28 Best Sights in North County and Around, California

The largest bulb-production farm in Southern California has hillsides abloom here each spring, when thousands of Giant Tecolote ranunculus produce a stunning 50-acre display of color against the backdrop of the blue Pacific Ocean. Other knockouts include the rose gardens—with examples of every All-American Rose Selection award-winner since 1940—and a historical display of Paul Ecke poinsettias. Peak flower season is mid-March through mid-April. Open to the public during this time, the farm offers family activities that include wagon rides, panning for gold, and a kids' playground.

At Galleta Meadows, camels, llamas, saber-toothed tigers, tortoises, and monumental gomphotherium (a sort of ancient elephant) appear to roam the Earth again. These life-size bronze figures are of prehistoric animals whose fossils can be found in the Borrego Badlands. The collection of more than 130 sculptures, created by Ricardo Breceda, was commissioned by the late Dennis Avery, who installed the works of art on property he owned for the entertainment of locals and visitors. Maps are available from Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce.

The centerpiece of a development that includes resort hotels, a designer discount shopping mall, an aquarium, and a water park, LEGOLAND has rides and attractions geared to kids ages 2 to 12. THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD, which opened in 2021, has fans riding on Emmet’s triple-decker flying couch on Emmet's Flying Adventure Ride, spinning on Unikitty’s Disco Drop, and exploring Bricksburg. There's also Miniland U.S.A., which features a miniature, animated, interactive collection of iconic U.S. cities built from more than 24 million LEGO bricks, including the newest addition, MINILAND San Diego. You can test your ninja skills in LEGO NINJAGO WORLD.

If you're looking for rides, NINJAGO The Ride uses hand-gesture technology to throw fireballs, shock waves, ice, and lightning to defeat villains in this interactive 4-D experience. Be submerged underwater in a real submarine and partake in an interactive treasure hunt at LEGO City: Deep Sea Adventure. Journey through ancient Egyptian ruins in a desert roadster, scoring points as you hit targets with a laser blaster at Lost Kingdom Adventure. Or, jump on the Dragon Coaster, an indoor-outdoor steel roller coaster that goes through a castle. Don't let the name frighten you—the motif is more humorous than scary. Kids ages 6 to 13 can stop by the Driving School to drive speed-controlled cars (not on rails) on a miniature road; driver's licenses are awarded after the course. Junior Driving School is the pint-size version for kids three to five.

You'll need your swimsuit for LEGO Chima Water Park, where an additional $30 gives you access to slides, rides, rafts, Soak-N-Sail, which has 60 interactive features, including a pirate shipwreck–theme area, and the CHIMA Water Park, as well as Surfer’s Bay with competitive water raceways and a “spray ground” with water jets.

Be sure to try Granny's Apple Fries, Castle Burgers, and Pizza Mania for pizzas and salads. The Market near the entrance has excellent coffee, fresh fruit, and yogurt. The LEGOLAND Hotel is worth a visit even if you're not staying overnight. There are activities and a LEGO pit in the lobby that will entertain kids while parents recover with a cocktail.

The best value is one of the Hopper Tickets that give you one admission to LEGOLAND plus Sea Life Aquarium and/or the LEGOLAND Water Park from $104. These can be used on the same day or on different days. Purchase tickets online for discounted pricing. Go midweek to avoid the crowds. All guests are required to make advanced reservations to LEGOLAND California Theme Park.

Its large parking areas, many facilities, and proximity to the quaint coastal town of Encinitas make this beach tucked into a break in the cliffs a great getaway; it's perfect for families with young kids. The volleyball courts on the northern end attract many competent players, and professionals can be spotted surfing the break known locally as "D Street." Moonlight is easily accessible from the Encinitas Coaster train station and Coast Highway 101, which runs right through town and is lined with great shops, restaurants, and bars; there's a large free parking lot near the corner of 3rd and B Street. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming.

A branch of the San Diego Zoo, 35 miles to the north, the 1,800-acre preserve in the San Pasqual Valley is designed to protect endangered species from around the world. Exhibit areas have been carved out of the dry, dusty canyons and mesas to represent the animals' natural habitats in various parts of Africa and Asia.

