Even a cloudy day at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is still a pretty good day.
The hiking trails are easy to navigate. The gray sky makes the vegetation’s colors — including almost every shade of green — seem even brighter. Then there’s the ocean merging with the western clouds. And, especially on a weekday, you may see fewer crowds.
That was my experience this week at the reserve, where I hiked the Broken Hill Trail and the North and South Fork trails. It’s a mostly easy 3.3-mile loop, though the hike does have a section with a steady incline that may be rated as more difficult for some hikers.
Most of the hike is on dirt trails, but hikers must access them via the paved Torrey Pines Park Road. Known as the “Gateway to San Diego,” it’s a roughly 2-mile road that was a part of the Coast Highway in the early 1900s. But as vehicle traffic increased, the two-lane, windy road became more dangerous, and the new North Torrey Pines Road that is used today was completed in 1933.
To begin, hikers can park at the reserve’s visitor center parking lot or in the lot across the street from the center. There are restrooms at the trailhead.
Parking within the reserve costs $15 to $25 per vehicle, or visitors can present a California State Parks Vehicle Day Use . Hikers can also park for free outside the reserve along North Torrey Pines Road near the south beach access, but the walk into the reserve to this trailhead is about a mile long.
Once parked, begin walking south on Torrey Pines Park Road for about 0.4 miles until reaching the North Fork Trail, which is marked with a large sign. The trail meanders toward the coast on an easy-to-follow dirt path, with a few wooden bridges to cross over.
After 0.7 miles, hikers will reach an intersection, where there are a couple signs directing toward the other paths. Continue on the Broken Hill Trail, which heads west toward the ocean. Most of the trail is a descent down the hillside. It ultimately connects with the Beach Trail, in case hikers want to go to the water.
I opted to not hike to the beach and turned around once I hit the Beach Trail at the 1.4-mile mark. Once there, walk back up the Broken Hill Trail. When you arrive at the previous intersection, this time head south on the South Fork Trail.
Hikers will immediately see a trail on the right that heads toward the Broken Hill Overlook, which presents sweeping views of the entire coast.
After taking in the scenery, I walked back to the South Fork Trail, which I continued southeast on for about half a mile until reaching Torrey Pines Park Road again. Follow the road back to your vehicle.
