UCSDSecrets

UCSD Tunnels

The one thing that freshman hear when they come to UCSD is the existence of an elaborate system of tunnels that run throughout the university linking most of the buildings. Luckily for you new freshmen this is true. Since this school was built in the 60s, it was under constant attack by the resident hippies. To provide the staff members with an escape route incase things got out of hand, these tunnels were constructed linking most buildings to an escape route. I managed to find a map detailing the routes and possible entry and exit points. This map is just a rough guide but has been tested and is considered accurate.

Most Convenient Entrance

The best possible entrance is by far the manhole on the little hill, facing Main Gym in Revelle. On the map it is the little blue dot right next to the Student Center.

Hey guys, hope everyone is having a good winter break. Happy holidays and make sure u hit the mountains. From the comments I’ve recieved and from other feedback here are a few things that I think I did not cover in my tunnels article. For one, I want to dispel one myth that the tunnel in front of the Main Gym has been blocked of. Thatâ€™s not true, cause thatâ€™s exactly what people told me when I first tried it. Its best summed up by the following comment -”The entrance in front of Main Gym is NOT sealed. It is just very heavy and in order to open it you gotta use a wedge like a branch or something to gain leverage. You probably need 2 people, 1 to lift and the other to control the wedge. Then you slide the cover in the direction of the gym (west) - this is to manipulate it in such a manner so that the chain doesn’t stop you from getting in. Have fun everyone and don’t let a little work stop you from gettin in!” I can back that up since I been in there rite before we went home.

Secondly, on the matter of why the tunnels were built, I think this pretty much sums it up -”the assertion that the tunnels served a security or anti-riot purpose is admittedly ancient (I started at UCSD in 1984). The truth, while far less alluring, at least gives some indication of the dangers involved before one descends. The tunnels were built for running utilities around the campus as it existed when built, and always has been used in that capacity. There are high pressure steam and water pipes, electricity, network, and telecom cables, and alarms all over the place. Unless they have changed a lot since I was student (doubtful), keeping those things in mind, the tunnels are perfectly safe, if increasingly hard to enter. I went about dozen times or more during my student days.”

As for security down there, I have heard that there are motion detectors down there but they are big and easy to avoid. I will make sure I update the map with the location of these devices in the near future as soon as I get back.
Finally as for tunnel experiences, anonymous got it right “I’m not gonna lie, I’ve boned countless chicks down in the tunnels and the ambient heat of the elaborate pipes coupled with the musty smell of asbestos and dust creates a heavenly aura unmatched by anything I’ve experienced to date.” Peace.

DISCLAIMER: I do not advocate the doing of anything listed or stated on this blog. I myself have never entered the tunnels and do not encourage anyone else to do so either. This site is meant to be a source of information.

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10 Responses to “UCSD Tunnels”

anonymous
February 27th, 2007 at 11:39 am
ucsd wasnt always a school, as in this campus wasnt always ucsd what i mean. this place used to be a old military base. over by voigt pass the bridge theres one old looking stone wall that still stands that is from the base, it was left as a memorial but no one knows about it. anyways the tunnels were made in case of a war outbreaking inside the usa. obviously everyone remembers the cold war and thought usa was gonna be attacked. the tunnels were there so they could transport ammunition/accessories between spots around campus. or just to get around. most military bases have tunnels linking different spots together, im sure you know. now adays the tunnels do have a few doors that are locked up, but hardly any. there are motion sensors down there as well that notifies uc police of people down there, which then police respond and the person ends up getting arrested. fun place though, got a tour with maintence down there, im staff at ucsd thats how i know about this.
Andrew
April 6th, 2007 at 6:47 am
I’ve been in the steam tunnels at UCSD. I have spoken at length with other people who have. The statute of limitations has long since expired. The map is largely accurate. Portions of the tunnel complex are long enough to skateboard.

See the Wikipedia article on steam tunnels for a discussion of the dangers. This is not for the careless or timid! One student carried among other life safety equipment a broomstick and a gas sensor. If you go exploring down there and discover a steam leak the hard way, you’ll experience the joys of having your skin flash parboiled. I can’t recommend it. Hazardous gas buildup, especially carbon monoxide and lab waste, is also a serious possibility. The tunnels would be considered "confined spaces" by OSHA regulations, if the Regents didn’t consider themselves above such things.

