One of the original trails at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is Parry Grove. The trail begins just north of the Torrey Pines Lodge Visitor Center at the top of the hill, with a walk-through Whitaker Native Plant Garden, named for Thomas W. Whitaker, a plant scientist and longtime president of Torrey Pines Association. Follow the level trail out to the viewpoint that looks out over the original portion of the park, where steep canyons are eroded by water and wind, and to La Jolla Cove, visible on clear days.
Backtrack a bit and descend the steep stone stairs to a sheltered bowl that once was home to the reserve’s largest stand of the Torrey Pines (Pinus torreyana subsp. torreyana). The habitat is fragile and the reserve is in danger of being fragmented. Avoid the temptation to blaze your own way through the underbrush. Stay on the trails and help preserve this lovely place for future generations.
We’ve rated the difficulty for this hike easy, but note that there are 118 steep stone steps. Before you go, check to ensure the trail is open. More detailed information about the area can be found at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Please note that the parking fee varies by location and season.
All about those Torrey pines (Pinus torreyana subsp. torreyana). These rare trees, perhaps the remnants of a wider range long ago, are found outside of the reserve only in Del Mar and off of Santa Barbara. On seaside bluffs, the trees are low and twisted, but in sheltered areas they can grow up to 70 feet tall. Torrey pines have multiple major branches and 9- to-11-inch needles in bundles of five. To capture every drop of moisture, the serrated needles allow the trees to collect fog drip. Roots can reach out laterally over 125 feet, more than five times greater than their depth. The large cones take three years to mature (compared to two for most pines) and stay on the tree for five years or more.
There is a lot of history tied to these trees. Kumeyaay people lived in Torrey Pines and throughout coastal and interior San Diego County and northern Baja California. Spanish navigators used the "Punta de los Arboles" (Point of Trees) as a landmark. In 1850, botanist Charles C. Parry formally described the pine and named it for his mentor John Torrey. In 1883, Parry returned to San Diego and raised public concern about damage to the trees caused by picnickers, campers, and grazing cattle. In 1899, the City of San Diego set aside over 300 acres for a park, and Ellen Browning Scripps, a newspaperwoman and philanthropist, donated land comprising the North and Parry Groves. Over the next two decades, she purchased adjoining parcels, and in 1959 it became part of the California State Park system to better protect the trees.
During a drought and severe bark beetle infestation in the 1980s, hundreds of pines in Parry Grove died, and their skeletons can still be seen. With adequate rain, the trees can produce enough pitch to withstand the insects, but in times of warmer temperatures and drought, beetles proliferate. The local culprits are called the five-spined engraver beetle (Ips paraconfusus) and the red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens). They burrow into the cambium or living part of the tree beneath the bark and eventually kill it. The long-hanging black tubes seen throughout the reserve are pheromone traps for bark beetles. Many of the young trees planted to restore the grove are struggling in the current, prolonged drought brought about by climate change.
During a drought and severe bark beetle infestation in the 1980s, hundreds of pines in Parry Grove died, and their skeletons can still be seen. With adequate rain, the trees can produce enough pitch to withstand the insects, but in times of warmer temperatures and drought, beetles proliferate. The local culprits are called the five-spined engraver beetle (Ips paraconfusus) and the red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens). They burrow into the cambium or living part of the tree beneath the bark and eventually kill it. The long hanging black tubes seen throughout the reserve are pheromone traps for bark beetles. Many of the young trees planted to restore the grove are struggling in the current, prolonged drought brought about by climate change.
From I-5 go west on Carmel Valley Road for 1.6 miles. Turn left on South Camino Del Mar, which becomes North Torrey Pines Road as you cross into La Jolla. Go 0.9 mile to the park entrance to pay a day use fee. The visitor center parking area is about 0.8 mile up the Torrey Pines Park Road. Free parking, if available, is by the beach on North Torrey Pines Road. Trailhead GPS: N32.92146, W117.25517
Looking for more great hikes? Check out our Canyoneers page or purchase the book,
Coast to Cactus: The Canyoneer Trail Guide to San Diego Outdoors.
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