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Cliffside Trails at Torrey Pines

sawatdeeka
@sawatdeeka
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My brother and I hiked at Torrey Pines last Sunday. Despite two decades in San Diego, I never knew that Torrey Pines was a state beach with hiking trails. I always thought it was a golf course. (On the other hand, I do remember my now-husband and I visiting cliffs in La Jolla at night on a triple date --1993?) Anyway, I enjoyed this new experience. Pictures courtesy of my brother.

It took around a half hour of walking uphill to get to the trails. Then having chosen a path that meandered its way back down to the beach, we came to scenes like this. When all was said and done, we'd walked maybe four or five miles (and Danny went running for a mile and half or so on top of that). There was some rough going, especially with knee pain. I loved the sign that warned us there would be "100 stairs" before we got to the end.
Some areas were dicey, especially with my knee acting up. I almost lost my balance a couple of times on these sandy stairs. Danny says that at high tide, the bottom stairs are covered with water, and you can't go down there.
It took a long time to reach the part of the beach where we would climb the stairs back to the sidewalk and make the trek back to our car. There were piles of black rocks to navigate.
Rock stacks.
Sunset near Scripps Aquarium
We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant in La Jolla, with this view from our seat. I had chicken tortilla soup, and Danny had the meatball soup. Both were really good

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Discussion (4)

  • Ekosj@Ekosj

    My son’s wife is from San Diego and Torrey Pines is one of the first places she introduced us to. One of my favorites! Beautiful pictures! And like you I only knew the name from golf.

  • Gossamer Cat@GossamerCat

    I have always said that Torrey Pines is one of the most, if not the most, magnificent urban parks (it is in the City of San Diego). Often when you hike in urban parks, they can be beautiful but they look worn, and there are always signs of trash and other human activities. But Torrey Pines feels wild and secluded, even with all the people around. It is a balm to the soul. In January and February, you used to be able to regularly see whales migrating off of the coast. You see fewer these days, but the views are truly spectacular. If you are in San Diego, I highly recommend it.