Last month’s “All Things San Diego” week on the blog was a huge hit. Lots of you chimed in with your own favorite places to explore the area. Fellow blogger and mom Lori of SoCal With Kids graciously offered to put together a few of her family’s favorite spots for this follow-up post. Enjoy!
San Diego is truly a nature lover’s paradise! There are so many fun outdoor family adventures waiting to be had that it’s hard to name them all. One of the best parts about exploring nature with kids in San Diego is that much of it can be done for free.
Being a native San Diegan, I’ve explored many of the incredible places there are to be found in this fine county, and am thrilled to be sharing a few of my favorites.
Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve
Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve offers trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. There’s also an old adobe Ranch House that was popular with early travelers, as well as a waterfall worth the hike or bike ride it takes to get there.
The Ranch House holds free tours on weekends, but you can visit anytime. I’ve found the employees there to be very kind and knowledgeable. One of them recently told about the changes the area experienced after the earthquake on Easter of 2010, and how the stream that once trickled near the Ranch House is pumping out a large amount of water each hour.
There are also two goats that live on the property near the Ranch House, as well as some chickens, which our kids love to visit.
If you’re up for a hike or bike ride, head to the waterfall. From the parking lot at the corner of Black Mountain Road and Mercy Road, it’s a 6-mile trek round trip. (If you start from the Ranch House, it’s a 5-mile trip.) This is a long hike for a small child, but is more doable on bike. The waterfall is well worth the effort it takes to get there. Our kindergarten age daughter loved it!
A word of warning: This canyon is home to many wild animals, including birds, coyote and bobcat. We even saw a rattlesnake on a cold winter day! Keep your eyes open and stay on designated paths.
You can park at the entrance to the preserve for $3 (just off Black Mountain Road) or for free at the Canyonside Recreation Center or the Ranch House.
San Elijo Nature Center
The San Elijo Nature Center provides a lot of great information about nature in the area, including the San Elijo Lagoon. Head up to the top level of the Center for a magnificent view of the lagoon and the Pacific Ocean, which lies to the west.
I found the Ranger there to be very friendly and happy to answer questions. I was surprised to learn that mule deer still live around the lagoon and can often be seen in the early evening. There are walking trails and the Center even offers free, guided nature walks on Saturday mornings. Our kids enjoy walking the paths and seeing the different birds, the lagoon and more.
La Jolla Tide Pools
Our top pick for tide pools in San Diego are those just north of the Scripps Pier in La Jolla. Here, you’ll likely see sea anemones, crabs, sea cucumbers, sea stars and more. Check the tide chart and time your visit for just below low tide.
We like to wear pants that we can roll up, or shorts, so we don’t get very wet. (See How to Tour Tide Pool With Kids for more tips for a great visit.)
Bring towels, a change of clothes and water. We like to bring sand toys to play with at the beach after exploring the tide pools. I believe there are some bathrooms near the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, but we haven’t used them. If you walk way down the beach to Kellogg Park, you’ll find restroom facilities and a playground.
To get to the La Jolla tide pools, park on the street near the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. From here, you can either take the stairs leading to the beach or walk through the Institute to a ramp just past the pier. The tide pools are a short distance north of the pier.
Lake Miramar
Lake Miramar is in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood of San Diego, about 20 minutes north of downtown. Expect to see ducks, geese, squirrels and many different types of birds. Lots of people fish here, too. Amenities include bathrooms, barbecues and picnic tables, hiking trails and more.
The full circle around the lake is almost five miles long. It’s a popular place for cyclists, inline skaters, walkers and runners. We usually bring scooters for our kids. There are some little hills here, so we like to follow the paved path heading west and turn around when the kids get tired. This is not the most scenic part of the lake, but is relatively flat and easy for scooting.
Stay on the paths, and always keep your eyes open for snakes. (I have never seen a snake here, but have heard of others having an occasional encounter with a rattlesnake.)
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is huge, earning it the nickname “The Big Bay.” Depending upon where you are on the bay, you might see sea lions, bat rays, crabs, fish, birds and more! We’ve had luck seeing sea lions near Shelter Island, bat rays in the water near Seaport Village, fish at the Coronado Ferry Landing and different birds all across the bay.
There are plenty of walking paths around the bay, many playgrounds and several restrooms. We enjoy walking the paths around the bay at Seaport Village, past Embarcadero Park and down to the Convention Center.
We also love going from Coronado Landing Park to Tidelands Park. It’s a bit of a walk for little kids, but if you have a stroller or jogger they can walk part of the way and jump in the stroller when they tire.
Don’t forget to wear comfortable walking shoes, pack a picnic lunch and bring a camera.
Happy exploring!
Lori is a mom, wife, and business owner residing in San Diego. She loves spending time with her kids and being out and about. She’s considered the go-to girl by her friends for insider tips on adventures with kids in SoCal. Check out her blog SoCal With Kids for ideas and tips on adventures with kids in Southern California. You can also find her on Twitter at @socalwithkids.
@Lori: Thank you for sharing your favorite places. I'm chomping at the bit to get back to San Diego! 🙂
Thank you, Debi, for having me guest post on your awesome site! San Diego has so many great places to explore nature. One of our other favs is La Jolla Cove, as Colleen, of TravelMamas.com wrote about. You'll have to go there on your next trip down south. Thanks again!