Los Peñasquitos Lagoon

Los Peñasquitos Lagoon is the salt marsh that separates the main Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve from its Extension in Del Mar, and State Parks counts it among the last salt marshes and waterfowl refuges in Southern California. There is no public access or fishing in the lagoon itself. You see it from overlooks and trails around its edge, and from the beach where it meets the ocean.

A Protected Marsh

State Parks maps the lagoon as the Los Peñasquitos Marsh Natural Preserve. The brochure calls it a vital stopping and nesting place for migrating waterfowl and home to several rare and endangered birds. Its salt marsh is one of the habitats that make the reserve so varied, from coastal strand to sage scrub to pine woodland.

Birds to Look For

State Parks says about 200 species of birds are protected at the reserve. Shorebirds listed in the brochure include brown and American white pelicans, black-bellied and snowy plovers, American avocets, western sandpipers, willets, whimbrels, sanderlings, great egrets and long-billed curlews. The infosheet adds peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks and osprey.

Where to See It

• Discovery Trail, in the main reserve: an accessible 0.13-mile path along the bluff with three overlooks of the marsh.
• Reserve Extension: the Red Ridge Loop and DAR trails look across the lagoon to the main reserve. These trails are open during the closure.
• The beach: Torrey Pines State Beach runs past the lagoon mouth between the North Beach and South Beach lots.

Rules

Stay out of the lagoon and its marsh, and do not fish there. Bring binoculars instead.