torrey pines: the most beautiful hike in san diego

There are plenty of hiking trails in San Diego and each has its own marquee feature, but for a quintessential San Diego hike, go to Torrey Pines. It’s truly the outdoorsy place to be. The trails are located in Torrey Pines State Preserve, a well-maintained coastal park with a link to the beach. Eaman and I had hiked a portion of this park three years ago when we visited San Diego, but not until this past Friday did we revisit the beauty since moving here.

Let’s get something straight though: If you’re relatively active and able-bodied, minus a steep initial incline to enter the park, there’s not much intense hiking to be had; it’s mostly strolling. That said, it’s one of the most picturesque spots in San Diego — the kind of place that makes me excited to live here.

We went on a particularly sunny day, which isn’t always the case given its coastal location, so the views were extra blue and stunning. We parked for free by the beach — and avoided the $10 lot fee — made our way up into the park, did a quick loop around the Guy Fleming Trail and continued up to take the North Fork Trail all the way to the beach. All in all, it took us about two hours, including breaks for photos (after the jump). Then we got Mexican food at Roberto’s because, I mean, if you’re going to have the classic San Diego outdoors experience, you obviously follow it up with the classic San Diego dining experience.