I can’t believe it has taken me so long to blog about this place, but I am dreaming of warmer weather and was thinking back to our California trip last year! While visiting my friend’s parents last year in California, we took a day trip to Torrey Pines State Reserve. This place has been on my bucket list ever since my friend, Nicole, started telling me about it. Originally, we were afraid we might not have enough time to visit, but after our flight home was cancelled not once, but twice, we had a few extra days to spend in California…bummer LOL.

Situated north of San Diego, this reserve is a very popular place. As you are entering the park, there is a pay station and a parking lot. There is also a small parking lot at the top of the cliff and we were lucky enough to find a parking spot up there. We started our hike out from the main trailhead and saw my first Torrey Pine! This rare tree is only found in this small area.

We then slowly descended to Yucca Point. Wow! The views of the Pacific Ocean and the coast were amazing!

In the picture above, you can see several people standing on a flat rock in the ocean. More to come on that trail in a bit!

The reddish-brown sandstone cliffs contrast against the bright blue ocean and the deep green vegetation.

From Yucca Point, we cut across to Razor Point which also provided panoramic views! Honestly, there is no “bad” view at Torrey Pines!

California had a pretty rainy last few months so the wild flowers were in full bloom. The bright orange, yellow and purple really made the landscape pop! You might remember seeing all of the stories on the news of people flocking to the poppy fields.

We then hiked the Beach Trail all the way down to the beach to see Flat Rock. Depending on the tide, Flat Rock can be accessed. Luckily, when we were there, the ocean was low enough that we were able to walk along the beach and the rocks.

This was probably my favorite part of Torrey Pines. The huge cliff walls tower above you and it is neat to think that you were just up there…just remember you have to climb back up! LOL! Here comes picture overload!

P.S. There is a seal sunning himself in the picture above to the far right =)

We had heard that the best trail to see the wildflowers on was the Guy Fleming Trail and they were right! I also liked this trail a lot as it was less popular than the other trails, but provided just as good of overlooks. This trail is a .6 mile loop.

Overall, I was so excited to check this place out. The views were exceptional. It was overly crowded, but this is expected as it is very close to San Diego and very beautiful! Be sure to check it out if you are visiting San Diego!