San Diego National Wildlife Refuge is not only a haven for wildlife but also a
natural retreat for nearby communities. Established in 1996, the refuge spans
more than 12,445 acres from the city of Jamul to neighborhoods in Spring
Valley and eastern Chula Vista. It represents the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s contribution to the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program
(MSCP), a regional plan designed to protect habitats and species while
supporting responsible development.

Management of the refuge is guided by ongoing biological surveys and
endangered species monitoring programs. These efforts are supported by
nonprofit partners and cooperating agencies to achieve the goals outlined in
the Comprehensive Conservation Plan.

The refuge includes open grasslands, cool river corridors, and oak woodlands,
many of which are being actively restored after years of degradation from
human activity and wildfire. Public trails are maintained for hiking, mountain
biking, and horseback riding while ensuring protection for the sensitive
species that call the refuge home.

San Diego National Wildlife Refuge is not only a haven for wildlife but also a natural retreat for nearby communities. Established in 1996, the refuge spans more than 12,445 acres from the city of Jamul to neighborhoods in Spring Valley and eastern Chula Vista. It represents the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s contribution to the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP), a regional plan designed to protect habitats and species while supporting responsible development.Management of the refuge is guided by ongoing biological surveys and endangered species monitoring programs. These efforts are supported by nonprofit partners and cooperating agencies to achieve the goals outlined in the Comprehensive Conservation Plan.The refuge includes open grasslands, cool river corridors, and oak woodlands, many of which are being actively restored after years of degradation from human activity and wildfire. Public trails are maintained for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding while ensuring protection for the sensitive species that call the refuge home.

Bird's eye view of the park

San Diego National Wildlife Refuge

**San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge**

The San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge protects a rich diversity of
endangered, threatened, migratory, and native species and their habitats
within a highly urbanized coastal environment. The refuge is located at the
south end of San Diego Bay and is surrounded by the cities of National City,
Chula Vista, San Diego, Imperial Beach, and Coronado. Established to protect
endangered and threatened species, the refuge encompasses approximately 2,620
acres of land and water in and around San Diego Bay.

Nesting, foraging, and resting sites are managed to support a wide variety of
bird species. Waterfowl and shorebirds overwinter or stop here to feed and
rest as they migrate along the Pacific Flyway. Undisturbed expanses of
cordgrass-dominated salt marsh provide sustainable habitat for the light-
footed Ridgway's rail.

Enhanced and restored wetlands offer high-quality habitat for fish, birds, and
coastal salt marsh plants, including the endangered salt marsh bird’s beak.
Quiet nesting areas, buffered from surrounding urban development, help ensure
the reproductive success of the threatened western snowy plover, endangered
California least tern, and other ground-nesting seabirds and shorebirds.

The refuge also offers the public opportunities to observe birds and wildlife
in their native habitats and to connect with the natural environment.
Environmental education and interpretive programs help expand public awareness
of the refuge’s rich wildlife resources. The San Diego Bay National Wildlife
Refuge is a haven for both wildlife and people, to be valued and protected for
generations to come.

The refuge consists of two units: the Sweetwater Marsh Unit and the South San
Diego Bay Unit. These areas preserve most of what remains of San Diego Bay’s
historic coastal salt marsh and intertidal mudflat habitat.

**Sweetwater Marsh Unit**

Sweetwater Marsh covers 316 acres and was established in 1988 on the east side
of San Diego Bay. This area has a rich cultural history. The Kumeyaay people
originally used the marsh for fishing, hunting, and gathering. During World
War I, a 30-acre kelp processing plant on the site produced potash, a key
ingredient in smokeless gunpowder, for the British Army. This area is now
known as “Gunpowder Point.” Today, the marsh is not only home to native
wildlife but also serves as the headquarters for the San Diego National
Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Habitats at Sweetwater Marsh support species such as the California least
tern, western snowy plover, osprey, belted kingfisher, and Palmer’s frankenia,
a rare salt marsh plant found in few other places.

The refuge is also the site of a successful breeding program for the
endangered light-footed Ridgway’s rail, conducted in partnership with the
Living Coast Discovery Center, SeaWorld San Diego, and the San Diego Zoo
Safari Park. Hundreds of rails have been reared and released into the wild
through this program. Visitors can see a variety of native birds up close in
aviaries and during educational presentations led by volunteers and staff at
the nature center. Environmental education programs, activities, and special
events are offered throughout the year by the refuge complex and the nature
center. It is a great place to visit.

**South San Diego Bay Unit**

Dedicated in 1999, the 2,300-acre South San Diego Bay Unit was established to
protect and restore habitat for hundreds of thousands of birds migrating along
the Pacific Flyway, as well as for resident species. This unit is located at
the southernmost tip of San Diego Bay, within the cities of Imperial Beach,
Coronado, National City, and San Diego.

