A mysterious house made of driftwood appears perched precariously on the side of a California cliff, just meters above the crashing waves of the Pacific.
- The dilapidated three-story structure was first spotted on the edge of a dangerous cliff at Devil’s Slide by a drone in December 2022.
- It’s unclear if anyone lives in the house, but signs of life include a punching bag, a solitary wooden chair, and a completely closed room.
A mysterious makeshift house has appeared on the rocky cliffs of California Bay.
The dilapidated three-story structure was first spotted on the edge of a dangerous cliff at Devil’s Slide in Pacifica, a 30-minute drive from San Francisco, by a drone in December 2022. Devil’s Slide is known for its slides of land – with a road passing nearby. since destroyed.
The property appears to have been constructed of driftwood and has several rooms perched precariously on the rock face.
It’s unclear if anyone lives in the house, but signs of life include a punching bag, a solitary wooden chair, and a completely closed room.
“We were hiking along the California coast in a familiar place and I noticed something strange on the cliffs,” drone operator @ParallaxEffect said of their footage.
The dilapidated three-story structure was first spotted on the edge of a dangerous cliff in Devil’s Slide, Pacifica, by a drone in December 2022.
“Taking a plane to investigate revealed one of the most incredible human structures I have ever seen.
“We had so many questions: Who did this? For what? Why here? How??!’ they wrote.
Drone footage shows waves breaking just meters from the base of the structure.
The tarpaulin covering its bare posts can be seen blowing in the strong coastal wind.
Several road signs and buoys appear scattered around the property.
Google Earth images also reveal a rope connecting the structure to the Devil’s Slide Trail providing an entry and exit point.
A San Mateo County spokesperson told SFGATE that since the structure sits on ocean bluffs, it “is not located on county land.”
The authority said it was reviewing the records to see if additional information was available.

It’s unclear if anyone lives in the house, but signs of life include a punching bag, a solitary wooden chair, and a completely closed room.
Devil’s Slide, named for its deadly descent into the sea, held Highway 1 atop its cliff until several major landslides made the route dangerous.
Tunnels were dug through the rocks further inland and the new section of the Pacific Coast Highway opened in 2013.
The old highway was later transformed into the Devil’s Slide hiking trail, which passes right above the curious house.
It is not known who built the structure and when, nor who lives there or who visits it.