Although located within the San Diego city limits, the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is still one of the wildest stretches of the Southern California coast. It comprises some 2,000 acres of chaparral and miles of unspoiled beaches. This is the home of the rare and elegant Torrey pine tree as well as migrating seabirds. Its eight miles of hiking trails allow visitors to explore how California looked in the times of the native Kumeyaay people, before San Diego was developed.
Pinus torreyana, the Torrey pine, once covered a larger part of the state and was first sighted by Spanish sailors in the 16th century. Three centuries later, it was identified as a unique species, making it the rarest type of pine tree in the United States. Today, the Torrey pine grows naturally in only two places: on this small strip of coast from La Jolla to Del Mar and on Santa Rosa Island near Santa Barbara.
The reserve's terrain is quite diverse, ranging from fine sand beaches and ancient lagoons to sandstone cliffs, marine terraces cut by small streams, coastal scrub, chaparral, the Torrey pine woodlands, riparian banks and salt marshes. Sections of the hiking trails parallel the edge of the bluff, some 300 feet above the sea, where several viewing platforms have been constructed. Here, visitors may observe Gray Whales making their annual migration between Alaska and Mexico, as well as leopard sharks and dolphins ever-present in the coastal waters below.
The Visitor Center-Museum Store, which also serves as a ranger station, was built in 1922 for the Santa Fe Land Company. It was called Torrey Pines Lodge, and it once had a restaurant with a jukebox in addition to guest accommodations. Today, Torrey Pines State Reserve is a day-use park with no overnight camping or lodging facilities. There is no place in the park selling food or drinks, either.
Available in the Visitor Center-Museum Store are books and gift items. On display are actual stuffed animals, such as birds, skunks, rattlesnakes, and coyote. One section has been set aside as an interactive exhibit called "A Walk Through Time.'' There is also a stone fireplace, still used in winter, and plenty of free information for visitors year round.
Several rules apply to visiting the Torrey Pines State Reserve. Smoking and fires are prohibited, nor are picnics, except on the beach. Food and drink (other than water) is not allowed on any trail, and alcohol is strictly forbidden. Dogs, horses, bicycles, and motorcycles are banned throughout the reserve, although baby strollers and wheelchairs are allowed on trails. Visitors are further advised to stay on officially designated pathways and to refrain from collecting pine cones or picking wildflowers.
The Torrey Pines State Reserve opens daily at 8am and closes at sunset. Interpretive nature walks are scheduled at 10am and 2pm on weekends and holidays. Information on other programs available may be obtained at the Visitor Center, where the operating hours are 9am to 6pm in summer and 10am to 4pm, otherwise.
The Torrey Pines State Reserve is located at 12600 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037-1047. For those coming by car, take Interstate 5 to the Carmel Valley Road exit and go west for 1.5 miles to Coast Highway 101. Turn left and proceed for about a mile along the beach to the park entrance, which is on the right before the highway starts up the Torrey Pines grade. There is a $10 parking fee each vehicle entering the reserve.
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