Torrey Pines' Main Trails Are Closed Until Spring. Carmel Valley's Side Is Still Open.

The road up to the Torrey Pines Lodge has been closed to cars since September 21. The next day, California State Parks closed the main reserve to everyone else too: hikers, cyclists, the Beach Trail Staircase, the Lodge and both upper parking lots. The work is the next phase of a multiyear project. It includes new gas, water, wastewater and communication lines, a replacement restroom building, and an accessible path from the upper lot to the Lodge. State Parks expects full access to return by March 1, 2027.

That shuts Guy Fleming, Parry Grove, Razor Point, Broken Hill and the Beach Trail for the whole winter. It doesn't shut the reserve entirely. On its current conditions list, State Parks shows "TPSNR Main Trails: CLOSED" and, on the next line, "TPSNR Extension: OPEN." The Extension is the piece of the reserve north of Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, and you reach it from Carmel Valley Road and Del Mar Heights Road. Until spring, a Torrey Pines walk for Carmel Valley means a short drive west instead of a trip down North Torrey Pines Road.

What's Closed, and What Never Was

According to the State Parks closure notice, the closure covers the main reserve only. Torrey Pines State Beach is still open, along with its North Beach and South Beach parking lots. The Torrey Pines Docent Society posted the same timeline on October 14: "Trails closed for Phase 2 of the Utility Project. Reopen approximately March 1, 2027."

Here's what's open and closed for the rest of the year:

• Closed: the reserve road, both upper parking lots, the Lodge, the Trail Interpretive Kiosk, every main-reserve trail and the Beach Trail Staircase
• Open: the Reserve Extension trails, Torrey Pines State Beach, and the North Beach and South Beach lots
• Unchanged: dogs were never allowed in the reserve or on the beach, so dog walkers lose nothing here and can't use the Extension either

That last point affects the rest of this guide. The Extension is the open part of the reserve, but it's for people walking without a dog. If you're bringing one, the good options are a few miles north.

The Extension's Four Trails

The Extension is small, and you can walk every trail in it in one morning. State Parks lists four:

Together that's a little over two miles of trail. From the DAR Trail you look across the marsh to the main reserve, which is closed this season. From Red Ridge you see the lagoon and the eroded formations that make the main reserve famous.

The Extension trail map lists the entry points. You can come in "from Del Mar Scenic Pkwy via Carmel Valley Rd.; or from Mar Scenic Drive or Mira Montana Drive, via Del Mar Heights Rd." For the Del Mar Scenic approach, the Torrey Pines Conservancy has described the trailhead as being at the end of Del Mar Scenic Parkway by the tennis courts, uphill from the North Beach lot entrance.

Parking is the one detail to check before you go. The map is from 2009 and says "street parking only." The Conservancy's current visitor guidelines say to park only in designated lots and that stopping on road shoulders isn't allowed. Follow the posted signs at the curb, and don't rely on an old map.

The Rules Come With It

The Extension is part of the reserve, so the reserve's rules apply. The trail map prohibits dogs, bicycles, food and smoking, allows water, and asks visitors to stay on official trails. The Conservancy's guidelines add that picnics aren't allowed in the reserve, and food can only be carried through on the way to the beach. The State Parks park information page makes an exception for working service dogs.

Sources give the hours a little differently. The 2009 map says 7 a.m. to sunset. The Conservancy lists 7:15 a.m. to sunset. In October, sunset comes early, so an after-work walk doesn't leave much time.

If you'd rather combine the Extension with the sand, the beach lots open at 7:15 a.m. and close at sunset. North Beach is reached via Carmel Valley Road and McGonigle Road and has a beach-access ramp. South Beach is at 12600 North Torrey Pines Road. State Parks uses demand-based pricing at both lots, and its own pages list slightly different maximums for South Beach, so expect the price to change from day to day.

North of the Lagoon, the Dogs Can Come

Once you get past the reserve boundary, the rules loosen, and the next two options are both a short drive up the coast from Carmel Valley.

San Dieguito Lagoon on the Coast to Crest Trail. The San Dieguito River Park lists this segment as 2.50 miles, rated easy, and open to hikers and bikers. Leashed dogs are allowed, and owners must clean up after them. There are two ways in. The San Dieguito Lagoon Staging Area is reached from Via de la Valle via San Andres Drive. The trail starts at the lot's southeast corner, and there's street parking along San Andres Drive if the lot is full. From October 1 through March 31, the lot is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The second way in is the City of Del Mar trailhead lot, reached from Jimmy Durante Boulevard via San Dieguito Drive. It has paid parking from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and a bridge to the lagoon boardwalk.

Crest Canyon. This is a 1.15-mile trail rated easy, for hikers only. The north kiosk is near Racetrack View Drive, and the south kiosk is at Durango Drive and Lozana Road. Parking is on the street, there are no facilities, and it's open sunrise to sunset.

Inland, three city-managed preserves are close to home: Carmel Mountain Preserve, Del Mar Mesa Preserve and Gonzales Canyon. Under the City's open-space rules, dogs must be leashed, visitors must stay on designated trails, and the areas are closed from sunset to sunrise. On Del Mar Mesa, the Friends of Del Mar Mesa trail map notes that some marked routes cross private property and are future trails that aren't open yet. Carry that map so you stay on routes that are open now.

Guided Walks Have Moved Inland Too

The Docent Society has suspended its regular Mindful Walks program during the closure. It says walks in the Extension "may be forthcoming," but no dates have been posted. If you want a naturalist along this fall, Friends of Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve has three dated outings on its hikes and events calendar:

1. Saturday, November 7, 8 to 10 a.m.: Camino Ruiz Rim-to-Creek hike, starting at Camino Ruiz Community Park, 11489 Camino Ruiz
2. Saturday, November 28, 7:45 to 10 a.m.: an easy birding stroll with ornithologist Jeanie Anderson, meeting at the Preserve sign at the west end of the Canyonside Park driveway
3. Saturday, December 12, 9 to 11 a.m.: a moderately paced two-mile Doug Hill hike with naturalist Beth Mather, meeting at the northeast corner of Black Mountain Ranch Community Park, on Black Mountain Parkway off 14700 Carmel Valley Road

The December hike meets off Carmel Valley Road, which makes it the closest of the three for most of Carmel Valley.

What Rain Does to All of This

These options are drier than the main reserve's canyon trails, but rain still closes things. In wet weather, State Parks usually closes the reserve's steeper trails to prevent erosion, and how long they stay closed depends on the storm. The San Dieguito River Park asks people to stay off soaked trails for 48 hours after rain.

The SR-56 bike path is the route Carmel Valley uses every day, and it has a known low spot. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in July that where the path dips under Carmel Country Road at Carmel Creek, water often covers the trail after any rain and makes it impassable. Matt Bartelt, president of the San Diego Mountain Bike Association, told the paper the standing water there "has been an issue for better than the last 10 years." The City plans to raise that section by two feet and add six box culverts. Construction is expected to start in fall 2027 and finish by fall 2028, with trail users detoured over the Carmel Country Road bridge while the work is underway. So for this winter, a rainy week can close the main reserve, put the SR-56 crossing underwater, and keep the lagoon trails muddy for two days afterward.

At Shay Realtors, we keep track of the trail closures, trailheads and seasonal changes that shape a weekend in Carmel Valley. If you'd like a local read on the neighborhood, talk to a local expert and schedule your free neighborhood consultation.