Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Clifftop trails above the Pacific through a forest of one of the world's rarest pine trees

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve sits on the sandstone cliffs between Del Mar and La Jolla, 1,750 acres of chaparral, lagoon, and coastal bluff protecting the rarest pine tree in North America. The Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana) grows nowhere else in its natural state, and the trees here — shaped by wind into flat-topped canopies — are recognisable from a distance.

The reserve has about eight miles of trails. The Guy Fleming Trail is the most popular, a two-mile loop through the densest pine groves with ocean views at both ends. The Beach Trail drops down through eroded ravines to a wide stretch of sand at the base of the cliffs. The Parry Grove Trail reaches a grove of some of the oldest trees. The lagoon at the south end of the reserve is a bird habitat and can be walked separately.

The trails are free to walk; parking costs $15–$25. Dogs are not allowed. The reserve sits at the top of the coastal bluffs with no development between the trees and the Pacific horizon.

things to do nature hiking
A story
The Torrey pine exists in only two places on earth — here on the cliffs north of La Jolla, and on Santa Rosa Island offshore. There are fewer than 3,000 wild trees in the world. The reserve was set aside in 1921 largely through the efforts of Ellen Browning Scripps, who was also responsible for much of the coastal preservation around La Jolla. The trees grow twisted and flat-topped from the constant sea wind, adapted to survive on the coastal fog alone.

Other places in Things to Do