20 Best Outdoor Destinations in San Diego
1. LA JOLLA COVE
La Jolla Cove is the first outdoor destination on this list and a very recommended place to visit in San Diego. Tourists will be pampered by a lot of good things at this beach and one of the reasons why you have to visit this place is to see the sea lions.
There are a lot of tourists who come to this beach to see the legendary sea lions or seals. All the guests also can visit the caves, enjoy the breathtaking sunset views, and see some pelicans walk through the path, even though the parking is a little bit difficult here. So, if you want to see some beautiful sea lions and incredible sunset views, you have to visit La Jolla Cove.
La Jolla Cove
2. SAN DIEGO ZOO
The San Diego Zoo is one of the largest zoos in San Diego which is a great place to visit with your family. You can find many animals inside the zoo such as giraffes, koalas, monkeys, bird species, or even polar bears here. Located in Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and if you want to browse the official website, you can visit https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/ for details.
The San Diego Zoo has so many species to see, and the parks are huge too, but if you want to tour the entire park, the zoo has bus tours that can help you explore all the things in the zoo. However, walking shoes are the best option for exploring the San Diego Zoo to enjoy the incredible animal sights.
San Diego Zoo
3. CHILDREN'S POOL LA JOLLA
The La Jolla Children's Pool is the perfect outdoor destination to visit for seal viewing, and it's also open for swimming in the summer. The main reason why you should go to La Jolla Children's Pool is to see harbor seals and their babies, you can also get the best views and be up close with them. Easy access and a great place for the kids means the La Jolla Children's Pool should be on your wish list when you come to San Diego.
Children's Pool La Jolla
4. WINDANSEA BEACH
Windansea Beach is a popular beach in San Diego for surfers with its iconic palm tree-covered surf hut. Why Windansea Beach is becoming so popular is because most people say this beach is the best place to enjoy beautiful sunsets in La Jolla/San Diego and it's true. You can easily find a parking space here and it's not crowded. However, this beach is not recommended for swimming for small children or inexperienced people because the waves are slightly big, but a perfect place for surfers.
Windansea Beach
5. TORREY PINES STATE RESERVE
Torrey Pines State Reserve has located at 12600 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, the United States, and is open daily from 7:15 AM to 8 PM. The starting point to the Torrey Pines State Preserve is the beach, they are very nice and clean, also great for walking and running.
Sunset here is enchanting which means you can enjoy your afternoon by seeing the incredible sunset with your boyfriend/girlfriend. The hiking trails are also great with amazing ocean views and sky views. A very family-friendly beach to visit in San Diego, be sure to add Torrey Pines State Reserve to your bucket list.
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
6. PACIFIC BEACH
Another beautiful beach that you have to visit while coming to San Diego, it's called Pacific Beach. Pacific Beach is a relaxed beach popular with sunbathers and surfers, and close to some great hotels. Enjoy every second of this by lovely walking exploring the beach alongside breathtaking ocean views and gorgeous sunset scenery.
Besides it's located near the hotels, This laid-back beach is also close to many good restaurants, so you can enjoy some tasty dishes and drinks after getting exhausted and starving by walking around the beach. For the things to do, you can do a lot of things like fishing, surfing, sunbathing, jogging, swimming, and walking around on the beach.
Pacific Beach
7. TOURMALINE BEACH
San Diego is filled with many great beaches and Tourmaline Beach is one of them. Tourmaline Beach is a "paradise" for some surfers because the beach situation is fully supportive for surfing. Why it is popular among surfers because it has great waves and very sweet vibes.
And also a perfect destination for enjoying your summer vacation with the family. You can also find bathrooms and showers here, and you can sit on a bench to watch the waves from the cliffs. Tourmaline Beach is a great place to learn to surf, the cool crowds and a cozy atmosphere with great sunsets.
Tourmaline Beach
8. BLACK'S BEACH
Black's Beach is a 2-mile long, sandy strip situated at the base of incredible 300-foot cliffs. You have to prepare some energy and drinks to reach this beach because you need to hike up and down, and you can also reach the top of the cliff to get the best view of this place. Access to Black's Beach is very difficult due to the high cliffs and the safest access is from adjacent beaches to the north and south, but this access may be obstructed by high tides or surf.
Black's Beach
9. CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT
Cabrillo National Monument is a historic lighthouse and national monument that offers historical stories on it and views of Mexico. Cabrillo National Monument is another outdoor destination to visit besides all the beaches above on this list and you can go to Cabrillo National Monument with your friends or family.
The weather is beautiful, the tide pools were cool, and a great place to enjoy both incredible views of San Diego and a breathtaking view of the ocean. Cabrillo National Monument also has a magnificent historic lighthouse and some WWII buildings which are interesting to explore more.
Cabrillo National Monument
10. TORREY PINES STATE BEACH
Torrey Pines State Beach is one of the best beaches in San Diego and a lovely place to visit on weekends. Torrey Pines State Beach could be a hidden gem that you can find in this city since it has beautiful views of the beach, incredible ocean views, and a beautiful spot to enjoy the sunset. The favorite things to do in Torrey Pines State Beach are walking around the beaches, sunset-gazing at the end of the day, and hiking the cliffs to enjoy the best views in Torrey Pines State Beach.
