Group Field Trips

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is home to the rarest pine tree in the United States... Pinus torreyana. A series of high broken cliffs and deeply indented ravines overlook the sea where the trees cling to the face of the crumbling sandstone. The Torrey pines growing along the sandy sea cliffs suffer from persistent drought. They are blasted by salt laden winds and dried out by the sun. Still, the species lives stubbornly on!

This fragile environment contains two areas proclaimed as Natural Preserves - one where the unique trees grow, and the other around the rare salt marsh formed by the Peñasquitos Lagoon. Development in the natural preserve is kept to a minimum so that the visitor is an observer to the natural surroundings.

Your group will see chaparral, coastal sage-scrub, woodlands, cliffs, beaches, fossils, wetlands and rare trees all on one field trip!

Especially for Teachers

Pre- and post-visit activities can really enhance the quality of your field trip experience. Once you have chosen an area of study, we can provide you with suggested activities. Your visit and activities may be used as an introduction to a unit of study or as the culminating activity for a unit.

Try to visit the Reserve yourself before you bring your class. You can evaluate the trail and plan activities that will match your students' capabilities and level of comprehension.

Some topics to consider are:

Resources to prepare for your visit:

The DVD, A Walk in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, is available on request. This 27-minute DVD provides an introduction to the plants and animals you may encounter when you visit. The DVD was created by Torrey Pines Docents.

The book, Torrey Pines State Reserve, is an excellent source of background information and is sold at the Visitor Center bookstore for under $5.00.

We are always searching for lesson plans to add to our resource files. If you have a study guide that has worked for you, please share it with us.

Think! Wonder! Grow!

Children enjoy science and learning about their environment, especially when it can be done "out in the field": hands on, down in the dirt, up on a butte, overlooking an ocean, alongside a trail. What could be more fun? Science becomes alive! Interest is sparked!

Teaching environmental education and the preservation of our natural resources becomes more important every day. These are the goals we hope to achieve when working with children:

Programs offered for School groups, organizations, and others:

Please note: Free public hikes offered on Sat, Sun & holidays are not available for groups to join in and are limited to about 10 persons. Any organized group must schedule 2 weeks ahead with one of the four options listed below. Groups of more than 25 people who do not fit into any of these four categories, will need to get a special events permit. These permits are available from Debbie Valdez: Click here to email 619-688-3385.

1. Docent-led Children's Program

Free docent-led programs are offered Thursday and Friday mornings from mid-September through May, only for grades 2-5. No mixed age groups except for two adjacent grades, e.g. 2nd & 3rd. Reservations for the coming season can be made starting August 15.

The 2 to 2 1/2 hour morning program with docent leaders will start with a 20-minute presentation, concentrating on your selected topic. Torrey Pines docents are trained volunteer naturalists. A docent will meet your group in the Visitor Center parking lot at your scheduled time. After an introductory presentation, you will spend the rest of the time in smaller groups, each led by a docent for a museum visit and hike.

To prepare, please review the Reserve regulations with all children and adults. Click here for Information for All Groups. Upon confirmation of your field trip date, we will send you a list of helpful tips.

A picnic at the beach following your program is a wonderful finale for your day at Torrey Pines State Reserve. Five picnic tables are available at the beach parking lot. Or, you may wish to sit on the sand if the tide is low.

2. Naturalist Talk/Self-guided Program

Free. Offered Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday mornings between 9:30 AM & noon, Sept-May. Reservations must be made 2 weeks in advance for parking fees to be waived.

The Naturalist Talk/Self Guided Program is a good choice for groups that want a short introduction to the Reserve and how it is unique, and then the ability to explore the Reserve on your own. The staff generally will give an interactive presentation, featuring plants and animals in the Reserve, but can focus on a specific topic if requested ahead. Before coming to the Reserve, please review the regulations with all adults and kids, so everyone is aware beforehand of the special rules needed to protect the Reserve. This program is not available during summer months (June, July and August) due to high visitor volume and decreased State Park staffing.Click here for Information for All Groups

The staff will give a 15-20 minute presentation at the benches east of the Visitor Center when you group first arrives. Then you can split into smaller groups (no more than 20 per group, please) with parent/teacher leaders and explore the Museum/Visitor Center and hike the trails. The field trip can end with a lunch at the picnic benches at the beach parking lot or sitting on the beach itself. Remember, no food is allowed to be eaten in the upper Reserve area. If necessary, lunches can be carried in backpacks.

Include the requested date and time of arrival, leader's name, organization name, address, telephone numbers (personal and business), number in group, grade level/other, requested topic, special needs, coming by car or bus & whether your group will be having lunch at the beach. The staff will review your request and email a reply within a few days.

