Los Penasquitos Lagoon

Los Penasquitos lagoon featured image

One of my favorite places to explore over the past 30 years is the Los Penasquitos Lagoon at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Can I take you on tour?

Ok! Let’s go!

Los Penasquitos Lagoon

Located between Del Mar to the north and the border of San Diego to the south, the Los Penasquitos Lagoon is a 510-acre coastal salt marsh estuary.

—>San Diego Lagoons and Nature Centers<—

Meaning “The Little Cliffs” in Spanish, the Los Penasquitos frames the northern part of the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.

The Los Penasquitos Lagoon is a Salt Marsh?

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Los Penasquitos Lagoon is one of the last salt marshes in southern California. The lagoon supports many plants and animals, including seven threatened or endangered species.

Another interesting fact is that this lagoon also serves as a refuge for migratory birds that use the Pacific Flyway.

—>Best San Diego Birding Hotspots<—

Since joining the State Park System, there have been quite a few changes to help increase the overall tidal flow here at the Los Penasquitos Lagoon.

Let’s now have a look.

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Exploring Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve featured image

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a 2000-acre park located in the community of La Jolla in San Diego, California, off North Torrey Pines Rd. Nothing here has ever been altered or diverted at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, making it one of the wildest coastal stretches left in California.

I can not emphasize enough just how beautiful this Reserve is!

Come and join me for a tour!

Torrey Pine Tree Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

 What is a Reserve?

Everything here and surrounding the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a protected area. That includes the Penasquitos River Valley east of the highway, one of the last salt marsh estuaries in San Diego, and the Underwater Ecological Reserve offshore.

A Reserve is not a ‘park,’ but an assigned area of importance and commonly contains threatened plants, animal habitats, or unique geological formations.

Over 300 birds and native plant species are threatened or endangered within the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. The Torrey Pine, the Reserve’s namesake, is a scarce endangered pine tree- the rarest pine tree in the United States, but more on that later.

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