Eelgrass beds and the largest contiguous mudflat in southern California
provide essential foraging habitat for overwintering waterfowl, seabirds,
shorebirds, and migrating Pacific green sea turtles. The unit also supports
nesting seabirds in spring and summer, including endangered and threatened
species such as the California least tern, Belding’s savannah sparrow, and
western snowy plover.

Ongoing restoration of tidal flats, salt marsh, subtidal, and native upland
habitats continues to create essential habitat for birds, native plants, fish,
and other marine life.

The public can enjoy birdwatching, walking, and biking along the Bayshore
Bikeway, or join monthly guided tours of the refuge. Hundreds of
schoolchildren visit each year to participate in environmental education
programs that use the refuge as an outdoor classroom.

San Diego Bay National Wildlife RefugeThe San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge protects a rich diversity of endangered, threatened, migratory, and native species and their habitats within a highly urbanized coastal environment. The refuge is located at the south end of San Diego Bay and is surrounded by the cities of National City, Chula Vista, San Diego, Imperial Beach, and Coronado. Established to protect endangered and threatened species, the refuge encompasses approximately 2,620 acres of land and water in and around San Diego Bay.Nesting, foraging, and resting sites are managed to support a wide variety of bird species. Waterfowl and shorebirds overwinter or stop here to feed and rest as they migrate along the Pacific Flyway. Undisturbed expanses of cordgrass-dominated salt marsh provide sustainable habitat for the light-footed Ridgway's rail.Enhanced and restored wetlands offer high-quality habitat for fish, birds, and coastal salt marsh plants, including the endangered salt marsh bird’s beak. Quiet nesting areas, buffered from surrounding urban development, help ensure the reproductive success of the threatened western snowy plover, endangered California least tern, and other ground-nesting seabirds and shorebirds.The refuge also offers the public opportunities to observe birds and wildlife in their native habitats and to connect with the natural environment. Environmental education and interpretive programs help expand public awareness of the refuge’s rich wildlife resources. The San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a haven for both wildlife and people, to be valued and protected for generations to come.The refuge consists of two units: the Sweetwater Marsh Unit and the South San Diego Bay Unit. These areas preserve most of what remains of San Diego Bay’s historic coastal salt marsh and intertidal mudflat habitat.Sweetwater Marsh UnitSweetwater Marsh covers 316 acres and was established in 1988 on the east side of San Diego Bay. This area has a rich cultural history. The Kumeyaay people originally used the marsh for fishing, hunting, and gathering. During World War I, a 30-acre kelp processing plant on the site produced potash, a key ingredient in smokeless gunpowder, for the British Army. This area is now known as “Gunpowder Point.” Today, the marsh is not only home to native wildlife but also serves as the headquarters for the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex.Habitats at Sweetwater Marsh support species such as the California least tern, western snowy plover, osprey, belted kingfisher, and Palmer’s frankenia, a rare salt marsh plant found in few other places.The refuge is also the site of a successful breeding program for the endangered light-footed Ridgway’s rail, conducted in partnership with the Living Coast Discovery Center, SeaWorld San Diego, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Hundreds of rails have been reared and released into the wild through this program. Visitors can see a variety of native birds up close in aviaries and during educational presentations led by volunteers and staff at the nature center. Environmental education programs, activities, and special events are offered throughout the year by the refuge complex and the nature center. It is a great place to visit.South San Diego Bay UnitDedicated in 1999, the 2,300-acre South San Diego Bay Unit was established to protect and restore habitat for hundreds of thousands of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway, as well as for resident species. This unit is located at the southernmost tip of San Diego Bay, within the cities of Imperial Beach, Coronado, National City, and San Diego.Eelgrass beds and the largest contiguous mudflat in southern California provide essential foraging habitat for overwintering waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds, and migrating Pacific green sea turtles. The unit also supports nesting seabirds in spring and summer, including endangered and threatened species such as the California least tern, Belding’s savannah sparrow, and western snowy plover.Ongoing restoration of tidal flats, salt marsh, subtidal, and native upland habitats continues to create essential habitat for birds, native plants, fish, and other marine life.The public can enjoy birdwatching, walking, and biking along the Bayshore Bikeway, or join monthly guided tours of the refuge. Hundreds of schoolchildren visit each year to participate in environmental education programs that use the refuge as an outdoor classroom.

Elegant Tern chicks and adults at San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge

San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge

The Otay Mountain Wilderness has a total of 16,885 acres and is managed by the
BLM's Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office. In 1999 the Otay Mountain
Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness
Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational
activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude.  
The Otay Mountain Wilderness is located near the U.S.-Mexico border in eastern
San Diego County. The mountain represents a unique ecosystem, home to twenty
sensitive plant and animal species, including the endangered quino checkerspot
butterfly, the only known stand of Tecate cypress, as well as the only known
population of the Mexican flannel bush In an age of _"...increasing
population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing
mechanization,..."_ you play an important role in helping to _"...secure for
the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an
enduring resource of wilderness"_ as called for by Congress in the Wilderness
Act of 1964. Please follow the regulations in place for this area, and use
Leave No Trace techniques when visiting to ensure protection of its unique
natural and experiential qualities.

