Overview
Located in a very accessible area of San Diego, Torrey Pines State Park has over 8 miles of very easy trails and great views. The Torrey Pine trees, which are all over the park, are super rare and can only be found in a few places in the world. The west side of the park is a 1.3 mile stretch of beach with excellent surfing and views. On the east side are a series of cliffs, hills, and hiking trails. You can either drive up and park near the trails or walk up. Next to the upper parking lot is also the visitor center.
Location
The address of the lower parking lot is:12600 North Torrey Pines Road, San Diego CA 92037
Parking Options
If you park at any of the lower or upper parking lots there is a $10 fee per car. Another option is to park free along the side of North Torrey Pines Rd, which is located about a quarter mile north of the north entrance to the park. There will be many people parked there, and you may have to wait as long as 30 minutes to get a spot.
Best Time of Day
The best time of day for photographing the park is between 1 hour before sunset and sunset. You will notice the sunlight making vivid colors on the cliffs and rock formations. An even better time for pictures of the cliffs is right after a storm and there are white fluffy clouds in the sky, which intensify the sunlight. In the morning, since the sun rises from the east, the huge shadow of the cliff casts over the beach, making for very bad lighting. The only place you will get good lighting for photos would be Broken Hill Overlook (see details below), where the light casts directly on the rock formations and is good between sunrise and 45 minutes after sunrise.
Best Time of Year
The lighting on the cliffs and the angle of sunlight is different for every part of the year. Keep in mind that there will be more sunny days in winter than summer. A coastal bank of clouds makes its way over the area for about a third of the summer. It can also be very crowded in parts of the summer. Wildflowers will bloom on the cliffs in spring, making a very interesting perspective with the beach.
Best places to photograph (These areas are shown on the map page. There are also other trails on the map, but the ones shown below are the most recommended.)
Guy Flemming Trail: A 0.6 mile flat loop trail that will take about 20 minutes to walk and 5 minutes to run. On the south side of the trail there is an overlook on the edge of the cliffs with a great view of the cliffs. On the north side of the trail there is a dense forest of Torrey Pine trees. This area looks very nice in spring with patches of daises growing under the trees. There is also an overlook on the north side but the view isn't really good.Yucca Point: This is probably the most exotic and vivid area in the park. It is a gently sloping trail along a cliff outcropping that ends up on the cliffs right above the ocean. Looking down, you will see a valley of jagged cliffs formed by years of wind erosion. There are many yucca plants along the trail. Photographing them with the cliffs in the background will give the cliffs an even sharper view.
Broken Hill Overlook: Broken Hill is the name given to a small chunk of cliff that seemingly breaks off the main cliff. It looks like its dangling over the valley which is about 25 feet below. The cliff has survived years and years of rain and wind, with the neighboring areas being eroded away . Frequently many people try to play tough and dare themselves to go stand at the edge of the cliff. The cliff is made of sand and can collapse at any given time. Small chunks have already fallen away.
Razor Point: This area is similar to Yucca Point, but on a much lower scale. It has a valley with jutting cliffs, but not as vivid as Yucca Point.
Torrey Pines State Beach: This is the name given to the sandy beach that follows the cliffs on their west side. The sandstone cliffs are over 300 feet tall. These are best photographed about half an hour from sunset in partly cloudy conditions with the sun shining on the cliffs. After you walk 1.3 miles south on the beach there will be a cliff outcropping jutting out in front of you. In high tide, there as a small path cut into the side of the outcropping you can use to get to the other side. Torrey Pines State Beach ends at the outcropping. On the other side is Blacks Beach, which is not part of the park. (More information about this beach will be coming soon.)
Maps and Photos
Torrey Pines State Park map
Torrey Pines State Park Photos
More Information
Weather Forecast
LIVE webcam from La Jolla Shores (about 4 miles south of Torrey Pines SP)
Tide forecast
