Vintage San Diego: Happy Campers

Well-known to locals and visitors alike, the Torrey Pines State Beach stretch of Highway 101, between La Jolla and Del Mar, was once a popular seaside campsite. Before the activity was banned in the midcentury, Labor Day beachgoers packed fishing poles and beach towels in their Airstreams and Fords for a summer day on the coast.

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Just south of the rustic cliffside beach is the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, previously a Native American piece of land. Home to the rare Pinus torreyana tree, the park serves as a scenic hiking, viewing, and paragliding destination. Each year, more than one million visitors take in the panoramic ocean views, observe wildlife, and descend the Beach Trail to end up on the sand.

Since its ordination in 1899, Torrey Pines has undergone numerous additions—from the golf course to the lodge and restaurant.

One thing is certain—Torrey Pines remains one of the most popular and picturesque beachside destinations in North County.

Vintage San Diego: Happy Campers

Photo courtesy of San Diego History Center