The best way to see these preserves is to take the 25-minute, 2½-mile Africa tram safari, included with admission. More than 3,500 animals of more than 400 species roam or fly above the expansive grounds. Predators are separated from prey by deep moats, but only the elephants, tigers, lions, and cheetahs are kept in enclosures. Good viewpoints are at the Elephant Viewing Patio, African Plains Outlook, and Kilmia Point. The park's newest project is the Tull Family Tiger Trail, a Sumatran tiger habitat where you can get face-to-face (with a glass between) with the gorgeous cats. The 5-acre exhibit features a waterfall and swimming hole, and addresses poaching and other environmental threats to the species.

In summer, when the park stays open late, the trip is especially enjoyable in the early evening, when the heat has subsided and the animals are active and feeding. When the tram travels through the park after dark, sodium-vapor lamps illuminate the active animals. Photographers with zoom lenses can get spectacular shots of zebras, gazelles, and rhinos.

For a more focused view of the park, you can take one of several other safaris that are well worth the additional charge. You can choose from several behind-the-scenes safaris, fly above it all via the zipline safari, or get up close to giraffes and rhinos on a Caravan safari.

The park is as much a botanical garden as a zoo, serving as a "rescue center" for rare and endangered plants. Unique gardens include cacti and succulents from Baja California, a bonsai collection, a fuchsia display, native plants, and protea.

The gift shops are well worth a visit for their limited-edition items. There are lots of restaurants, snack bars, and some picnic areas. Rental lockers, strollers, and wheelchairs are available.

An entertainment complex with two theaters, an art museum, and a conference center, the center presents operas, musicals, plays, dance performances, and symphony and chamber-music concerts. Performers conduct free workshops for children; check the website for dates. The museum, which focuses on 20th-century art, occasionally presents blockbuster exhibits that make a side trip here worthwhile.

This center, just outside Julian, is one of the few places in North America where you can get an up-close view of the gray wolves that once roamed much of the continent. The center participates in breeding programs and houses several captive packs, including some rare Mexican grays, a subspecies of the North American gray wolf that came within seven individuals of extinction in the 1970s. The animals are kept secluded from public view in 3-acre pens, but some may be seen by visitors during conservation and behavioral enrichment tours, by advanced reservation only. The dirt road here is rough, so it's best to have a high-clearance vehicle.

A 3,058-acre conservation area and historic ranch site is laced with more than 25 miles of multipurpose trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The 2.4-mile Boulder Loop affords sweeping views of Escondido, and the 2.5-mile Ranch House Loop passes two small ponds, the 1928 Daley family ranch house, and the site of the original log cabin. Private cars are prohibited on the ranch, but there's free parking just outside the entrance. From the main trailhead, you can access Dixon Lake, a popular fishing and camping spot. Free naturalist-guided hikes are offered on a regular basis; call for schedule. Leashed dogs permitted.

This famously clean 2-mile-long beach is the perfect place for long barefoot walks and sunbathing due to its extremely fine, soft sand and lack of seaweed and other debris. Del Mar Beach is also a great place for families. It has year-round lifeguards and areas clearly marked for swimming and surfing. Depending on the swell, you may see surfers at the 15th Street surf break, right below two coastal parks, Powerhouse and Seagrove; volleyball players love the courts at the beach's far north end. The section of beach south of 15th is lined with cliffs and tends to be less crowded than Main Beach, which extends from 15th north to 29th. Leashed dogs are permitted on most sections of the beach, except Main Beach, where they are prohibited from June 15 through the Tuesday after Labor Day. For the rest of the year, dogs may run off leash at North Beach, just north of the River Mouth, also known locally as Dog Beach. Food, shopping, and hotels including L'Auberge Del Mar, are near Del Mar Beach. Parking costs $3 per hour or $15 per day at meters and pay lots on Coast Boulevard and along Camino Del Mar. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The Spanish Mission–style fairground is the home of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club ( www.dmtc.com). Crooner Bing Crosby and his Hollywood buddies—Pat O'Brien, Gary Cooper, and Oliver Hardy, among others—organized the club in the 1930s, and the racing here (usually July through September, Wednesday through Monday, post time 2 pm) remains a fashionable affair. Del Mar Fairgrounds hosts more than 500 different events each year, including the San Diego County Fair and the Del Mar National Horse Show.