Torrey Pines State Beach
11. LA JOLLA TIDE POOLS
La Jolla Tide Pools is a great beach with a long coastline of rocks all the way to the water's edge. Almost everyone comes to this beach to enjoy the beautiful scenery of this beach, all sides are photogenic. Many things you can do here such as enjoying a walk with the family or watching the waves, picnicking, swimming, or relaxing to see the seals. La Jolla Tide Pools is close to the city center and has showers, dressing rooms, and bathrooms nearby.
La Jolla Tide Pools
12. BALBOA PARK
Balboa Park is an incredible wide park with a lot of destination choices. For example, there are San Diego Zoo, Japanese Friendship Garden, Botanical Building, San Diego Natural History Museum, Fleet Science Center, and Prado.
Balboa Park is a spectacular and amazing place to visit with your family on the weekends in San Diego. Besides the museums, the park also has beautiful architecture, buildings, and fun walkways to enjoy nature experiences. So, if you and your family have free time on the weekends, Balboa Park should be on your number one bucket list.
Balboa Park
13. SAN DIEGO BOTANIC GARDEN
If you want to refresh your mind and want to find a gate in San Diego, then you must visit the San Diego Botanic Garden. Your eyes will be refreshed by the many green things here with the cozy atmosphere around.
The garden has some amazing plants and flowers, they even have carrion flowers in them. The staff here are also friendly to all guests and knowledgeable. Then, make sure you bring drinking water, snacks, sunscreen, and wear comfortable shoes before stepping out to explore the San Diego Botanic Garden because the gardens are rather large.
San Diego Botanic Garden
14. BELMONT PARK
Belmont Park is one of the best parks that you can visit while coming to San Diego. All the guests can enjoy some destinations in Belmont Park such as Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, Tiki Town Adventure Golf, Escapology San Diego, Wings Beachwear, Lazerblast Arcade, Mission Beach Rentals, and many more.
Belmont Park is a great spot for fun with the family, you can enjoy arcade games, bumper cars, a roller coaster, and other games like a ropes course, climbing wall, a zipline, etc. You can also enjoy the breathtaking sunset views and walking the beach's shoreline. So, make sure to bring your family here to enjoy the fun weekend together.
Belmont Park
15. MUSHROOM BEACH HOUSE
You can call this place a hidden gem because few people know about it. Mushroom Beach House is located at 9036 La Jolla Shores Ln, La Jolla, CA 92037, the United States, and offers many interesting things to enjoy. It's a cool little place to walk down the paved fire path from La Jolla Farms Road, parking is easy, and you can explore the pool at low tide. Mushroom Beach House could be the best place to visit with family or friends in San Diego.
Mushroom Beach House
16. DOG BEACH
Just like the name, Dog Beach is an incredible beach that is dog-friendly and it's just like a dog paradise. Dog Beach has tricky parking but it's free. You can leash your dog here and running together on the shorelines, and let your dog run off energy playing on the beach and playing with other dogs. If you are a beach and dog lover, then Dog Beach is a must-visit destination that you have to explore more.
Dog Beach, San Diego
17. HARBOR ISLAND
Harbor Island is a perfect place to go if you are a boat lover because you'll see tons of boats available here. Harbor Island offers plenty of positive vibes such as beautiful views, clean and safe place, public restrooms, and a cozy atmosphere. There are also several activities that you can do here like fishing, picnics, jet ski, ski rentals, sailboats, and windsurfing.
Harbor Island, San Diego
18. MIRAMAR RESERVOIR
If you guys looking for a cozy place with a calm atmosphere surrounding and really can make your heart in peace, Miramar Reservoir should be on the top one of your list.
Miramar Reservoir is located in Scripps Miramar Ranch Community of San Diego and the parking is pretty full but there are many parking spots on the road too. Miramar Reservoir offers you amazing views throughout the entire walk, wildflowers everywhere, and there is a paved walkway the whole way so you can easily ride a bike or rollerblade or even drive a car and enjoy the amazing views of Miramar Reservoir.
Miramar Reservoir
19. OCEAN BEACH PIER
Ocean Beach Pier is a long pacific ocean fishing pier with a café, shop known for sunset views, and sea lion sightings. Ocean Beach Pier is a perfect place to watch surfers enjoying the waves, a majestic view of the pacific, and a place to take a walkout to the end of the day with incredible sunset views. Bring your family to enjoy fishing and walking the pier and beach alongside the amazing weather there.
Ocean Beach Pier
20. SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO
SeaWorld San Diego is the last outdoor destination on this list and a very recommended place to visit in San Diego. Seaworld is always a fun place, you can find a lot of interesting and amazing things in Seaworld.
SeaWorld San Diego has rides and roller coasters which is you can do some games like electric eel, shipwreck rapids, Elmo's flying fish for kids, bayside Skyride, tentacle twirl, sea dragon drop, sky tower, and tidal twister.
You can also see some animals in SeaWorld San Diego such as Beluga Whales, Walruses, Penguins, Sharks, Flamingos, Harbor Seals, Orcas, Dolphins, Bat Rays, Sea Lions, Moray Eels, Macaws, Curl-Crested Aracaris, and many more.
SeaWorld San Diego
