The Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve—one of the last places where you can find coastal sage scrub habitat, which is disappearing due to real estate development—is located a mere 17 miles from the San Diego Natural History Museum. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve also preserves one of the last salt marshes and waterfowl refuges in southern California.

Offering miles of wilderness trails in the heart of urban San Diego, the park allows you to explore this area of wildflowers and sandstone cliffs including Torrey Pines State Beach right off Highway 101. 

In the 1880s, Charles Parry and Daniel Cleveland convinced the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to set aside land surrounding Torrey Pine trees in order to protect this endangered tree. City ordinances were passed giving rewards for the arrest of anyone caught cutting or injuring a Torrey Pine. This land eventually became the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve we know today.

For more information on the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, visit the Torrey Pines Docent Society. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Renato Rodriguez, SDNHM