Torrey Pines State Beach

Love this iconic San Diego beach… I always bring visitors here. Beautiful sand, smooth stones, kelp, sea weed, shells… all so pretty… birds comically running in and out of the water to catch fish… sea gulls diving into the water… hope you get the picture

This is my happy place. I love going here to run and to go hiking. I visit this place at least twice a month, other times, I am here every week. This is the spot I go to recharge and to be close to nature. There is just so many beautiful things about this place. This place is my heaven on earth!

Pretty beach in La Jolla. Parking costs about $ 12 or there are several free parking spots available (if you get lucky).
After hiking Torrey Pines State Reserve, I recommend walking along this picturesque beach. I think that it is the first beach in Southern California where I have seen absolutely no one sunbathing. Kind of strange.
Keep your eye out for whales and dolphins. Heard that they may often be seen here. Have fun, relax, and enjoy!

Gorgeous and if you walk behind the bluffs for long enough, very secluded. Lots of people take walks along this strand. You’ll see kelp, moss, sealife and shells. More sand than most beaches. Huge cliffs help block the wind on a windy day. Parking is a pain but plenty of options to choose from if you don’t mind walking.

The beach review —
I wouldn’t call this a sunbather’s beach, but it’s a nice relaxing walking beach. Bring footwear because there are rocks and pebbles everywhere.
— Sea Glass. It’s there if you look hard enough. I’ve found that they tend to collect in the same area where small pebbles rub up against a patch of larger stones.
— Stingrays. Pee will not stop the pain, only very hot water.
— Start your day hiking up the cliff first which will end up at the beach.
— If you don’t mind walking, there are free spaces around Roberto’s off Carmel Valley Road.
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Ending any hike with your feet in the water is the absolute best feeling ever…
Came here for the Torrey Pines State Reserve and ended our hiking experience walking along this beautiful beach. What an incredible day!
This beach is accessible to all and you can even hike to or from it, up into the mountains which overlook it. If you’re a nature lover & anywhere near San Diego you shouldn’t miss these trails & beach.
You can also come here just for the beach and enjoy the miles of endless beauty it offers.
Parking is pretty limited in this area so keep that in mind and remember that you can always pay to park up the hill which leads you closer to all the trails at the reserve. It’s $ 12 per vehicle and if you don’t feel like walking up to all the trails this is a good option. If you’re just interested in the beach, the parking is free but definitely limited.
I highly recommend walking the beach & jumping on a few of the trails that overlook it.

The state beach at Torrey Pines isn’t the most picturesque beach in the world, but for the price, it’s not bad. Parking can be incredibly hard on nice days, even in the early spring, and may require a lengthy patient wait for people to leave. The same lot serves the reserve trail with great views, so it fills up quickly. The beach itself is a pebble beach, so not the most comfortable to sit out on, but it can be done. The surfing is not bad and lessons are run from here as well. Lifeguards are periodically on duty, but not that often, so check the schedule if it matters to you. The sunsets are pretty great here, but again you’ll need o plan ahead to get a parking spot.

I could not say enough good things about this beach! It is a long walk against a cliff side so I highly recommend going when the tide is not high. The cliffs will shield you from the sun early in the morning as they cast a long shadow across the beach until the sun gets a little higher in to the sky. Keep an eye on the water for whales and dolphins. You are sure to see something!

Came here hiking with some friends, and this place is definitely a gem. Parking is $ 10-​$ 15. Or you can park on the street or along the beaches public parking, if there’s any. Starting from the very bottom, hiking up the hill is exhausting but definitely worth it. You can see parts of the beach. They also have a pretty interesting visiting center. The hike down to the beach is pretty neat as well. While walking back to the parking structure from the beach there’s a bunch of rocks, so dont walk around barefoot. No dogs allowed on the hike. Theres a bunch of trails as well.

Besides Mission Beach which I go to for beach volleyball occasionally, I like to come here just to watch the waves wash up to the shore and leave behind the glittering little goodies from the sea. Millions or trillions of rocks from the ocean wash up ashore alongside with little seashells, some looking as though it is a quarter size of my pinkie or even smaller!
They have parking next to the beach but that is usually where everyone scourges for parking. If you were to go into the parking lot, you would need to pay for parking. I end up always driving alongside Carmel Valley Road and find parking a bit further, then walk towards the beach. There is a section I believe with the words Coaster on the bridge that you would walk under, and then walk under another bridge (where all the cars drive over) to get to the other side.
Being on the beach just comfortable plus the ocean is sparkling blueish/​green. Makes you forget you even have to eventually go back to work. There is only one bathroom location right at the bottom of the Torrey Pines State Reserve sign next to the parking lot. It is a great place to walk along the beach with family, friends, or even a date.

my wife and I spent 5 years walking this beach and fell in love here, so we got married here too.
A bit pricey if you get the alcohol permit as you have to pay for a park range at $ 75 p/​h
but for walks, it is a dream come true
it is a STATE BEACH which as of 2015, you could still smoke cigars on the beach
(DO NOT LITER PLEASE)
I have been walking on this beach since 2005
It is PARADISE
I highly recommend it… keep walking south all the way to LA Jolla Shores past Black’s Beach!

The beach itself gets five stars. It’s a beach! It’s gorgeous! Sand and sun and surf… what more do you want?
It was $ 15 to park over a recent holiday weekend, but we also used our pass to park at the top where we hiked the reserve, then came back down the hill to enjoy the beach. I don’t know that I would have shelled out (pun intended) $ 15 to park here if I were just going to the beach.
There are bathroom facilities, but they are primitive (no water).

