San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park & Museum

Location: San Pasqual Valley (34 Miles / 40 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)

Open Weekends: 10AM – 5PM. (Closed Weekdays)

Cost: Free

Features: Bloodiest Battleground in the Mexican-American War. Also, the Most Controversial Battle Site in the War.

Highlights for the San Pasqual Battlefield Historic State Park: American General Stephen Kearny and his scout, Kit Carson, led one of the earliest and bloodiest battles against General Andres Pico and the Mexican army that would eventually pave the way for California to become part of the United States.

The battle with lances, swords, and rifles took place on December 6, 1846. Even though the Mexicans killed many more troops than the Americans, the Americans captured the ground and declared victory. This became the cause for dispute as to who won the battle. To learn more, read this State Park flyer about the history of the San Pasqual Battle.

Plan on spending up to an hour in the Visitor Center. You can watch a short video about the War, look at a battle map with descriptions written in English and Spanish, and review a number of displays that explain the history of the San Pasqual Valley and the influences of Native Indians, Spanish, Mexican, and American leadership in the area.

Visit Wikipedia to read more about the Battle of San Pasqual and other battles in the Mexican-American War.

Food – There are no restaurants immediately nearby unless you go into the adjacent Wild Animal Park. You could stop by Orfila Winery, which is just 3.5 miles to the west, and get a small bite to eat with a wine tasting. Otherwise, you will find a number of chain restaurants available next to the I-15 freeway, about 6 miles to the west.

Information on Visiting the San Pasqual Battlefield State Park

San Pasqual Historic Battlefield web site – Get more information about the annual re-enactment of the battle at San Pasqual.

Directions from Google Maps to 15808 San Pasqual Valley Road in Escondido, CA 92027. It is a half mile east of the Wild Animal Park entrance.

Traffic – The San Pasqual Battlefield is surrounded by the Wild Animal Park, farm land and open space. This makes getting in and out of the Center relatively easy.

You will generally not encounter traffic delays when driving to the State Park during its normal operating hours. (Learn more about getting San Diego traffic updates.)

Parking – You will drive up a dirt driveway to reach the parking lot.

Transit – Unfortunately, buses do not serve the San Pasqual Battlefield while it is opened on weekends. Buses only serve the area on weekdays. You can check San Diego Transit Information for access to the Bus Schedules and the online Transit Planner to see if any changes have taken place since this profile was last updated.

Related Attractions – Visitors may be interested in three more attractions along a five-mile stretch of San Pasqual Valley Road and San Pasqual Road, including the award-winning Orfila Winery, San Diego Archaeological Center, and the San Diego Zoological Society’s Wild Animal Park.

If you enjoy driving and scenic views, continue east for 7 miles along San Pasqual Valley Road towards Ramona. You will quickly leave the valley and drive around hairpin turns along the side of a mountain with a panoramic view across a river bed to mountains on the opposite side of the valley. It will be the type of drive you see in car commercials. The drive back down is even better.