Torrey Pines & San Elijo Lagoon
North San Diego Coast · near Del Mar / Encinitas · San Diego
Wildlife Watching
At a glance
- Best season
- Year-round; shorebirds & waterfowl peak fall–winter; whales offshore Dec–Mar
- Open year round
- Yes
What is here
- Wildlife
- birds · tidepools
- Species
- Shorebirds, waterfowl, herons, egrets, raptors, seabirds, gray whales offshore
- Amenities
- Rare Torrey pine reserve · San Elijo & Los Peñasquitos lagoons · Bluff-top birding & whale views · Lagoon nature center & trails
- Best for
- Lagoon birding & coastal bluff walks
- Features
- Rare Torrey pines & bluffs · Rich lagoon birdlife · Raptors & seabirds · Gray whales offshore
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Timed-entry/paid parking (Torrey Pines) · Hot, exposed bluff trails · Slippery cliffs & tides below · Stay on trails to protect habitat
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Wildlife Watching detail
- Viewing
- trail
- Effort
- moderate
- Habitat
- wetland
- Sighting
- 4
- Viewing notes
- Coastal bluff trails above a rare pine reserve and adjacent lagoons — thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl in the wetlands, raptors on the bluffs, and gray whales offshore in winter
- Intl tip
- San Diego's north-coast combo of Torrey Pines State Reserve and the San Elijo/Los Peñasquitos lagoons — top birding with bluff scenery and one of the rarest pines on Earth (found only here and on Santa Rosa Island). Bluff trails reach overlooks with raptors, seabirds, and winter gray whales offshore; the tidal lagoons draw thousands of shorebirds, herons, and waterfowl (peak fall–winter), with nature-center boardwalks. Moderately easy with some climbing; timed/paid parking at Torrey Pines, hot exposed trails, slippery clifftops — bring water and binoculars.
The guide
On San Diego's north coast, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and the neighboring coastal lagoons — San Elijo and Los Peñasqui…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Torrey Pines & San Elijo Lagoon — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 32.93, -117.25