Torrey Pines State Beach
Also known as Torrey Pines SB
- Status
- Open (per official listing)
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(858) 755-2063
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
In San Diego County, about 3 miles south of Del Mar, Torrey Pines State Beach covers about 1,442 acres.
Things to do include snorkeling and diving, surfing, swimming, fishing, and wildlife watching. Facilities for water recreation include a swimming beach. Camping is available: campsites, including RV sites and showers.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance gate | Gates open at 7:15 am and close at Sunset. | ||
Official wording
Gates open at 7:15 am and close at Sunset.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Los Angeles).
Fees and passes
Per vehicle at most parks (vehicles of 9 people or less, walk/bike-in free); per person at State Historic Parks and museums; amounts vary by park and are listed on each park page.
Statewide fee rule from California's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
California park passes
- California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
- Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
- Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
- Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
- SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details
From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveCalifornia
- Phone
- (800) 444-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
See the park’s wording
Are dogs allowed? Torrey Pines prohibits dogs anywhere within the reserve and beach boundaries (even within a vehicle).
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
General Admission Day Use fee is $15 - $20 per vehicle (demand based pricing) or a valid annual California State Parks Vehicle Day Use Pass. Recreational vehicles longer than a standard parking spot are allowed only in the North Beach lot. Camping is not permitted at Torrey Pines
General Admission Day Use fee is $10-$25 per vehicle (demand based pricing) or a valid annual California State Parks Vehicle Day Use Pass. Camping is not permitted at Torrey Pines
Overnight facilities: RV Access
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
FishingSnorkeling and scubaSwimmingWildlife viewing and birdingSurfingGeocachingHikingBikingCamping
Trails
(from Carmel Valley Rd, access to beach, remote parking for trails)
Pay at the Automated Pay Machine located near the entrance of the parking lot if no staff person is in the kiosk.
Note: Recreational vehicles longer than a standard parking spot are allowed only in the North Beach lot and must use designated spots.
All groups need a permit.
One of the more common complaints in the summer time at Torrey Pines is the parking. When the South Beach lot fills up, we close the entrance and visitors need to head to North Beach for parking. There is now a flashing light on the top of the kiosk to alert visitors when the gate is closed. This early alert system will enable visitors to go directly to the North Beach parking lot and avoid having to make a u-turn at the closed entrance to the South Beach lot. Once you know exactly where to look, you can even see the light from the top of High Bridge or Carmel Valley Rd. See map below for some locations to look for the flashing light.
Swimming
Beach Safety
Stay away from the bottom of the cliffs.
Rockslides and cliff collapses occur without notice. To increase safety, time your beach visit for low tide, when there is more sand available between the cliffs and the waves, which should help ensure you can keep a minimum distance of 10 feet from the bluffs.
View on the beach from Friday, 4/18/25
Collapse from Saturday, 2/14/26
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Showers
- Drinking water
- Parking
Water
- Swimming beach
Camping
- RV camping
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Overview
This wide, sandy beach stretches 4.5 miles from Del Mar past Los Peñasquitos Lagoon to the base of sandstone cliffs at Torrey Pines Mesa. Swimming, surfing, and fishing are popular. Red-hued bluffs and wet sand make strolling on the beach popular at low tide. Phone (858) 755-2063 for more information.
Picnic Area
North Beach: Located off of Carmel Valley Road and McGonigle Road, the North Beach area includes accessible picnicking, parking, restrooms, pathways, outdoor rinsing showers, and a beach access ramp.
South Beach: Located off N Torrey Pines Road, the South Beach area (which also serves as the entrance to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve) includes generally accessible picnicking, parking, and restrooms. Two designated accessible parking stalls are adjacent to the entrance station, three more are available in the main lot behind the restroom building. Pathway from the parking to the restrooms is mostly level and paved. The picnic area, which is located at the southern end of the main lot, lacks a designated pedestrian route. Therefore, please exercise caution since the roadway serves as the pedestrian route.
Read more from the park
Beach/Shore Access
In the North Beach area, a concrete beach access ramp extends from just beyond the restroom building to the beach. Due to fluctuating tidal conditions, sand may cover all or parts of the ramp.
Best access to the beach is via the free Sandcruiser beach wheelchair located in the North Beach parking lot. The beach wheelchair is available on a first-come, first-served basis every day starting at 9:00 am and must be returned 1 hour before sunset. The beach wheelchair can only be used on the beach north of the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, using the beach access ramp in the North Beach area. To check out the beach wheelchair, bring a government ID to the kiosk at the South Beach parking lot (located off N. Torrey Pines Road) and inquire with park staff. Park staff will provide instructions and directions to access the beach wheelchair. When done, return the beach wheelchair to the locker and notify park staff that the beach wheelchair has been returned.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Rules and permits
Beach Safety
Stay away from the bottom of the cliffs.
View on the beach from Friday, 4/18/25
Collapse from Saturday, 2/14/26
Getting there
- Address
- 12000 North Torrey Pines Road
San Diego, CA 92037 - Nearest town
- Del Mar — about 3 mi south (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 32.9273, -117.2595
- Phone
- (858) 755-2063
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Torrey Pines State Beach is located between La Jolla and Del Mar, California, north of San Diego. There are two locations where you can park to enter the beach. From Hwy 5 going southbound, exit on Carmel Valley Road and drive west for about 1.5 miles until you reach McGonigle Road. Turn left on McGonigle Road to enter the parking lot where you can self-pay to park and walk to the beach. Or you can continue driving straight to North Torrey Pines Road. Turn left and proceed along the beach for about a mile. The park entrance is on your right just before the highway begins to climb the Torrey Pines grade, where you also pay to park. From Hwy 5 northbound, exit Genesee Ave and turn left. Continue on Genesee Ave, veering to the right onto N. Torrey Pines Road for approximately 4.5 miles. Turn left when you reach the bottom of the grade to enter the park. To access the north end of Torrey Pines State Beach, continue northbound on N. Torrey Pines Road until you reach Carmel Valley Road. Turn right until you reach McGonigle Road then turn right into the parking lot.
Entrance gate: Gates open at 7:15 am and close at Sunset.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- California State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- California State Parks Listing page (one link per unit, page_id = officialId), unioned with the CSP Enterprise GIS 'ParkEntryPoints' ArcGIS layer (coords, address, county, unit number, management status) and the 'CSPParkUnit_CurrentStatus' layer (open/partial/full closure)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology