions before leaving, set a turnaround time, and preserve enough daylight to examine Beehive summit rather than rushing past it.
Good to know
A fall could be fatal; wet rock, congestion, fear of heights, and winter ice are decisive reasons to choose another route.
Notice these
- iron rungs
- Sand Beach view
- Beehive summit