Timeline
08:00
Tijuana River Valley Regional Park
Start at Tijuana River Valley Regional Park. The 1800-acre park is open and quiet in the morning, perfect for a gentle walk through the bird and butterfly garden before the midday heat.
08:45
Walk to Smuggler's Gulch. This valley has a unique history of unauthorized travel and smuggling. You can see the large embankment built to block the valley at the border, a tangible piece of the area's past.
09:15
End your walk at Border Field State Park. Located mainly within Imperial Beach but accessible from San Ysidro, this spot includes the International Friendship Park near where the border meets the ocean.
Local tip
Check the route for transport between Tijuana River Valley Regional Park and Smuggler's Gulch as they are not directly connected by a single path. The walk between these spots and Border Field is short if you use the provided directions.
Check before you go
- Verify opening hours for Tijuana River Valley Regional Park and Border Field State Park as they may vary by season.
- No food or drink options are listed in the immediate vicinity; bring water and snacks.
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to San Diego (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).