View Attractions Related to: Scenic Drives
by TourGuideTimCoast of La Jolla
Location: La Jolla (12 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Features: One of the Most Beautiful Settings Anywhere; Great Views from a Large Seaside Park; Up-close Look at Seals
Panoramic Views from Mount Soledad
Location: La Jolla (12 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn – Dusk
Cost: None
Features: Park With Panoramic Views of San Diego County and the Pacific Ocean; Includes Views to Mexico and Los Angeles Mountains; Accessible on a top rated Sightseeing Tour from downtown San Diego.
Torrey Pines State Park
Location: Torrey Pines (19 Miles/ 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Dawn – Dusk
Cost: $8 per Vehicle / Free if You Park on Torrey Pines Road.
Features: Beautiful Landscape of Canyons and Beach-Side Cliffs; Panoramic Ocean Views; Beach; Hiking Trails; Popular Cycling Route; Dolphins, Whales
Taking Pictures in San Diego / Photography Help
Features: Get your cameras ready for taking lots of pictures in San Diego County. Learn what to expect, where to look for great photo opportunities, and where to go to address any camera problems you may have while visiting San Diego.
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.
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.
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
Historic Mountain Town of Julian
Location: Julian (62 Miles / 1.25 Hours Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Features: Historic Town in the San Diego Mountains with Hiking, Wine Tasting, Gold Mines, Stargazing, Shops, Famous Apple Pie, and Surrounded by Forests