Torrey Pines State Beach is a public shoreline in San Diego between Del Mar and La Jolla, beneath Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Coastal erosion has shaped a scenic coast backed by sandstone cliffs about 300 feet high, striped with white and golden stone. At the north end, the cliffs open to Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, a salt marsh estuary where a coastal stream meets the Pacific. The beach and lagoon are ecologically important habitat for birds and marine life, and the endangered Torrey pine survives only on narrow coastal strips nearby. Its waters are also used differently, with stronger surf to the north and more swimming and bodyboarding to the south.