Have no fear, Hiking Guide #2 is here!! We are back with another blog post detailing our recent jaunt to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. We tried 3 of the 6 different trails this State Park has to offer! Read on to see which were our favorites and how we fared!
If you are lucky enough to live in San Diego like us, then you know that we have hit the jackpot with “fall weather” this year! With clear blue skies and crisp mornings, we have been itching to get back outside and complete another local hike! Follow along as we #gobareoutside and venture outside of the office and into the great outdoors!
Location of Trailhead
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is located just north of La Jolla, and a smidge south of Del Mar. The reserve itself stretches 1,500 acres and has breathtaking views of the big blue and La Jolla!
There are a few different parking options for this hike. If you do not have a State Park parking pass, you can park for free on the side of the highway near the sand and walk up the road to the top of the Reserve. There is also a parking lot at the bottom of the Reserve that accepts State Park parking passes, or day passes can be purchased for $15. Your final option is to pay $15, or flash your parking pass, and drive up the hill to the top of the Reserve and park in the visitor center parking lot! Whichever option you decide on, you will still have full access to the Reserve once you get up to the top of the hill!
Before hitting the trail, we made sure to apply our trusty ole friend SPF!! On a day as blue as we had, clear skies called for Clearscreen!!
Parry Grove Trail
The first trail we took on was the Parry Grove Trail! This trail is a half-mile loop which leads you down 100 steep stone steps to the deepest grove of the Reserve! Like most of the trails in the Reserve, this trail begins adjacent to the road you either drove or walked up. Veering off the to west, this trail will lead you closer to the edge of the Reserve and down into the grove. Keep in mind that there are about 100 steep stone steps that you will walk down (and possibly up if you don’t complete the entire loop of the trail)!
Razor Point Trail
The second trail we hiked was the Razor Point Trail. This trail is about 2/3 of a mile and leads you out to the Razor Point Overlook. This trail was one of our favorites as it had the most diverse scenery changes! At one point, you are walking along the sandy path, and then suddenly you are ducking under tree branches and fully immersed in the native sagebrush! The Razor Point Overlook was a perfect spot for us to take a break and reapply our SPF!
Beach Trail
The final trail that concluded our time at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve was the Beach Trail- and we’ve saved the best for last!! This trail is a local favorite and a huge reason why most people come to the Reserve in the first place! With scenic views of the sculpted sandstone cliffs, Pacific Ocean and native plants, we can easily see why this trail is so well-loved! This trail is ¾ of a mile long and leads you 300 feet down to the sand.
Pro-tip! Make sure you time this hike with the tide or else you will not be able to walk down to the shore and you will have to climb 300 feet back up to the top of the Reserve!
Feeling inspired to get out there and try this hike out? We say do it! Show us how you #gobareoutside and tag us on Instagram @barerepublic so we can see! As always, leave the trail as you found it and consider donating to the Reserve here!
