Torrey Pines SR
Narrated by Russ Christoff


Located on the Pacific Coast between Del Mar and La Jolla, is a serene environment where people can enjoy hiking in a beautiful and natural setting.

Torrey Pines State Reserve protects this area which contains a unique species of pine said to be one of the rarest pines in the United States, growing only here and on Santa Rosa Island.

To its credit, the Torrey Pine is said to have survived the Ice Age and has managed to live in sandy, drought like soil.

Efforts to preserve this species began years ago when the land was purchased by Ellen Scripts.

Scripts and others came to love and cherish, not only the Torrey Pines, but the beautiful ocean and wind swept views from the reserve’s cliff tops.

Today, visitors may enjoy wandering the trails of this unspoiled nature area.

The day I visited, I explored the Guy Fleming Trail.

This pathway will take hikers on a two-thirds of a mile loop.

It’s a fairly easy trek, and would give any visitor who was short on time the opportunity to inspect the unusual Torrey Pines, peer into sculpted sandstone canyons, and rest at points that have panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.

A few miles of secluded beach front below the cliffs of the reserve, are also a part of this day use park, and can be reached by another path.

If one is lucky, wildflowers like these may be in bloom along the trail sides.

One of the parks rangers, Alene, took me on a tour of the visitor center.

Years ago this quaint adobe structure was a restaurant. Today it serves as a museum, housing displays that interpret the natural and cultural history of the park.

A helpful docent was available to give information on wildflowers.

Torrey Pines nearly 2,000 acres were fortunate to receive state reserve status in 1959.

Every part of this fragile environment is protected and visitors must stay on trails and pathways.

Alene, shared her perception of Torrey Pines.

Do you have any special feelings about this park?

ALENE: Torrey Pines is a beautiful place and it’s beautiful every time you’re here, any day that you’re here, no matter what the weather is like, and there is always a beautiful vista to see.

I think looking back, and seeing that people saved this place for us 100 years ago so we would have these vistas today, without being spoiled by roads, condos, homes and development, really says a lot about where our park ethic has come from, that we had enough money and time to value the land for just pure beauty.