Location: South San Diego Bay (9 Miles / 12 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: Varies by Location
Features: Four National Wildlife Refuges; Two Nature Centers; 370 Species of Birds; Guided Nature Walks
‘Wildlife’ Theme
Tijuana River Estuary National Wildlife Refuge
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
Chula Vista Nature Center & Aquarium
Location: Chula Vista (9 Miles / 12 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: Entrance allowed 10AM – 4PM Tuesdays through Sundays
Cost: $11 ($8 for Seniors 65+ and Students; $6 for Kids 4 – 11)
Features: Wetland of International Importance; Petting Pool with Stingrays and Sharks; Up-Close Views of Endangered Green Sea Turtles, a Bald Eagle, and Golden Eagles; Butterfly and Humming Bird Garden; Nature Trails
Border Field State Park
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.
Cabrillo National Monument
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.
Watch Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons in the Wild
Location: Ramona (34 Miles / 45 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Events: Saturdays in January and February from 9AM – 12PM
Cost: None
Features: Guided Hawk Watch Event; 19 Raptor Species, including Golden Eagles and Prairie Falcons, make home in the Ramona Grasslands
Cleveland National Forest
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
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
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
Lake Cuyamaca – Mountain Lake
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
La Jolla Shores
Location: La Jolla Shores (12 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Features: Beach area offers Playground, Calm Surf, Kayaking, World-Class Ocean Swimming, Scuba Diving, Panoramic Views, Long Walks
Kayaking in La Jolla Shores
Location: La Jolla Shores (12 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
When: Year-Round
Cost: Tours start at about $50; Rentals start at about $25
Features: Kayak Tours of the Ecological Reserve; Kayak Rentals; Kayak Fishing; Snorkeling
Navy SEAL Boat Adventure Rides
Location: Harbor Island (2 Miles West of Downtown San Diego)
Schedule: Year-Round Chartered Tours
Cost: $65 – $75 for Adults ($50 – $60 for Kids)
Features: Naval Tour of San Diego Bay; Wildlife Tours to see Dolphins, Whales, and Mexico’s Coronado Islands; Custom Tours
San Diego Natural History Museum
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 10AM – 7PM (9:30PM on Fridays and Saturdays) Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Cost: $16 ($10 for Kids ages 3-12 and $14 for Seniors 62+)
Features: Dinosaur and Mastodon Artifacts; Over 8.2 Million Artifacts in all; World Class Visiting Exhibitions; Giant Movie Screen for Enjoying Nature Films.
Borrego Springs
Location: Borrego Springs is surrounded by the Anza-Borrego Desert (93 Miles/ 2 Hours East of San Diego Coastal Areas)
When to Visit: October through May
Features: Desert Town Providing Hospitality to Guests of the Anza-Borrego Desert; Includes Resorts, Spas, Stargazing, Adventure Activities, Life-Size Pre-Historic Animals, and Cultural Events.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
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.
Torrey Pines State Park
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
Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center
Location: Oceanside (36 Miles / 40 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 10AM – 4PM (Opens at 1PM on Sundays and Closed on Mondays)
Cost: Free; Donations Accepted
Features: Nature Center Hosted by the Buena Vista Audobon Society on the only Freshwater Coastal Lagoon in Southern California; Mastodon Fossils
San Luis Rey River Trail
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
Wildlife Art at Hidden Forest Art Gallery & Nature Center
Location: Fallbrook (53 Miles / 55 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Cost: None, unless you want to buy a wildlife painting.
Hours: Varies
Features: Meet Famed Wildlife Artist Gamini Ratnavira, Browse through his Wildlife Paintings, and Meet his Unique & Colorful Birds.
Lake Henshaw Scenic Overlook
Location: Santa Ysabel (75 Miles / 1.25 Hours Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: Always Open
Cost: Free
Features: One of the top Birding Spots in San Diego overlooking the local mountains, grasslands, and Lake Henshaw.
