San Diego Nature Centers

1000+ Family Friendly Attractions for San Diego:
Work in Progress! Please be patient while we build this page. Use Ctrl-F to search by keyword.
Follow us on Facebook at San Diego With Kids
Follow us on Instagram at San Diego With Kidz

1. Theme Parks (22)
2. Zoos, Aquariums & Animal Parks (21)
3. Museums
4. Historic Sites
5. Nature Centers & Gardens
6. Cultural Centers
7. Theater
8. Indoor Play Centers
9. Seasonal Attractions
10. Scouting

San Diego Nature Centers

San Diego Nature Centers & Gardens

	Venue	Community	Social Media Events	Notes
	xx: Alta Vista Botanical Gardens Bringing together People, Nature and Art	Vista	Facebook Instagram	A magical place for kids. With colorful flowers, themed gardens, and whimsical sculptures, it's like a real-life fairytale land. Children can explore, discover unique plants, and enjoy the beauty of nature while letting their imaginations run wild in this enchanting botanical haven.
	06: The Living Coast Discovery Center	Chula Vista bayfront	Facebook Instagram	Set along the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, it showcases local coastal ecosystems, featuring exhibits with native flora and fauna, fostering a commitment to conservation through hands-on experiences and educational programs.
	xx: Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center	Oceanside	Facebook Instagram	Adjacent to the 220-acre Buena Vista Lagoon Ecological Reserve.
	xx: Water Conservation Garden	El Cajon	Facebook Instagram	Beautiful 6-acre garden with winding nature trails, a butterfly pavilion, irrigation exhibits, water  conservation themed exhibits. This unique garden aims to inspire people in the community about water wise landscaping.

San Diego Tide Pool Experience

San Diego has some great tide pool experiences:

When to visit: The best time to visit is between November and March when low tides occur during the day. You can also visit in the summer, but you should check tide charts and plan to visit early in the morning when the tide is low. The best time to view the tide pools is two hours before and after low tide.

• N.O.A.A. San Diego Tide Prediction Chart - Check the tides before you go!

Where to Visit: Some popular tide pool locations include:

1. Cabrillo National Monument Tide Pools: At this national park, the site where Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo first discovered the West Coast and San Diego Bay, excellent tide pools can be found below the sandstone cliffs. The southern end of Cabrillo has myriad depressions in the rocks and this intertidal zone is filled with plants, invertebrates and fish. Look for periwinkle snails, shore crabs, acorn barnacles, troglodyte chitons, limpets, California mussels, anemones, California sea hares, fishes, lobsters and even octopuses.
2. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park: This gorgeous spot is famous as a perch for watching the sun drop into the Pacific, but good tide pools await during low tide. Here, you will find hundreds of sea anemones, little crabs and fish. Please keep in mind that the descent down the sandstone cliffs to Garbage Beach can be tricky because it's steep.
3. Dike Rock Tide Pools: Part of the La Jolla Underwater Marine Park, these tide pools can be found north of the Scripps Pier and La Jolla Shores Beach. Along this volcanic bench of rock, look for star fish, limpets, mussel, anemones and the occasional octopus.
4. Birch Aquarium at Scripps: In addition to offering incredible ocean views, the Preuss Tide Pool Plaza at the aquarium has an interactive pool filled with sea stars, sea anemones, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, lobsters, abalone and more. Birch also offers guided tide pool adventures on the beaches below with trained naturalists who offer a lesson and an in-depth look at the creatures that inhabit these natural wonders.
5. Cardiff State Beach/Seaside Beach Tide Pools: This stretch of sand that connects Cardiff and Solana Beach has easily accessible tide pools just south of Lifeguard Tower #10. At low tide, kids can play on the flat rocks, part of Table Top reef, and discover myriad creatures tucked in the nooks and crannies. The rocks here are 45 million years old and contain clam fossils as well.
6. Swami's State Beach Tide Pools: At this local's favorite beach in Encinitas, you'll find tide pools north of the stairs. After looking for sea hares, brittle stars and hermit crabs, hang out for sunset and watch the surfers catch the day's last waves.
7. The Carlsbad Tide Pools: Located below the bluffs near Carlsbad Blvd (Coast Hwy) and Palomar Airport Rd. Park along Coast Hwy, go down the stairs near the last house. Make sure the tide is out or you will just be looking at water.
8. Ocean Beach Pier:
9. Tourmaline Surfing Park:, Pacific Beach - Walk north along the beach from the parking area west of La Jolla Boulevard.
10. False Point:, La Jolla (Bird Rock)
11. Shell Beach: This smaller beach in La Jolla offers tide pooling when the tide is very low.

How to explore: When exploring tide pools, you can:

• Step lightly.
• Look closely and sit quietly.
• Touch gently.
• Leave everything as you found it.

San Diego Tide Pool Animals You Might See: Despite the unpredictable conditions, many cool animals live in tide pools. In San Diego, CA, you might see:

1. sea anemones
2. barnacles
3. baby fish (tide pools serve as hatcheries for some species)
4. translucent ghost shrimp
5. brittle stars
6. sea stars
7. brightly colored nudibranchs
8. purple sea urchins
9. hermit crabs
10. limpets
11. two-spot octopuses
12. sea hares
13. sea cucumbers
14. small sea snails like periwinkle snails and black turban snails
15. small rock crabs
16. California mussels

..