Torrey Pines State Reserve

Torrey Pines State Reserve
October 11, 2014
San Diego

This outing was just the two of us, close to home; Margaret did not go with us. Torrey Pines State Reserve is in the northwest corner of the City of San Diego, just south of Del Mar. There are multiple interlocking trails up on the mesa overlooking the beach. The trails are mostly of intermediate difficulty; a couple are easier, but none are wheelchair accessible.

There is a $15 day use fee for the park, which is part of the state park system.

Our main purpose in coming here was to hike, but we also spoke with the docents stationed at the trailhead, who told us a great deal about the geology of the area and showed us rock samples to illustrate their points. After our hike we explored the visitor center which, although small, offers well designed explanatory displays about the area vegetation, animals, and geology.

The different colored layers of the cliffs are quite striking. As we hiked to Red Butte and Razor Point we were able to see the effects of erosion and observe the sedimentary layers in the cliffs. We then hiked south over to Yucca Point, and then back to the visitor’s center. After viewing the exhibits in the center, we walked up to the High Point overlook, from which we could look inland to the east as well as north up the coast.

The land for the reserve was purchased and donated to the public by Ellen Browning Scripps in the early 20th Century. Her foresight and generosity saved the last large wild Torrey Pine woodland from development. This remarkable tree is the rarest pine in North America. It is only found in coastal San Diego County and on Santa Rosa Island. The tree is well adapted for the arid coastal climate; its extra long needles have grooves which channel dew and fog droplets to the ground where it can be absorbed by the tree’s roots. (It is also grown as an ornamental plant by some gardeners; seeds can be purchased from Anderson Seed Company.)

Park up top if you are hiking the cliff top trails or seeing the visitor center, or down below if visiting the beach. You can get plenty of scenic climbing on the trails; there is little point in a long walk up the steep driveway between the two parking lots!