By Geoff Page
This is a Public Service Announcement – for anyone hiking in the Sunset Cliffs Park south of Ladera Street.
After 40 plus years of discounting stories of rattlesnakes in the park, I was completely shocked to find one in the middle of a well-traveled path on Friday, July 24th. There was no doubt what it was.
The photo above shows what it looked like when I turned a corner and saw what appeared to be a stick. This picture is not the actual snake. Had I been a member of the younger generation that reaches for their cell phone cameras immediately, I could have had a picture.
However, my first concern was to get it off the path so no one else would run into it unexpectedly. My dog almost got to the snake before I did. I was not sure if it was alive as it lay stretched out just like this picture. I went looking for a stick, which took me around a corner. When I came back, it had clearly moved. As I approached, it noticed me and slithered off the path into the underbrush.
I have been taking my dogs to the park for many, many years and have been all over every inch of it. I have seen two snakes in all those years, neither of which were poisonous. I have seen rattlesnakes before so I knew what this was. The snake was about 18 inches long and the tail only had about three or four rattles on it indicating that it was young. Young rattlers are more dangerous than adults.
The spot where I found it is a confluence of three wide paths at the southwest corner of what used to be the ball field.
This was a shock to me and probably will be to many people. Walking on the large paths is probably very safe. If you see something like a stick lying on the ground, pay attention. But, the biggest worry for me is dogs and kids. Dogs crash through the underbrush exploring and chasing critters. Kids are not much different. It is now a serious risk.
There is no signage in the park about this danger, something I intended to pursue.
They are the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake. Have seen them on the Bayside Trail at the Lighthouse. The biologists told me the Point has many. When hiking I keep a lookout for them from March through September. There are fox also living here. Scorpions also.
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Thanks for heads up! BTW, it’s venomous, not poisonous.
Rattlesnakes are everywhere in San Diego. It’s not shocking. They don’t want anything to do with humans. That’s why we rarely see them.
Rattlesnakes have been known to live in the South end of Point Loma for decades. I remember that in 1991 a Park and Rec maintenance worker saw several over a period of a couple years.
Geoff, the best way to keep your dogs safe is to keep them on a leash, instead of crashing thru the brush chasing critters.
I knew when I typed what I did that someone would react as you have. I couldn’t resist.
Interestingly, you did not include a similar admonition about allowing kids to crash through the underbrush.
I concur,and if your dog is Big enuff and young and healthy it shouldn’t have any worries of a bite and surviving I’ve known many an owner who let it run it’s course,because unless you are one of those who carry insurance on your pet prepare for a wake up . Because crofab for dogs is near 10k or more from what I’ve heard . And they are nothing Short of deadly. Any who watch your step!!
My dog great pyrenees & border Collie gets her rattlesnake venom at the drive thru vaccine clinic once a year.
She did get bit in the snout by a baby rattlesnake. Left 2 little fang marks. But I yelled for her to COME immediately upon hearing the distinctive sound of bees. Babies have a different sound because their rattlesnake are not fully developed.
Glad to know your pup was ok after that. My dog must investigate anything she sees ahead of her and she would have gotten it on the nose had I not had her leashed and yanked her back.
Young rattlesnakes are not more venomous than adults. That’s a common myth.
We have been educated. Thanks Jill. I’ve thought the myth was true for 50 years.
This is true. I believe the difference is that the adults bite and release while the young snakes hang on longer thus releasing more venom.
Geez! The writer wanted to warn other residents and visitors to the park – and he gets schooled instead. C’mon, appreciate what is being said and don’t trash the messenger.
I actually expected what I see in the comments. My PSA was intended for people who are unaware of the risks and unfamiliar with rattlesnakes. Some of the comments added information for the readers.
The comment about poisonous versus venomous was technically correct. I used the word poisonous because I believed that would have the better effect of getting people’s attention.
The comment about rattlesnakes not wanting to have anything to do with us was also technically correct. But, that fact is not much solace for the people who get bitten every year by these snakes.
As I commented above, I knew I’d get a comment about my dogs. I felt it was more important to say something, for any dog lovers who use the park and did not know this, than it was to worry about the eventual comment this would probably elicit..
Yep, I’ve seen rattlesnakes on trails back in the 70s at the Cliffs hiking to surf spots with a board under my arm. We knew they were out there.
San Diego is, after all, a desert, and that’s a fine place for these suckers to live. When my dad moved from MB to University City on the edge of a canyon (now in-filled with houses and a street), he had to get used to always checking what was near the back sliding glass door before venturing out as they liked to congregate there for some reason. Found a couple in the garage a couple times, too.
Saw them on Palomar Mt. when I lived up there in the mid-80s, saw them when I lived in the Bear River Range of Utah going to school in the late 80s, saw them in Mt. Shasta while living there in the late 90s. Seems like they live in a lot of places…
Up here a few years ago I drove up to my gate on the county gravel road I live on to see five foot Timber Rattler stretched out where somebody ran it over. I carry a snake stick when I hike the ridgelines above my property, and tend to walk slow for that reason, but that was the only one I’ve seen in 23 years of living in these mountains. But to the south of me about 12 miles on the same ridge is a road going up and over the top that is named Rattlesnake Canyon Rd. that is literally chocked full of them. I know a grower down there that has had their dogs bit more than once, but none ever died from it. So far their kids have avoided that experience, too….
We have to remember that we share this planet with all sorts of life. And I’m glad that it isn’t all concrete and asphalt covering everything. But our species is working on that I guess…
sealintheSelkirks
Keeps the rodent population down.
When people spotted a mountain lion in Mission Trails Park, rangers posted warning signs. So, why can’t rangers now post warning signs in Sunset Cliffs Natural Park? https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/warning-signs-posted-after-mountain-lion-spotted-at-mission-trails-regional-park/4054928/
I contacted the Parks Department and suggested some signage at the three park entrances and I received two pretty quick responses. One was from Patrick Hadley stating “Our team put up some temporary signs notifying the public about potential rattlesnake. Also looking into getting something more permanent here.”