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DESCRIPTION reported
by Johnathan Behr
Torrey
Pines State Beach and Reserve is a delicious slice of coastal
wilderness that reminds me subtly of two very divergent landscapes-Carmel
and Bryce Canyon. This
absolutely beautiful state park is located on the Southern California
coast, between Del Mar and La Jolla. The amazing sandstone cliffs,
the groves of the rare Torrey Pine and the azure blue waters
of the Pacific merge together to form a dynamic landscape that
is a delight for hikers and walkers of all ages. Springtime,
especially after a wet winter, is the time to view the extensive
display of rare coastal wildflowers that line the trails.
THE
TRAIL
Most
people who come to hike the trails at Torrey Pines begin from
the visitor center. It's
a great place to start. You can pick up a free trail map of
the reserve and put together an outstanding loop trip with the
numerous short trails that grace the park. A must is the Razor
Point trail. It has expansive views of the sandstone cliffs
and the ocean from its awesome vista point. The Broken Hill
trail is far above the ocean but has some of the most interesting
and beautiful scenery in the entire park. Another great way
to see park is to hike down the beach from the lower overflow
parking lot. Make sure it's low tide first, and then simply
head south along the beach beneath the towering cliffs. You
may even see a sea lion napping on the sand along the way! After
a couple of miles of extraordinary beachcombing, you'll come
upon Flat Rock. From her you'll see an obvious trail that leads
you from the sand, up into the cliffs. Take this trail, known
as the Beach Trail, and you can either head south on the strenuous
Broken Hill trail and it's scenic delights, or you can head
north and catch the amazing Razor Point trail. All the trails
eventually lead back to the visitor center, where you can hitch
a ride from another hiker back to your car at the lower parking
lot, or simply walk the road back down. The distance is around
a mile if you are forced to hoof it. .
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