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3. College Classes/Other Non-profit Organizations

Free.Offered Monday-Friday butmust make a reservation at least 2 weeks ahead. Not available when there is a conflict with other scheduled school groups.

College classes that want to come weekday afternoons and that have a professor leader do not need to have a Naturalist program, but do need to reserve 2 weeks in advance. Request for fee waivers should be made when making the reservations.

Scout groups or adult non-profit organizations should contact the Reserve 2 weeks in advance and are scheduled on weekdays, during a time that doesn't conflict with any other scheduled school group. A Naturalist presentation can be requested and will be provided if staff is available.

Art classes or non-profit art groups must request at least two weeks in advance for waived fees. Non-summer weekdays are best. All fee waivers must be approved in advance by Rangers@torreypine.org after considering all other park activities.

Include requested date and time of arrival, leader's name, organization name, address, telephone numbers (personal and business), number in group, grade level/other, requested topic, special needs, coming by car or bus & whether your group will be having your lunch at the beach. Staff will review your request and email a reply. Click here for Information for All Groups

4. Special Walks with a Docent Naturalist

Special Walks can be arranged for a fee to suit your schedule and interests on a limited basis through the Docent Special Walk Coordinator. These walks provide a focus or topic of your choice and a docent naturalist leader, usually 1 leader per 10 people. The cost is $5-10 per person depending on group size. The usual parking fee for a bus will be waived for groups paying for Docent walks on weekdays. On weekends, the parking fee is $50 for a minibus and $100 for a large bus. For further details and arrangements contact the Docent Special Walk Coordinator by clicking here: SpecialWalks

Fees

Parking fees are waived for educational groups on weekdays, provided a reservation has been made at least two weeks in advance. Otherwise:

Vehicle parking rates are:

Upon your arrival, you must contact staff at the Lodge/Ranger HQ, located in the Visitor Center, to announce your arrival, and in order to register your vehicle and receive a vehicle pass for your dashboard.

A $200.00 facility use fee will be charged to school groups that come to TPSNR or Beach without prior reservations, whether the group is dropped off outside the entrance or are parking in one of the lots.

The group will be limited to use of the beach facilities UNLESS there is Staff on duty to give the group a brief introductory talk before proceeding to the hiking areas.

All groups must contact the Reserve at least two weeks in advance to schedule a field trip. Fees will only be waived for weekday trips, approved in advance. The Reserve limits visitors to protect natural resources and for the safety of all trail users.

Rangers@torreypine.org

Supervision:

The State Park Ranger staff and Docents are a special resource, and they can do a better job when supported by the adults accompanying the children. Student groups should have at least one adult for every ten children. The adult leaders must stay with the children and are responsible for monitoring their behavior while visiting the Reserve.

Key Regulations:

Help us by making your group aware of these regulations. Our natural resources are limited and fragile. Please help us preserve their integrity.

Arrive at the Scheduled Time

Please call if you need to cancel or reschedule, or are delayed. Your scheduled program may be canceled if you arrive late because of possible conflicts with other scheduled groups. Visitor Center/Ranger Station phone 858-755-2063

Dress & Seasons

Dress appropriately:

Clothing: Wear play clothes that are comfortable for hiking. A warm jacket or sweater, cap or hat and sunscreen are always a good idea.

We have a big rush of school field trips in April, May, and June. However, other months of the year can be very exciting in the Reserve. For instance, if you visit the Reserve in January, you have the opportunity to see the whales. The Torrey Pine trees "bloom" in the middle of February. The most spectacular time of the year is from early March to late April when there is a steady progression of spring flowers. But if you look carefully, you can find plants in bloom almost any time of the year. No two visits to Torrey Pines are ever quite the same.

Facilities

Basics: Restrooms and water are available at the beach and Visitor Center parking lot. Picnicking is allowed ONLY at the beach, so please plan your day accordingly. There are no food storage facilities. Plan on leaving lunch on the bus or carrying it with you. (Remember, no eating in the Reserve.)

Trails: Torrey Pines is a 1750 acre nature reserve with several miles of hiking trails. In general, all trails are approximately one mile long - please refer to our map for specifics. The trails are rustic, but not difficult for walking. If your group has special needs, please notify the staff when making reservations.

Visitor Center: The Visitor Center houses "please touch" displays of geology, ecology, animal and plant life. A video and slide show theater has seating for twenty-five persons. Postcards, special note cards, T-shirts, hats, and a selection of nature books are available for purchase. Visitor Center/Ranger Station phone 858-755-2063

Group Field Trips and Hikes

A Special Place