Entry No. 12 — the San Diego file — filed under: outdoor
"Snake Path" by Alexis Smith (Stuart Collection, UCSD)
A 560-foot mosaic snake made of hexagonal slate scales winds up a hillside to a seven-foot granite book carved with a line from Paradise Lost, then loops around a small hidden "Garden of Eden" planted with pomegranate, fig, and apple trees and a marble bench etched with Gustave Doré's Adam and Eve.
The story
In 1992, artist Alexis Smith took UC San Diego's Geisel Library—the campus's towering concrete temple of knowledge—and gave it a 560-foot serpent slithering up its flank. The piece, simply titled *Snake Path*, is a winding mosaic walkway laid with hexagonal slate tiles that mimic the scaled skin of a reptile, physically connecting the flat pedestrian expanse of Warren Mall to the high terrace where the library stands.
At the top of the slope, the path circles into a secluded "Garden of Eden" planted with pomegranate, fig, and apple trees. Inside the coil sits a marble bench etched with Gustave Doré's classic rendering of Adam and Eve's expulsion. Nearby, the serpent ends at a monumental seven-foot granite book carved with a line from John Milton’s *Paradise Lost*. It's a dry, subversive joke embedded right into a university landscape: the idea that every step toward higher education is just another step down the path of lost innocence.
What it's like
You'll pick up the slate scales near Warren Mall and follow them as they snake up the grassy slope. Because it functions as a working footpath, expect students cutting across the serpent's belly between classes. For a quieter moment, visit on a weekend morning when you can sit on the etched marble bench inside the garden coil without anyone brushing past. The slate scales get slick when La Jolla's coastal layer lingers, so mind your footing on the incline. Access to the artwork is completely free, though campus visitor parking rules apply.
The move: Walk the entire snake path up from the library, sit on the marble bench inside the coiled garden and read the etched quotations together, then find the huge stone book at the top for a photo.
- 📍 La Jolla (UC San Diego campus)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 (hillside from Geisel Library east side to Warren Mall)
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- "Trees" by Terry Allen (Stuart Collection, UCSD) — Stay on campus to find another Stuart Collection installation—a grove of lead-sheathed eucalyptus trees that periodically play music and spoken word from hidden speakers.
- "Bear" by Tim Hawkinson (Stuart Collection, UCSD) — Walk a few minutes across campus to see Hawkinson's 180-ton teddy bear engineered from giant stacked boulders.
- Sunny Jim Cave (The Cave Store) — Head down into La Jolla village to trade high-concept campus art for a 1902 tunnel hand-dug through the sandstone cliffs into a sea cave.
Good to know
Where is Snake Path located on the UCSD campus?
The path runs along the hillside connecting Warren Mall to the east side terrace of Geisel Library at 9500 Gilman Dr in La Jolla.
Is there an entry fee or set hours?
No, it is a free, outdoor public artwork accessible on the campus grounds 24 hours a day.
What is carved on the giant stone book at the top?
The seven-foot granite book features an etched line from John Milton's epic poem *Paradise Lost*.
What trees grow in the Garden of Eden section?
The serpent's tail loops around a small garden orchard planted with pomegranate, fig, and apple trees.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · kpbs.org
last checked: 2026-07-19