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in
different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of
the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply.

**Leave No Trace principles:**

  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
  2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
  3. Dispose of Waste Properly
  4. Leave What You Find
  5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
  6. Respect Wildlife
  7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

**Regulations:**  
Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport are generally
prohibited on all federal lands designated as wilderness. This includes the
use of motor vehicles (including OHVs), motorized equipment, bicycles, hang
gliders, wagons, carts, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters,
unless provided for in specific legislation.

The Otay Mountain Wilderness has a total of 16,885 acres and is managed by the BLM's <a href="https://www.blm.gov/office/palm-springs-south-coast-field-office" rel="nofollow">Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office</a>. In 1999 the Otay Mountain Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude.
 The Otay Mountain Wilderness is located near the U.S.-Mexico border in eastern San Diego County. The mountain represents a unique ecosystem, home to twenty sensitive plant and animal species, including the endangered quino checkerspot butterfly, the only known stand of Tecate cypress, as well as the only known population of the Mexican flannel bush 

 In an age of "...increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization,..." you play an important role in helping to "...secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness" as called for by Congress in the <a href="http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=legisact" rel="nofollow">Wilderness Act of 1964</a>. Please follow the regulations in place for this area, and use Leave No Trace techniques when visiting to ensure protection of its unique natural and experiential qualities.How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply.Leave No Trace principles:<ol><li><a href="http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_1.php" rel="nofollow">Plan Ahead and Prepare</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_2.php" rel="nofollow">Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_3.php" rel="nofollow">Dispose of Waste Properly</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_4.php" rel="nofollow">Leave What You Find</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_5.php" rel="nofollow">Minimize Campfire Impacts</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_6.php" rel="nofollow">Respect Wildlife</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_7.php" rel="nofollow">Be Considerate of Other Visitors</a></li></ol>Regulations: Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport are generally prohibited on all federal lands designated as wilderness. This includes the use of motor vehicles (including OHVs), motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters, unless provided for in specific legislation.

Otay Mountain Wilderness

Bird's eye view of the campground

Silver Strand Northern Section

Silver Strand Southern Section

Silver Strand SB

The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve preserves one of the
largest remaining examples of coastal wetland habitats in the southern
California sub-region. The 2,293 acre Tijuana River Reserve is located in
Imperial Beach, Calif., situated in a highly urbanized location, 15 miles
south of San Diego and immediately adjacent to Tijuana, Mexico. Three quarters
of the reserve's watershed is in Mexico, so reserve programs apply an
international perspective to critical issues of habitat restoration,
endangered species management, wastewater from Mexico, sediment management,
and recreational use. The reserve is a home to eight threatened and endangered
species of plants and birds and is recognized as a wetland of international
importance' by the Ramsar Convention.

The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve preserves one of the largest remaining examples of coastal wetland habitats in the southern California sub-region.  The 2,293 acre Tijuana River Reserve is located in Imperial Beach, Calif., situated in a highly urbanized location, 15 miles south of San Diego and immediately adjacent to Tijuana, Mexico.  Three quarters of the reserve's watershed is in Mexico, so reserve programs apply an international perspective to critical issues of habitat restoration, endangered species management, wastewater from Mexico, sediment management, and recreational use.  The reserve is a home to eight threatened and endangered species of plants and birds and is recognized as a wetland of international importance' by the Ramsar Convention.

View from a mesa in Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, California

Bounday Marker in Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, California

Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve

Tijuana Slough is a 1,072-acre wetland where the Tijuana River meets the
Pacific Ocean. The refuge was established in 1980 and is part of the
2,800-acre Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of only 30
such reserves in the United States.

The refuge is also recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under
the Ramsar Convention. The reserve system is managed by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which supports research and education
programs in partnership with California State Parks and the Southwest Wetlands
Interpretive Association (SWIA).

Tijuana Slough is a 1,072-acre wetland where the Tijuana River meets the Pacific Ocean. The refuge was established in 1980 and is part of the 2,800-acre Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of only 30 such reserves in the United States.The refuge is also recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The reserve system is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which supports research and education programs in partnership with California State Parks and the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association (SWIA).

Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge

Border Field SP

Cosmopolitan Hotel

In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo climbed out of his boat and onto shore,
becoming the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the
United States. Cabrillo National Monument not only tells the story of this
16th-century exploration but also houses a wealth of cultural and natural
resources. Join us and embark on your own Voyage of Exploration.

In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo climbed out of his boat and onto shore, becoming the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Cabrillo National Monument not only tells the story of this 16th-century exploration but also houses a wealth of cultural and natural resources. Join us and embark on your own Voyage of Exploration.

San Diego National Wildlife Refuge

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