First thing first: I love
Yes, southern California is crowded, and developers are
eating up open space at a voracious pace, but there are still some open wild
places that can provide escape from traffic, people, buildings and the general
chaos of modern urban life. If you are
in the area and want a change from the usual tourist stops check these out. We visited all of these places plus had plenty of time to take in the sites, restaurants, and night life of San Diego.
Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve/Tijuana
Slough National Wildlife Refuge. Located in Imperial Beach along the Mexico-US
border. The Tijuana River empties into
the Pacific Ocean hers and you can see the bullfighting ring in the city of
Tijuana Mexico across the river mouth. The
main attraction her are the birds. The
estuary is a shallow water habitat that alternates between dry and intermittent
flooding. For this reason, and due to its unique combination of freshwater
riverine and saltwater ocean habitats it supports a huge variety of birds. The
Tijuana River Estuary is one of the few salt marshes remaining in Southern
California, where over 90% of wetland habitat has been lost to development. The
site is a critical breeding, feeding and nesting ground and key stopover point
on the Pacific Flyway for over 370 species of migratory and native birds,
including six endangered species. The Reserve offers four miles of walking
trails, taking visitors into prime bird watching areas and down to the river
mouth where the Tijuana River meets the Pacific Ocean. Border Field State Park
is located in the southwestern corner of the Reserve, on a bluff overlooking
the ocean, the estuary, and the bull ring that lies just south of the
U.S./Mexico border. A marker on the
bluff, first placed there in 1851 just after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
delineates the western beginning of the International Border.
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve/Torrey Pines State Beach. The official claim to fame here is that the
park is the home to the Torrey Pine, the rarest pine tree in the United
States. You have your pick of two
completely different options here:
either the swimming, beachcombing and surfing along the beach or the
hiking and birdwatching in the high areas above the bluff line behind the
beach. Black’s Beach is the best area for surfing (this is also a clothing
optional beach area. The high bluff area
is a coastal forest of pine trees, sandstone canyons and a network of dirt hiking
trails on the bluffs overlooking the sea. The trails are dirt and steep,
winding through low coastal brush and dropping down to the beach. This is a highly visited park and the trails
can be crowded on weekends. The park is
located on the Pacific Coast Highway between La Jolla and Del Mar.
Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge/Chula Vista Nature
Center. Sweetwater is only 316 acres of marsh estuary where the Sweetwater
River enters San Diego Bay but it is a prime birding destination, offering
similar habitat as Tijuana Slough NWR.
The Nature Center has interpretive and interactive exhibits, guided
nature and bird walks, a shark and ray exhibit, and the opportunity to view
native birds in outdoor aviaries that support burrowing owls, shorebirds,
egrets and herons.
Cabrillo National Monument.
A great combination of nature, history and scenery, the national
monument, located at the end of Point Loma off San Diego, is easily accessible.
Lots of options here; hiking on the
two-mile Bayside Trail which winds through low coastal sage scrub habitat and with
spectacular views of San Diego Bay and the city; tidepooling in the rocky
intertidal area where you can discover hundreds of tidal critters in the smqall
pools left after high tide; visiting the restored Old Point Loma Lighthouse,
one of the original eight lighthouses on the West Coast; whale watching during
annual migration of the Pacific Gray Whale as the marine mammals pass by the
park from December through February; birdwatching in the hills and coastal
areas where over 200 species of birds have been spotted.
Mission Trails Regional Park. Located entirely within the
city limits of San Diego, this 5800 acres park is huge! Dominated by Cowles Mountain, at 1592 feet
the highest point in the city, the park is a rugged mix of canyons and hills
that tower over the San Diego River that flows through the park. Access to the
park is by a one-way access road segregated for hikers and bikers on one side,
cars on the other. Hike or bike in and
take off through the countryside on the park’s forty miles of hiking, mountain
biking and equestrian trails. The park
offers some of the best rock climbing in the region. Mission Gorge was one of the first
established climbing areas in the area and remains popular due to the wide
range of crack and face climbing routes from easy picks to challenging 5.10
routes. Check at the visitor center for
climbing info. The most scenic trail is the Cowles Mountain trail which
culminates at the mountain’s summit with some awesome views of the city. Lake
Murray, a manmade reservoir, is a popular hiking destination and is the
location of Kumeyaay Campground which consists of 46 rustic campsites. Info at
www.mtrp.org
Blue Sky Ecological Reserve.
Owned by the California Department of Fish and Game and managed by the
City of Poway, this 700 acres of canyonlands in the town of Poway is a real
surprise. You’d never expect something
this rugged in the middle of the area’s urban sprawl. Blue Sky offers trails that lead to the top
of Mount Woodson or to Lake Ramona, a manmade reservoir. The reserve is a mix of coastal sage scrub,
oak woodland, and mixed chaparral hillsides.
The Lake Ramona trail winds upward to the lake and offers great views of
the surrounding countryside. Longer and
steeper hiking to Mount Woodson offers even better views. Creekside Trail follows a small creek and
this riparian habitat meanders through a shady canopy of tall oak trees. It is a great place for birdwatching and you
can expect to see migratory songbirds as well as red-shoulderd hawks,
red-tailed hawks, acorn woodpeckers, roadrunners and dozens of other
species. Coyote, gray fox, mule deer,
raccoon and bobcat are present in the reserve.
Info at www.poway.org
La Jolla Beach. Well,
maybe this is a stretch. It’s not really undeveloped; it’s right in the middle of the city of La Jolla but it feels
more natural than it is. The two areas
to visit are the Children’s Pool, which was originally developed as a protected
swimming areas for children but was commandeered by a healthy population of
harbor seals. They can be viewed up
close and it’s quite a sight. La Jolla
Cove/Ecological Reserve and Marine Life Refuge offers excellent swimming, snorkeling
and diving. The 533 acre refuge is ecologically protected, providing a safe
home for colorful fish, rays and even leopard sharks and the surrounding rocky
cliffs are havens for shorebirds and pelagic bird species.
