Strolling Among the Rarest

From Santa Cruz Island to Carpinteria Avenue, Torrey Pines Loom Large

The Torrey Pines on Santa Rosa Island | Photo: Chuck Graham

It was a stunner of a clear day as I kayaked around Fraser Point on the rugged northwest fringe of Santa Cruz Island. And like other paddling excursions I’ve completed around the largest isle off the California coast, it usually includes paddling to and around Santa Rosa Island.

There’s a lot of reliable island topography that assists in navigating the Santa Cruz Passage; the long gritty finger of Skunk Point and the daunting, wave-battered cliffs of Carrington Point come to mind. However, from afar, there’s no denying one of the rarest groves of trees in the world swaying in perpetual northwest winds on the northeast-facing marine terrace that overlooks massive Bechers Bay.

Whether crossing from Kinton, Near, or Fraser Point on Santa Cruz, I’m typically drawn to the wind-stunted Torrey pine forest on the second-largest island off the California coast. To reach the stiffest and thickest pine needles of any pine in North America requires paddling across one of the most dangerous passages on the planet. Though there’s something surreal and soothing about paddling to a grove of trees that offers solace while kayaking in potentially turbulent seas; those thick, blue-gray pine needles and burly pinecones beckon from the frothiest of whitecaps.

Island Nemophilist

A view of the Torrey Pines on Santa Rosa Island | Photo: Chuck Graham

There’s only one other Torrey pine forest in the world. Named after 19th-century botanist John Torrey, the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in La Jolla, San Diego possesses gorgeous pines, scenic beaches, and picturesque white-capping seas. Otherwise, the grove is surrounded by the Pacific Coast Highway, suburbia, and the Torrey Pines Golf Course. It’s a beautiful place, frequented by many hikers and runners. It’s busy. So, I’ve always had a strong appreciation for the isolation, solitude, and the journey to reach the Torrey pines on Santa Rosa Island. The grove is much denser, and as I’ve walked through the pines many times, I’ve always enjoyed listening to perpetual northwest winds whistling through those long. bluish-grayish pine needles.

After touching down at Water Canyon just north of the Torrey pines, I tucked my kayak into the wind-sculpted sand dunes, ditched my gear in the campground, and quickly hiked southeast to the narrow, winding path into the fairytale-like forest.

It was otherworldly strolling beneath the seemingly mystical canopy of these golden evergreens, especially where curious island foxes scampered among fallen football-sized pinecones and spotted towhees trilled mightily from the thick clusters of blue-gray needles.

The bark appeared artistic, as the natural patterns in the sturdy trunks climbed into the shady canopy. Once I entered the heart of the grove, relentless northwest winds were thwarted by the Torrey pines, a grove of trees that endure all types of weather but benefit from constant fog drip, the largest water input on the Channel Islands.

Pinecones on the Torrey Pines on Santa Rosa Island | Photo: Chuck Graham

Torrey Pines Trail on Santa Rosa Island | Photo: Chuck Graham

The main grove is quite visible from afar, whether it’s from the water or on foot, but there’s a box canyon to the southeast that possesses a smaller grove of trees overlooking Skunk Point, the Santa Cruz Passage, and, on clear days, all the way to Morse Point on the southwest tip of Santa Cruz Island. It’s one of the most stunning “islandscapes” across the entire Northern Chain.

Of course, there is an easier way to experience such a rare coppice of trees. Anyone can jump on an Island Packers ferry out of Ventura (islandpackers.com) and admire the wind-ravaged Torrey pines from the boat. And after disembarking on the sturdy pier, it’s about five miles round-trip hiking the second largest of California’s Channel Islands to wander through this magical woodland.

Home-Grown

The Wardholme Torrey Pine in Carpinteria | Photo: Chuck Graham

Of course, to see the largest, tallest Torrey pine, and gaze up into its broad canopy, all anyone must do is head to Carpinteria and possibly enjoy a coffee at the Lucky Llama Coffee House (luckyllamacoffee.com). The 125-foot-tall Torrey pine towers over the 5100 block on Carpinteria Avenue and the popular local coffee establishment.

The tree is known as the “Wardholme Torrey Pine.” It’s named after Judge Thomas Ward, the original landowner, and it holds the recognition of being the first designated historical landmark in Carpinteria, one of the last coastal towns in Southern California. After Ward passed away in 1927, his wife, Florence Ward, took great care of their colossal Torrey pine. She “pined” for it to become a landmark, which it did in 1968.

It’s a burly Torrey pine. Its circumference is 25 feet. Not only is it the largest specimen, but it’s also a tree that originated from the windswept grove on Santa Rosa Island. Planted in Carpinteria in 1888 as a seedling from the windswept trees overlooking Bechers Bay, this standalone pine is also home to nesting great blue herons that have built their nests in the highest reaches of the canopy. Nature always finds its way.