Torrey Pines State Beach is a state park in San Diego County, California. The nearest town is Del Mar, about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away (Torrey Pines State Beach lies S of town).
Torrey Pines State Beach is a public beach in San Diego, California, located in a community of Torrey Pines, south of Del Mar and north of La Jolla. Coastal erosion from the adjacent Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve makes for a picturesque landscape. The beach is at the base of a series of 300-foot sandstone cliffs of white and golden stone, with a greenish layer sometimes visible at the very bottom. At the north end of the beach the cliffs end and Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, a salt marsh estuary, empties into the ocean. County Route S21 crosses the entrance, with limited free parking along the beach.From the Wikipedia article “Torrey Pines State Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Torrey Pines State Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:01 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 118° ESE | 4:47 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 00m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Torrey Pines State Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:30 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:26 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:27 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:20 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.12 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (81%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 74 | 77 | 81 | 78 | 81 | 78 | 83 | 83 | 86 | 89 | 82 | 73 |
| Low °F | 48 | 48 | 51 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 57 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 51 | 51 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Torrey Pines State Beach, closest first.
State Park
Beach
Canyon
State Park
Natural Arch
Beach
Beach
Mountain Peak
BeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Torrey Pines State Beach?
What time is golden hour at Torrey Pines State Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Torrey Pines State Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Torrey Pines State Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Torrey Pines State Beach?
How far is Torrey Pines State Beach from Del Mar?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.