Torrey Pines State Beach
Encyclopedia
Torrey Pines State Beach is a coastal beach located in the San Diego
, California
community of Torrey Pines
, and is located south of Del Mar
and north of La Jolla. Coastal erosion from the adjacent Torrey Pines State Reserve
makes for a picturesque landscape. It is a local favorite among surfers and remains a quintessential Southern California beach. The beach is at the bottom of 300 foot sandstone cliffs of white and golden stone, with a greenish layer sometimes visible at the very bottom. At the north end of the beach the cliffs ends and Los Peñasquitos Lagoon
, a salt marsh
estuary
, empties into the ocean. A county highway crosses the entrance, with limited free parking along the beach.
, which includes the notable coastal marsh, Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, is cut by a coastal stream which discharges to the Pacific Ocean
at Torrey Pines State Beach. The endangered subspecies of Torrey Pine
, Pinus torreyana torreyana, is found only on the small coastal strips north and south of Torrey Pines State Beach.. There is also the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course
, which hosted the US Open in 2008 and annually hosts the Farmers Insurance Open (formally known as the Buick Invitational).
The beach is usually not very crowded in the early hours of the day where mostly only surfers and body boarders are present. During that time, the boundary of the surfing and body boarding areas aren't as strictly enforced, as long as common courtesy applies to both sides. The side most popular is the swimmers' area.
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
community of Torrey Pines
Torrey Pines, San Diego, California
Torrey Pines is a primarily residential community of in the northern coastal area of San Diego, California.- Geography :Torrey Pines is bordered to the north by the city of Del Mar, to the south by La Jolla, to the east by Interstate 5, Carmel Valley, Torrey Hills, the Los Peñasquitos Canyon...
, and is located south of Del Mar
Del Mar, California
Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...
and north of La Jolla. Coastal erosion from the adjacent Torrey Pines State Reserve
Torrey Pines State Reserve
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a coastal state park located in the California community of La Jolla, San Diego, California, off North Torrey Pines Road . Although it is located within San Diego city limits, it remains one of the wildest stretches of land on the Southern California coast...
makes for a picturesque landscape. It is a local favorite among surfers and remains a quintessential Southern California beach. The beach is at the bottom of 300 foot sandstone cliffs of white and golden stone, with a greenish layer sometimes visible at the very bottom. At the north end of the beach the cliffs ends and Los Peñasquitos Lagoon
Los Peñasquitos Lagoon
Los Peñasquitos Marsh Natural Preserve and Lagoon is a coastal marsh in San Diego County, California, USA situated at the northern edge of the City of San Diego, forming the natural border with Del Mar, California. The lagoon, previously called The Soledad Lagoon, divides a colony of the endangered...
, a salt marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, empties into the ocean. A county highway crosses the entrance, with limited free parking along the beach.
Ecology
The beach area supports a number of avafaunal species in addition to marine biota. Soledad ValleySoledad Valley
Soledad Valley is a coastal valley in San Diego County, California at the northern end of the city of San Diego. Mention of the valley was made as early as 1850 in association with the occurrence of Pinus torreyana at the mouth of the lagoon...
, which includes the notable coastal marsh, Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, is cut by a coastal stream which discharges to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
at Torrey Pines State Beach. The endangered subspecies of Torrey Pine
Torrey Pine
The Torrey Pine, Pinus torreyana, is the rarest pine species in the United States, an endangered species growing only in San Diego County and on one of the Channel Islands, endemic to the coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion in the U.S...
, Pinus torreyana torreyana, is found only on the small coastal strips north and south of Torrey Pines State Beach.. There is also the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course
Torrey Pines Golf Course
Torrey Pines Golf Course is a municipal public golf course owned by the city of San Diego, California. It sits on the coastal cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the community of La Jolla south of Torrey Pines State Reserve. It has two famous golf courses, the North Course and the South Course....
, which hosted the US Open in 2008 and annually hosts the Farmers Insurance Open (formally known as the Buick Invitational).
Surf
Waves ranging from the low 3-footers to the high 6-8 footers can be found on the north side of Torrey Pines State Beach. The Northern side of the beach has a Surfer/Surfing side while the Southern side hosts swimming, body boarding, etc. There is a red/yellow flag on the north part of the beach showing the boundary between the surfing side and body boarding side. A good rule of thumb is to occasionally check where the flag is as it moves from time to time during the day.The beach is usually not very crowded in the early hours of the day where mostly only surfers and body boarders are present. During that time, the boundary of the surfing and body boarding areas aren't as strictly enforced, as long as common courtesy applies to both sides. The side most popular is the swimmers' area.
See also
- Beaches in San Diego, CaliforniaBeaches in San Diego, CaliforniaBeaches in San Diego, California, USA *Torrey Pines State Beach*Black's Beach*La Jolla Shores*La Jolla Cove*Children's Pool Beach *Windansea Beach*Marine Street Beach*North Pacific Beach*Pacific Beach*Mission Bay Beaches...
- List of California State Beaches