View Attractions Related to: San Diego Attractions By Theme
by TourGuideTimBorrego Badlands & Fonts Point
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (100 Miles / 2.25 Hours East of San Diego Coastal Areas)
Best Time to Visit: September – May
Cost: None
Features: Spectacular Scenic Vistas; Hiking
Carrizo Badlands
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (102 Miles / 2 Hours East of Downtown San Diego)
Best Time to Visit: September – May
Cost: None
Features: Fossils over a Million Years Old; Caves; Hiking; Scenic Vistas
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Vallecito Stage Coach Station
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (90 Miles / 2 Hours East of San Diego Coastal Areas)
Open Daily: Labor Day Weekend (September) – Memorial Day Weekend (May); Closed During Summer
Cost: $2 per Vehicle, Extra for Camping
Features: Restored Butterfield Stage Coach Station; 45 Camping Sites; County Park; Hiking; Scenic Vistas
Agua Caliente – Desert Hot Springs
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (94 Miles / 2 Hours East of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9:30 AM – 5PM from September 1 – May 31; Closed During Summer
Cost: $5 per Vehicle, Extra for Camping
Features: Indoor and Outdoor Mineral Hot Springs; 142 Camping Sites; County Park; Hiking; Scenic Vistas
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert (Visitor Center is 93 Miles/ 2 Hours from the Coastal Areas of San Diego)
Visitor Center Hours: 9AM – 5PM; Thursday through Monday From October to May; Weekends from June to September.
Cost: Free (Except for $6 per day parking at 3 Campgrounds)
Features: Sonoran Desert Meets the Peninsular Mountain Ranges Creating the Most Diverse Desert Landscape in the World and offering Hiking, Camping, Horseback Riding, Desert Wildflower Viewing, Stargazing, and Geological Exploration.
Borrego Springs
Location: Borrego Springs is surrounded by the Anza-Borrego Desert (93 Miles/ 2 Hours East of San Diego Coastal Areas)
When to Visit: October through May
Features: Desert Town Providing Hospitality to Guests of the Anza-Borrego Desert; Includes Resorts, Spas, Stargazing, Adventure Activities, Life-Size Pre-Historic Animals, and Cultural Events.
Dig for California Tourmaline at the Himalaya Mine
Location: Santa Ysabel (75 Miles / 1.25 Hours Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: 10AM – 3PM Thursdays through Mondays
Cost: $75 ($37.50 for kids ages 12-15; Free for Kids under 12); $50 for 1PM-3PM only
Features: Mine for Tourmaline from one of the most famous Tourmaline Mines of the 20th century.
Fly Sailplanes Above the Mountains and Desert
Location: Warner Springs (75 Miles / 1.5 Hours Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 5PM (Weekday reservations strongly recommended)
Cost: Rides start at $125 for 20 Minutes. ($160 for 2 people)
Features: Glide over the Mountains and Desert on a Sail Plane
Palomar Observatory
Location: Palomar Mountain (78 Miles / 1 Hour and 45 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Generally open 9AM – 4PM (Closed on December 24th and 25th)
Cost: None
Features: Home to One of the World’s Most Powerful Telescopes; Took Clearest Pictures Ever of Outer Space in 2007; Images Used in Google Sky; One of America’s Finest Scientific Achievements.
Lake Cuyamaca – Mountain Lake
Location: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (9 Miles South of Julian and 53 Miles / 1 Hour Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 6AM – Sunset
Cost: $6 Minimum for each Car. (See Fee information below.)
Features: 4,600 Feet Above Sea Level; Surrounded by a National Forest; Fishing; Boating; Bird Watching; Hiking Trail; Tent & RV Camp Sites
Palomar Mountain State Park
Location: Palomar Moutain (77 Miles / 1 Hour and 45 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn till Dusk
Cost: $6 per Vehicle; $15+ for Camp Sites
Features: Pine Tree Forest with Hiking Trails, Trout Fishing, and Camping.
Cleveland National Forest
Location: Cleveland National Forest (1 Hour Drive from the Coastal Areas of San Diego)
Cost: Most Visitors Will Need An Adventure Pass – $5 per Day or $30 per Year.
Features: Mountains, Meadows, Views of Ocean and Desert; Scenic Drives; Eagles; Falcons; Trails for Hiking, Biking, and Horseback Riding; Campground & RV Sites
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