This Coastal California Trail Has To Be The Best Hike In America For Beach Lovers

If you want to enjoy gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean from a beautiful stretch of California's coastline, look no further than the Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop. While the experience can be a little tiring and requires you to be able to go up and down a lot of stairs, this route is only about an hour long and rewards you with gorgeous ocean views at the top and a relaxing trip to the beach at the bottom.

Get ready to make friends on this trip — while there are less crowded but still stunning beach spots in California, Torrey Pines is a popular destination. It's easy to see why. If you head to the south entrance of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and park near the visitor's center, you won't have a hard time finding the trailhead. Then, all you have to do is follow the route down the cliffs to the sea, and soon, you'll be standing in the shade of the hills looking out at the crashing blue waves.

The trail down to the beach begins relatively flat and easy, with stellar views of jagged rock formations around you and the ocean below stretching out into the horizon. While Lovers Point Park is known as the best beach in California for sunset views, this hike is particularly gorgeous at dusk, with pink light reflecting off the ocean and flooding across the rocky landscape.

Soon, however, you'll have to tackle some steep switchbacks, including stairs cut into the cliffside. As long as you can handle the stairs and crowds, this isn't too grueling, and it's not uncommon to see children taking this route down to the beach. Just remember to wear your most comfortable hiking shoes and not spend your time right at the bottom of the cliffs and bluffs because some areas in the reserve are known for rock slides. When you reach the bottom, you'll be treated to gorgeous blue waves and fascinating tide pools. You can bring a bathing suit with you if you like, but be warned, these waters can be chilly.

While you can see one of the most incredible views of the Pacific in California from the loop, there are other trails you can take to explore the park, including Razor Point Trail, which you can access from the same trailhead as the Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop. However, this option gives you access to some more beautiful outlooks, including Guy Fleming Trail, which also provides good views of the sea, and the short but steep High Point Trail that takes you up into the trees.

California's Redwood National Park might boast some of the tallest trees in the world, but it's not the only park on the West Coast where you can enjoy fascinating trees. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is home not only to the gorgeous shoreline that you can explore on the Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop, but the opportunity to see the extremely rare pine tree which gives this park its name: Pinus torreyana.