Dogs at Torrey Pines

No. Dogs are not allowed anywhere in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve or on Torrey Pines State Beach, and State Parks says that includes dogs left inside a vehicle in the lots. The only exception is a working service dog. Emotional support animals do not count as service animals here. For a hike or beach day with your dog, State Parks suggests several spots nearby.

Why the Rule Is So Strict

Torrey Pines is a natural reserve, set aside for native plants and animals. State Parks explains that wildlife reads any dog as a predator, and that dog waste can make nesting animals abandon their young. The ban covers the reserve, the Extension and the state beach. Horses are banned from the reserve too.

Service Dogs

Working service dogs are allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. They must be harnessed, leashed or tethered unless that interferes with their work, and kept under control at all times. State Parks asks that service dogs wear a vest or tag so rangers and other visitors can tell.

Where to Take Your Dog Instead

State Parks lists these alternatives near Torrey Pines:

• Carmel Mountain: park at the Ocean Air Recreation Center
• Crest Canyon, Del Mar: several access points
• Gonzales Canyon: street parking at the north end of Sword Way
• Peñasquitos Canyon: lot off Sorrento Valley Boulevard
• San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve
• Del Mar Dog Beach

Check each place's own leash rules before you go. Black's Beach, south of the reserve, does not allow dogs either.