If you are caught in the steam tunnels, you face disciplinary action (if a student) or ban from campus (if not a student), escalating to trespass charges and worse if you are caught a second time or damage anything. Again, not for the timid. If you carry tools to bypass locks, you can face charges for possession of burglar’s tools — not a trivial offense!

There are motion sensors. There are also false alarms. For obvious reasons radios work poorly in the tunnel system. Therefore there are black phones scattered through the tunnel system. To use these, you would pick up the phone and jiggle the hook repeatedly. This would connect you to the police dispatcher, who will send police to rescue and/or arrest you. Trust me, they get cranky, mostly because they have to go through a very large ring of keys to find the keys to the nearest tunnel access.

There are also ladders that allow maintenance inside certain tall buildings connected to the steam tunnel network. They are unguarded and a careless person can fall many feet, be critically injured, and (much) later found dead. There are also sharp gratings, live electrical cables surface-mounted, asbestos (mostly sealed now) and other more subtle hazards.

The primary purpose for the tunnels is maintenance of the steam pipes. Later they were retrofitted to carry the campus network backbone. You can move people discreetly from building to building, but this is more for evacuation purposes than for moving police or soldiers in riot gear.

The technical term for someone who tunnel hacks alone is "stupid."

Fifth College - Class of ‘94
Tryke88
April 23rd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I heard that the whole campus was set up to prevent mass protests. Thats why there are no large places for a big rally to take place. Is this true?
ucsdsecrets
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Thats what I heard too but back when Revelle was the first college, they had protests there all the time. However, if you ever visit the dorms at Warren College (like Goldberg, Black Hall etc.), all of them have stairs that are supposed to make it harder for students to mobilize and congregate. Also, if you’ve noticed, UCSD doesn’t really have a central administration building, instead its a bunch of prefabricated boxes spread all over campus. Guess this doesn’t really give protesters the satisfaction of sticking it to the man. That should change with the new Price center coming up pretty soon. Oh yeah, and if anyone has any further questions, please post them on the discussion forum. They should get answered quicker there.
anonymous
April 27th, 2007 at 1:24 am
Yes we need the map, locations of alarm triggers would be great.
Mr. B
April 27th, 2007 at 1:36 am
I graduated in 1996. I made two treks in the tunnels sometime in 1994. Your map is accurate.
anonymous
April 27th, 2007 at 1:36 am
A wise man once said, “Tunnels are the source of life, they’re who we are”. The tunnels under UCSD are an escape from the hubub of everyday life. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve boned countless chicks down in the tunnels and the ambient heat of the elaborate pipes coupled with the musty smell of asbestos and dust creates a heavenly aura unmatched by anything I’ve experienced to date.
Jeremy
April 27th, 2007 at 1:36 am
Actually, the entrance mentioned is now sealed. Try the entrance in the med school, open as of ‘06.
anonymous
April 27th, 2007 at 1:37 am
The entrance in front of Main Gym is NOT sealed. It is just very heavy and in order to open it you gotta use a wedge like a branch or something to gain leverage. You probably need 2 people, 1 to lift and the other to control the wedge. Then you slide the cover in the direction of the gym (west) - this is to manipulate it in such a manner so that the chain doesn’t stop you from getting in. Have fun everyone and don’t let a little work stop you from gettin in!
anonymous
April 27th, 2007 at 1:37 am
Okay, the assertion that the tunnels served a security or anti-riot purpose is admittedly ancient (I started at UCSD in 1984). The truth, while far less alluring, at least gives some indication of the dangers involved before one descends. The tunnels were built for running utilities around the campus as it existed when built, and always has been used in that capacity. There are high pressure steam and water pipes, electricity, network, and telecom cables, and alarms all over the place. Unless they have changed a lot since I was student (doubtful), keeping those things in mind, the tunnels are perfectly safe, if increasingly hard to enter. I went about dozen times or more during my student days.

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UCSD Tunnels

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