Most of the beaches in the little city of Solana Beach are nestled under cliffs, and access is limited to private stairways. However, at the west end of Lomas Santa Fe Drive, where it turns into Plaza Street, there's an entrance to this small beach, along with parking lot, picnic area, playground, and restrooms. The softest sand can be found by the cliffs and it gets a bit coarser as you near the water's edge. During low tide it's an easy walk under the cliffs to nearby beaches, but high tide can make some of the beach impassable. At the northern end of town there are also restrooms, a pay lot, and easy beach access. The City of Solana Beach and the Belly Up Tavern often host free summer concerts at Fletcher Cove ( www.cityofsolanabeach.org) and there are plenty of great restaurants nearby on Highway 101 and on Cedros Avenue. Tides and surf conditions are posted at a kiosk by this parking lot. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; solitude; swimming; walking.

This small exotic-bird aviary adjacent to the Del Mar Fairgrounds houses a collection of parrots and other exotic birds—a guaranteed child pleaser. Visits are by reservation only. 

Although lights are out by 10 pm, this brewery might be the closest thing to nightlife in Julian. On tap are craft farmhouse-style beers along with small plates and bar bites when you need to sober up. As the largest venue on Main Street, they have games, events, and plenty of indoor–outdoor seating for you and your crew.

When the gold mines in Julian played out, the mobs of gold miners who had invaded it left, leaving behind discarded mining tools and empty houses. Today the Julian Pioneer Museum, a 19th-century brewery, displays remnants of that time, including pioneer clothing, a collection of old lace, mining tools, and original photographs of the town's historic buildings and mining structures.

For quality wine and an enjoyable wine-tasting experience, Milagro leads the long list of wineries in Ramona. Overseeing production is Hugo D'Acosta, who trained in Bordeaux and is considered one of Mexico's preeminent winemakers. The classy tasting room is tucked inside a copse of ancient oak trees, surrounded by vineyards, fruit trees, and local animals. Their highly rated wines are Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, and Sangiovese.

A living remnant of the mission era, built in 1816, this mission still ministers to the Native American community, making it the only original Spanish mission still serving its initial purpose. The old jail and cemetery are part of the original mission. The school, long operated by Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and the Sisters of Precious Blood, is now a charter school operated by the Bonsall USD. You can take a self-guided tour of the mission and grounds.

Take an interactive journey through 100 years of popular music with displays of more than 500 vintage instruments and samples of memorable tunes from the past century. Hands-on activities include playing a digital piano, drums, guitar, and more.

Between Solana Beach and Encinitas, this is the most complex of the estuary systems in San Diego North County. A 7-mile network of trails surrounds the 979-acre reserve, where more than 700 species of plants, fish, and birds (many of them migratory) live. In 2021, Nature Collective began a $120 million restoration project that included new mudflats and tidal dredging in basins of San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve. Their efforts have restored habitats for wildlife and waterfowl. Be sure to stop by the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Centre. The center, open 9 to 5 daily, offers museum-quality exhibits about the region and a viewing deck overlooking the estuary. 

This long, straight beach is popular with swimmers, surfers, and U.S. Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton. The impressive wooden Oceanside Pier extends a quarter of a mile into the ocean, and there's a ’50s-style diner called Ruby's at the end. The sand here is a bit coarse, and smaller rocks can be found in some sections, but due to its width (a quarter mile from street to surf near 1200 N. Pacific Street), nice patches can almost always be found. There is surfing around the pier, but the waves are faster and usually better just north at Oceanside Harbor, which gets a south swell in the summer. Pay lots and meters are located around the pier and also in the Oceanside Harbor area. A free two-hour lot can be found east of the pay lots on Harbor Drive South. There are plenty of shops and restaurants along Oceanside Harbor Village. Families love the kid-friendly Buccaneer Beach, just south of the pier across from Buccaneer Beach Park. This area has free parking, a café, restrooms, showers, and lifeguards on duty in summer. Amenities: seasonal lifeguards; food and drink; parking (fee); toilets; showers. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Known as the King of the Missions, the 18th, the largest, and the most prosperous of California's missions was built in 1798 by Franciscan friars under the direction of Father Fermin Lasuen to help educate and convert local Native Americans. The sala (parlor), the kitchen, a friar's bedroom, a weaving room, and a collection of religious art and old Spanish vestments convey much about early mission life. A special behind-the-scenes tour starts at 11 am on Saturday, and Mass is held at noon weekdays.

