Outdoors in San Diego

Windansea Park

Pacific Ocean beach with rocks & sand popular for surfing & sunset-gazing.

Golden Hill Park

Family-friendly park with tennis courts, ball fields & a gym, plus picnic grounds & a playground.

Eucalyptus County Park

Park & gathering place with a playground, picnic tables, a pavilion & horseshoe pits.

Sunset Cliffs Coastal Trail (Linear Park)

Hiking trail atop the Pacific Ocean bluffs offering sunset views & seasonal gray whale watching.

Mother Miguel Mountain Trailhead

Chula Vista Marina View Park

Cowles Mountain

Chula Vista Marina

UCSD Scripps Pier

Oceanography research site & boat launch, also popular for taking sunset photos beneath the pier.

Artists Palette

Series of hills in pastel hues, colored by oxidation & weathering, along 9-mi. Artist's Drive loop.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Expansive park boasts 75 miles of trails, campgrounds & a visitor center amid old-growth redwoods.

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Park with over 100 miles of oak forest hiking trails & campsites with picnic tables & fire pits.

Sherman Library & Gardens

Serene botanical garden with patios, conservatories & walkways, plus a research library & cafe.

Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve

Pine Valley County Park

Sweetwater Summit Regional Park

Destination for outdoor recreation, including camping, fishing, hiking & horseback riding.

Rohr Park

Green space with a playground & fields plus a walking trail, model train rides & an equestrian ring.

Dos Picos County Park

Peaceful, 78-acre retreat featuring campgrounds, hiking trails, shady picnic areas & a fishing pond.

Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument

Mountain backcountry with wilderness areas, state parks & trails for hiking & horse-riding.

Potato Chip Rock

Hikers flock to this unique, thin rock at the peak of the Mount Woodson for dramatic photographs.