Location: Torrey Pines (19 Miles/ 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn – Dusk
Cost: $8 per Vehicle / Free if You Park on Torrey Pines Road.
Features: Beautiful Landscape of Canyons and Beach-Side Cliffs; Panoramic Ocean Views; Beach; Hiking Trails; Popular Cycling Route; Dolphins, Whales
Location: Point Loma (9 Miles / 20 Minutes West of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 5PM
Cost: $5 per Vehicle
Features: Best Views of Downtown San Diego, San Diego Bay, and the Pacific Ocean; Tidepools; Hiking; Lighthouse Tour; Whale Watching; Visitor Center Exhibitions and Films about Juan Cabrillo, the First European Explorer to Arrive in California.
Location: La Jolla (12 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Features: One of the Most Beautiful Settings Anywhere; Great Views from a Large Seaside Park; Up-close Look at Seals
Location: Imperial Beach (15 Miles / 20 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Visitor Center Hours: 10AM – 5PM Wednesdays through Sundays
Cost: Free
Features: Wetland of International Importance, 370 Species of Birds, Exhibit Center, Hiking, Guided Nature Walks
Location: Imperial Beach (18 Miles / 25 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9:30AM – 5PM (Occasionally Closed Due to Conditions)
Cost: $5 for Parking on Weekends
Features: Most Southwest Corner of the United States; First Boundary Marker Established at the End of the U.S. – Mexican War; Border Fence; Hiking; Horseback Riding on the Beach; Picnics.
Location: Cleveland National Forest (1 Hour Drive from the Coastal Areas of San Diego)
Cost: Most Visitors Will Need An Adventure Pass – $5 per Day or $30 per Year.
Features: Mountains, Meadows, Views of Ocean and Desert; Scenic Drives; Eagles; Falcons; Trails for Hiking, Biking, and Horseback Riding; Campground & RV Sites
Location: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (14 Miles South of Julian and 48 Miles / 55 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn to Dusk
Cost: $6 per Vehicle; $15+ for Camp Sites
Features: Mountains, Meadows, and Woodlands Ranging from 4,000 – 6,512 Feet Above Sea Level; Mountain Top Vistas; Trails for Hiking, Biking, and Horseback Riding; Campground & RV Sites
Location: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (9 Miles South of Julian and 53 Miles / 1 Hour Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 6AM – Sunset
Cost: $6 Minimum for each Car. (See Fee information below.)
Features: 4,600 Feet Above Sea Level; Surrounded by a National Forest; Fishing; Boating; Bird Watching; Hiking Trail; Tent & RV Camp Sites
Location: Campo (51 Miles / 1.25 Hours East of Downtown San Diego)
Features: The Beginning of the 2,650 Mile National Scenic Trail at the U.S. – Mexican Border Fence
Location: Boulevard (67 Miles / 1 Hour East of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Open Year-Round
Cost: Free for Day-Use; $6 for Camp Site
Features: Less Crowded and Cooler Desert Area for Off-Road Vehicle Enthusiasts, Hikers, Horseback Riders, Birdwatchers, and Campers
Location: Julian (57 Miles / 1.25 Hours Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn – Dusk
Cost: $3
Features: Good Place for a Hike with Mountain and Desert Views
Location: Palomar Moutain (77 Miles / 1 Hour and 45 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn till Dusk
Cost: $6 per Vehicle; $15+ for Camp Sites
Features: Pine Tree Forest with Hiking Trails, Trout Fishing, and Camping.
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (Visitor Center is 93 Miles/ 2 Hours from the Coastal Areas of San Diego)
Visitor Center Hours: 9AM – 5PM; Thursday through Monday From October to May; Weekends from June to September.
Cost: Free (Except for $6 per day parking at 3 Campgrounds)
Features: Sonoran Desert Meets the Peninsular Mountain Ranges Creating the Most Diverse Desert Landscape in the World and offering Hiking, Camping, Horseback Riding, Desert Wildflower Viewing, Stargazing, and Geological Exploration.
Location: Borrego Springs (93 Miles/ 2 Hours East of San Diego Coastal Areas)
Time: Most Events Take Place Between October and May
Cost: Starts at $55 per Event.
Features: Desert Jeep Tours; Group Tours on Military Transport Vehicles; Astronomy Nights; Ghosts & Legends; Wine Tasting; Customized Tours
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (94 Miles / 2 Hours East of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9:30 AM – 5PM from September 1 – May 31; Closed During Summer
Cost: $5 per Vehicle, Extra for Camping
Features: Indoor and Outdoor Mineral Hot Springs; 142 Camping Sites; County Park; Hiking; Scenic Vistas
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (102 Miles / 2 Hours East of Downtown San Diego)
Best Time to Visit: September – May
Cost: None
Features: Fossils over a Million Years Old; Caves; Hiking; Scenic Vistas
(Read insider details…)
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (100 Miles / 2.25 Hours East of San Diego Coastal Areas)
Best Time to Visit: September – May
Cost: None
Features: Spectacular Scenic Vistas; Hiking
Location: Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area (150 Miles / 2.5 Hours East of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Open Year-Round (October – May are the Main Months)
Cost: $25 per Vehicle and Up. (See Fee Information Below.)
Features: World’s Most Popular Sand Dunes; Off-Roading; Hiking; Horseback Riding; Camping
Location: Oceanside (38 Miles / 40 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn to Dusk
Cost: Free, Including Bike Rentals
Features: Hike and Bike a 14.4-Mile Round-Trip Trail Along a Riverbed Starting Near the Oceanside Pier
Find out what the locals know.
Top 10 Reasons San Diego is more than just a leisure destination.
 |
Hi: 77° F 57.0° Lo: 55° F |
Inland:
Mountains: 79° / 50° 61° / 50° Desert: Waves: 80° / 51° 3 Feet |
