Torrey Pines State Reserve
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Torrey Pines State Reserve
Coastal trails, picturesque views, and the rare Torrey Pine await your arrival.
Torrey Pines State Reserve is both breathtaking and historic. If you follow the windy, curvy road just off of Pacific Highway (PCH) just to the south of Torrey Pines State Beach (south of Del Mar), you'll find one of the most picturesque places in San Diego. Look up on the cliffs and you'll know you have arrived when you spot the Torrey Pines, one of the rarest trees
in North America. Travel up that road and you'll find the old Torrey Pines Lodge, which is now a Ranger Station and Visitor Center. Docents are available to lead regularly scheduled tours around the Torrey Pines State Reserve. As the story goes, Ellen Browning Scripps (who also donated the Children's Pool at La Jolla Cove) and friends preserved/acquired the 2,000 acres (including the wetlands, headlands, and ocean) known as Torrey Pines State Reserve. For many years, the road used to be the only major road into San Diego. Ms. Scripps commissioned a restaurant to be built on the site to service folks heading in and out of San Diego. The old adobe Lodge served meals, back in the day, for $1.00--including steak or lobster. Although the Lodge still serves the public, it no longer serves as a restaurant. Those days are long gone. One of the neat things about Torrey Pines is the natural state of the preserve. Set by the ocean's edge, the trails wind in and out among the natural terrain and offer amazing views of the ocean. You can get up close to the Torrey Pines, which grow in San Diego and Santa Rosa, just off of Santa Barbara. The unique microclimatic conditions help this ancient tree species survive. What makes the Torrey Pine recognizable is its long needles at 8-12" set in bundles of about 5. If you look closely, the needles point upward to receive the moisture from the ocean. Whether you travel up the hill to take a closer look at the Torrey Pines or just want to take in the spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean from the Reserve, your journey of discovery will be unforgettable.
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