It’s felt like summer in San Diego over the last few weeks — and where better to celebrate that feeling than at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve?
On a clear day this week, the view of the ocean from the reserve’s green, flower-covered cliffs was almost unreal. And since the weather has been genuinely warm, verging on hot, I envisioned taking a jump in the ocean at the beach below. The water temperatures are still in the low 60s, though, a reminder that it’s not quite summer yet.
The excellent weather aside, I wonder if Torrey Pines was showing off this week for its re-opening. The reserve has been closed for months due to a multi-phase project to upgrade and repair its facilities, but it opened to the public again this past weekend.
It was clearly missed. Even on a Tuesday morning, there were dozens of hikers and visitors out enjoying the reserve.
A prickly pear cactus blooms on the Guy Fleming Trail. (Maura Fox / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
I completed an easy, roughly 2.5-mile hike at the reserve, following the Guy Fleming and Parry Grove trails. Most of the hiking at Torrey Pines is easy, but there are a few sections along the Parry Grove Trail that might be more difficult for some hikers. For example, hikers must travel down 118 steep stone steps at the start of the trail, and hike up the same steps at the end.
To begin, park at the South Beach and Reserve Entrance on North Torrey Pines Road. It costs $15 to park in the lot, but you might get lucky and find free street parking along the beach.
From the parking lot, walk up the paved Torrey Pines Park Road. After half a mile, you’ll come to the Guy Fleming Trailhead. Take this trail as it heads west under shady pine trees, then opt to either go right or left to follow the loop. Near the start of the trail — and throughout the state reserve — there are placards with information about the area’s wildlife and vegetation (think sage and toyon and sea dahlias), along with several benches facing the ocean for a picturesque rest.
The trail is named after Guy Fleming, a 20th century naturalist who was instrumental in expanding the Torrey Pines preserve and charting its first trail system. It’s only about half a mile long, so I paired it with the roughly 0.6-mile Parry Grove Trail, located just a short distance farther up Torrey Pines Park Road.
The Parry Grove Trail is located just south of the Guy Fleming Trail. (Maura Fox / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Parry Grove Trail is named after Charles Christopher Parry, a botanist who is credited as the first person to describe the Torrey pine to science in 1850, among other plant species.
I liked the steep steps at the start of the trail; they made the route more interesting and challenging. Like the Guy Fleming Trail, Parry Grove is a loop with dramatic views of the ocean. However, the scenery from the Guy Fleming Trail seemed slightly more expansive and beautiful, but only by a slim margin.