One of the few areas in Southern California with a Sierra-like atmosphere, the park is carpeted with a forest of pines, cedars, western dogwood, native azalea, and other plants. Wildflower viewing is good in spring. Boucher Lookout, on one of several nature/hiking trails, affords a sweeping view to the west (closed in winter). There's trout fishing in Doane Pond. The Doane Valley campground offers 31 sites with tables, firepits, and flush toilets. From May to October, reservations are strongly recommended and can be made seven months in advance.

This is the imaginary home of Professor Phineas Pennypickle, where kids accompanied by parents enter a time machine that carries them through 11 rooms of interactive exhibits demonstrating perception and illusion, music making, flight and aviation, chemistry and physics, plus power and electricity. The shop stocks an array of educational toys, games, and books. Reservations are not taken, so be sure to get their early, especially during school vacations.

The last work by sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), this sculpture garden designed for entertaining children consists of nine totemic figures up to 21 feet tall. Adorned with stylized monsters, animals, protective deities, geometric symbols, and crests, the pieces evoke ancient tales and legends. Youngsters can climb on the giant fanciful figures.

More than 5,300 rare, exotic, and endangered plants are on display on 37 landscaped acres. Displays include plants from Central America, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Himalayas, Madagascar, and more; the most diverse collection of bamboo in North America; California native plants; and subtropical fruits. The park contains the largest interactive children's garden on the West Coast, where kids can roll around in the Seeds of Wonder garden, explore a baby dinosaur forest, discover a secret garden, or play in a playhouse. An Undersea Garden displays rocks and succulents that uncannily mimic an underwater environment.

The park maintains several hiking and walking trails in the Escondido area. These are part of an intended 70-mile-long Coast to Crest Trail that will eventually link the San Dieguito Lagoon near Del Mar with the river's source on Volcan Mountain, north of Julian. Among the existing trails are three that circle Lake Hodges: the North Shore Lake Hodges Trail; the Piedras Pintadas Trail, which informs about native American Kumeyaay lifestyles and uses for native plants; and the Highland Valley Trail, the first mile of which is the Ruth Merrill Children's Walk. Three trails in Clevenger Canyon lead to sweeping views of the San Pasqual Valley.

Visit the website for a list of upcoming free guided hikes and pay attention to signs warning against leaving valuables in your car.

This 9,000-acre wooded preserve provides a glimpse of what this countryside was like back in the day, with bunch-grass prairies frequented by mule deer, golden eagles, and other wildlife. Trails wind through ancient oak forests and past seasonal, vernal pools and rolling grassland. A visitor and operations center has interpretive displays and maps; some of the reserve's hiking trails begin here. There are designated trails for leashed dogs, horses, and mountain bikers.

Offering an educational and interactive underwater experience, the walk-through exhibits focus on creatures found in local waters including California lakes and streams and the cold-water marine animals that live along the California coast. Other exhibits include an underwater acrylic tunnel that affords a deep-sea (but dry) look at sharks, fish, and invertebrates. There's a seahorse kingdom, interactive tide pools, and jellyfish discovery. This park has a separate admission from LEGOLAND, although you can upgrade your LEGOLAND ticket to include the aquarium.

Adjacent to Sam Hicks Monument Park, this museum focuses on Temecula Valley history, including early Native American life, Butterfield stage routes, and the ranchero period. A hands-on interactive area for children holds a general store, photographer's studio, and ride-a-pony station. Outside there's a playground and picnic area. A walking tour ($5) of Old Town Temecula is given every Saturday 10–11:30, departing from the Temecula Valley Museum.