10 Little Walks in San Diego that Feel Like Big Adventures
Sometimes I wish our busy days had enough hours for big, grand adventures every day but the truth is they just don’t. And that’s okay.
Our busy days are full of things we love and the good thing is we can still make time for adventures.
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Since moving to San Diego we have found quite a few quick little walks that feel like adventures – at least to little kids and often to me as well.
Here are 10 of our Favorites:
1. Piedras Pintadas Interpretive Trail
I could just have easily written “HIKE” here. There are dozens of quicker easy hikes in the San Diego area that are fun with kids. This is one of our favorites for the ease of getting there from us, uncrowded trails, and just enough climbing to make it fun for my kids.
2. Kate Sessions Park
If you have a smaller kiddo then just running up and down the hill near the parking lot could feel like an adventure and you will get to enjoy the stunning view. If your kids are up for a little hike (about 1 mile) then head off on the trail behind the playground.
3. Mission Bay
Mission Bay has beaches around every corner. We love riding our bikes around the Bay and playing at the playground at Fulton Street. (Great for little kids too!) Our favorite however is kayaking or swimming in the little cove beaches. North Cove Public Beach and Mission Point Park are two of our favorites.
4. Walk out on a Pier
Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach and the pier in Ocean Beach are both fun quick adventures. There is some cool about being over the water instead of just standing on the beach looking out at it. My kids love watching the surfers and watching the fishermen. You can also bring your own pole and give it a try if your kids are a little older.
5. Tide Pools
Tide pools are one of our absolute favorite adventures. I probably wouldn’t have attempted this when my kids were toddlers because the rocks can be pretty slippery, but once you have about a 3 or 4 year old these are endless entertainment. Dress for your kids to get wet, I highly suggest shoes with good grips (we use these Keen Sandals), and check tide charts beforehand to make sure you’re hitting a low tide period.
6. Watch Seals
This is on most touristy lists for San Diego, but it is so super cool. Our favorite is going right around when the new babies are born (early Springtime) but any time of year seeing seals and sea lions up close and in their natural environment is really cool. I usually park around Children’s Beach in La Jolla and then we walk north along the coast.
7. Balboa Park Hike
There are 5 trails in Balboa Park and they vary in length and difficulty. You can read details about each on the Balboa Park website. I love that these are all so close and offer easy parking (although Saturdays can be a little tricky late morning and early afternoon) and still feel like you’re getting away in nature despite being so close to downtown.
Also Read: In Depth Look at Balboa Park for Families
8. Suspension Bridge
This is one of those quirky things that you could drive by a million times and never see. It’s close to Balboa Park so we usually pair the two. Just search Spruce Street Suspension Bridge and google maps will lead you right there.
9. Visit the Sculpture Garden at Kit Carson Park
Speaking of quirky – this is the quirkiest on the list. This Sculpture Garden is kind of random and a little bit of a drive north of San Diego but my kids LOVED it. We brought along “adventure supplies” which I always suggest but they loved exploring the sculptures, drawing, and taking photos.
Kit Carson Park also has a fun playground and is close to the San Diego Safari Park if you want to make more of a day of your time up there.
10. Watch the Sunset at Torrey Pines
This is possibly my favorite. There are a lot of beautiful places to watch the sunset in San Diego but so far this is my favorite. The beach at Torrey Pines is beautiful and the sunsets never fail to amaze me. My kids love the excuse to run and play on the beach. I always bring something for them to do – kites, model airplanes, sand toys, etc. This one is perfect for the Winter months when the beach is uncrowded and the sun sets earlier.