Torrey Pines State Beach is one of San Diego’s best beaches. Beautiful mesmerizing views of the Pacific Ocean. This beach definitely has it all, including many hiking trails leading to yes the beach. From beginners to intermediate, you will surely get a great workout. It can vary from easy to intense, especially if you’re out of shape like me, but the beautiful views surely make up for it and makes the workout more rewarding.
The parking situation can be a bit challenging but they do have a two parking lots adjacent to the beach. If you prefer to park in their free spots you must either get there early or bring lots of patience. I normally park on Carmel Valley Road and walk to the beach because after all I do come here to get a workout.
After a workout and weather permitting I usually enjoy the beach and either go for a swim or read a book while I take advantage of the free vitamin D.
So from swimming, to a workout, to a relaxing moment, or in the evening if you prefer a leisure stroll, Torrey Pines is where you should definitely want to go.

Torrey Pines State Beach, located JUST outside of UCSD, is a beautiful beautiful beach. In fact, I went further out in the sea and got drenched here!
First off, there is free parking on the side of the road, but if you cannot get that, then you have 2 parking lots to park at, the South and North beach parking lots. If you park at the North one like we did, parking all day is $ 15, payable to the wonderful CC machine. You walk under the street and there is a section where it is flooded with water, separating the two beaches. You cross and then you walk and enjoy the shoreline. There are lifeguard stations.
If you go into the water, be careful! There are some random «holes» that will make you shorter for a couple seconds. You can also pretend to be a stingray and wade in the shallow section or sit on top of your friends just for fun. The crowd here isn’t too bad, especially since I went on a Wednesday morning/​afternoon, but the free parking was gone!
Enjoy the sunset here, but I probably would go down to SD itself to look at the sunset (:

The beach here includes the lagoon that separates Del Mar from Torrey Pines as well as the beach below the dramatic cliffs of Torrey Pines State Park. The park itself is outstanding with a variety of easy, unshaded hiking trails. The beach portion gives you access to dramatic waves crashing upon shallow rocks and cliffs with even some mildly technically climbing required to continue along the beach with the rocky outcroppings take over exposed sand. There isn’t anything quite like this in Southern California with the cliffs here much larger than at Encinitas or Solana Beach and real estate is thankfully forbidden in the protected area above you. Overall, the beach and park combine to be probably my #1 nature spot in SD County.
Parking can be difficult if you attempt to hawk for one of the coveted spots along the lagoon, but there are two pay lots. One is actually «in» the lagoon of sorts that allows you to walk under the Pacific Coast Highway for beach access. The other pay lot is for the State Park that leads you atop the cliffs.

Torrey Pines State Beach is a beautiful beach that is perfect for relaxing or working out.
This beach leads to the Torrey Pines State Reserve which is a popular hike for locals and tourists. The ocean views are amazing here, and the beach is overall clean and less crowded than La Jolla Shores and a little more packed during the peak season of summer.
I’d recommend Torrey Pines for replenishing your Vitamin D basking in the sunshine, with cool breezes and catching the beautiful sunset here. :)

12.00 to park if you can’t find free parking and the water has been turned off where you rinse the sand off after swimming. Toilets were pretty stinky last time too.
Why do we come back? We’ve always gone here. I’m a creature of habit. We know how to get there and what to expect.
I enjoy walking the beach. It’s pretty with the cliffs looming overhead.
If it weren’t for the bathroom and parking (highway robbery if you ask me) I’d give it 5 stars.

Place is beautiful!
If I am at Torrey Pines State Beach it is because I was on the trails at Torrey Pines State Reserve. I’ll walk the beach trail at the reserve down to the water just to walk barefoot in the ocean.
As cold as it is it is still rewarding after a hike.
There is a tide pool going further South on the beach in a huge rock known as Flat Rock and then Blacks beach is further down. I was there during high tide but I am sure there are many more tide pools during low tide.

I love coming here for a nice run or hike. It’s a must if you’re visiting SD. I typically park outside the lot since you would need to pay a nominal fee. The outside lot gets packed with lots of people waiting for spots. I normally park up in Torrey Pines (one of my offices is about a mile away and I run over to the top of Torrey Pines) or the side streets out by Carmel Valley Road.
Once you hit the hill and trails, there are many various places you can venture off to. I typically take the top trail and head down to the beach. There are lots of people who come here on weekends, so I come during the weeknights where I can also catch the sunset.
Great pic spot too and a very romantic place to have a sunset picnic. The water may be cool, but it’s nice to soak your feet while walking along the strand.
One of the best beaches in San Diego.

4.5 for the parking situation but the views alone are a 5 not to mention the well kept state park.
If you are a serious hiker: you know who you are the one with a membership to REI with every kind of hiking shoes and gadget out there… this is not for you. The level of difficulty will probably piss you off unless you really stop to enjoy the beauty that sits atop this park. Simply gorgeous!
On that note: it’s perfect for a leisurely stroll/​beginner hike, great for catching up with girlfriends or you can do it twice to get a better work out!:)
You start the hike with a great warm up, walking or jogging up the side of the hill then pick the beach trail (follow the signs) and make your way to the beach. You end your hike walking along Torrey Pines State Beach.
I am born and raised in SD and I have been here numerous times but I have never had to go the weather report for high tide before. This gorgeous Saturday it was so high by the time we reached the beach we tried to walk on the beach back to the parking lot but the waves were crashing against the cliff. We saw several people get rocked up as the waves crept up and crashed down on them. No thanks Missy B and I turned around got outta there!
Be careful people Mother Nature is no joke!