59 Best Sights in North County and Around, California

One of the original Temecula Valley wineries, opened in 1969, Mount Palomar introduced Sangiovese, a varietal that has proven perfectly suited to the region's soil and climate. New owners have transformed the homey winery into a grand Mediterranean villa with acres of gardens and trees, turning it into an award-winning wedding and event venue. The Sangiovese is worth a try, as are the Solera Cream Sherry (ask how it's made) and the popular Cloudbreak, an inky red blend with a Petit Verdot base. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner.

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.

With 1,000 slips, this is North County's fishing, sailing, and water-sports center. On the south end of the harbor, the Oceanside Harbor Village has oyster bars, fish-and-chip shops, and an ice-cream parlor where you can linger and watch the boats coming and going. If you fancy a day at sea, Helgren's Sportfishing can arrange whale-watching and harbor tours.

Housed in side-by-side buildings designed by two Southern California modernist architects—Irving Gill and Frederick Fisher—the museum showcases contemporary art exhibitions including paintings, photography, sculptures, furniture, quilts, and architectural glass by SoCal area artists.

At 1,954 feet, this is one of the longest piers on the West Coast. The water surrounding it is known for its surf breaks and good fishing. A restaurant, Ruby's Diner, stands at the end of the wooden pier's long promenade.

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.

Visitors here can taste award-winning Syrah, Sangiovese, and Viognier produced from grapes harvested from the 10,000-acre vineyard. The Rose Arbor has a picnic area, and there's a gift shop with wine-related merchandise. There's also a tasting room on Cleveland Street in Oceanside.

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.

Atop 6,000-foot Palomar Mountain, the observatory is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology, whose astronomy faculty conducts research here. The observatory houses the Hale Telescope, as well as 60-inch, 48-inch, 24-inch, 18-inch, and Snoop telescopes. Some of the most important astronomical discoveries of the 20th century were made here, and already in this century scientists using the observatory's 48-inch telescope have detected a 10th planet.

The observatory closes without advance notice during inclement weather, and closes daily at 3 pm. Call in advance during winter.

The small museum contains photos of some of these discoveries, as well as photos taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and from recent NASA–European Space Agency missions to Mars and Saturn. A park with picnic areas surrounds the observatory. Guided tours are available weekends at 11 am and 1:30 pm between April and October.

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.

This valley looks pretty much the way the backcountry appeared a century ago, with sweeping meadows surrounded by oak-studded hillsides. The San Dieguito River (Santa Ysabel Creek) emerges from Volcan Mountain here and winds its way 65 miles to San Dieguito Lagoon at Del Mar along the Coast to Crest Trail. An 7-mile trail follows the river for the first mile, from Farmer Road in Julian to the East Entrance of Santa Ysabel Preserve. Legacy oak trees shade the trail, there are spectacular views along the way, and picnic tables abound. The trail is best explored in the fall.

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.

Picnics and weddings make this coastal park popular on weekends. For free summer evening concerts (Tuesday 6–9 pm) and beach access, head to Powerhouse Park at the north end of this small stretch of grass overlooking the ocean.

Founded in 1920 as a retreat and place of worship, the center also offers one of the best views along the Pacific Coast, a sweeping seascape extending north and south as far as the eye can see. Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi, created two beautiful meditation gardens that are open to the public. The gardens are planted with flowering shrubs and trees and contain a series of koi ponds connected by miniature waterfalls. Swami's Point at the south end of the gardens is a popular surfer's break.

There are fine street- and beach-level promenades at Carlsbad State Beach, where people come to surf and swim at Ponto and Tamarack beaches. On the bluff, there's overnight camping for self-contained RVs ( 800/444–7275) and tents (from $50 with $8 reservation fee). Farther north at the foot of Tamarack Avenue is Carlsbad State Beach. You can't camp here, but there's fishing and jogging trails and the beach has separate swimming and surfing sections. In summer, the south swell creates good surf when other San Diego beaches are bereft. The cement walkway that borders the beach continues into downtown Carlsbad, which has plenty of restaurants. Carlsbad State Beach has a paid parking lot on Tamarack Avenue and at South Ponto. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: walking; swimming; surfing.

As one of the only local wineries to produce their wine on-site, South Coast is all about the experience with tastings and tours (by reservation) that start at the wall of awards and end with a wine-cheese pairing in the tasting room with a "wine tree" of five blends. The wine list here features estate-grown and -made Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Black Jack Port. The award-winning Group Therapy has spicy notes of Grenache, earthy character of Zinfandel, and acidity of Sangiovese. Be sure to try their sparkling wines. The winery also operates a hotel, spa, and restaurant.

The palms and the golden lotus-flower domes of the nearby Self-Realization Fellowship temple and ashram earned this picturesque beach, also a top surfing spot (it's one of the few spots that can hold a massive winter swell), its name. Extreme low tides expose tide pools that harbor anemones, starfish, and other sea life. The only access is by a long stairway leading down from the cliff-top Swami's Seaside Park, where there's free parking. A shower is at the base of the steps. On big winter swells, the bluffs are lined with gawkers watching the area's best surfers take on—and be taken down by—some of the county's best big waves. The beach has flat, packed sand and can accumulate seaweed and some flies, so if lying out is your main objective, you might want to head north to Moonlight Beach. Offshore, divers do their thing at North County's underwater park, Encinitas Marine Life Refuge. The small park next to the Swami's parking lot offers shade trees, picnic tables, barbecues, and clean bathrooms. Across the street is the cheerful Swami's Cafe, where surfers refuel postsurf. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; surfing; swimming.

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.

A 3-acre water park in the neighboring city of Vista is one of the few places in the country with a flowrider, a type of standing wave that allows riders on bodyboards to turn, carve, and slash almost as though they were surfing on a real wave. If you haven't learned how to do that, you can tube down the park's own river or slip down the 35-foot waterslide. There's even a lap pool for serious swimmers.

Known for his line of popular sparkling wines using the French méthode champenoise, winemaker Tom Stolzer also produces still wines made from Rhône- and Mediterranean-type varietals such as Nebbiolo and old-vine Zinfandels. Tastings are offered daily, and jazz concerts are presented weekends April through September.

San Diego County Parks and Recreation manages this 3,000-acre preserve, where hikes challenge your stamina and views are stunning. A 5-mile trail through the preserve passes through black-and-canyon oak forest, native manzanita, and rolling mountain meadows to a viewpoint where the panorama extends north all the way to Palomar Mountain. On a clear day you can see Point Loma in San Diego. At the entrance you pass through gates designed by James Hubbell, a local artist known for his ironwork, wood carving, and stained glass. You can see splendid views from the Volcan Summit. 

One of Temecula's busiest tasting rooms sits amid inviting, parklike grounds. Wilson is known for its Almond sparkling wine, but the winery also produces appealing still wines. Among these the Petite Sirah, Viognier, reserve Syrah, white Cabernet Sauvignon, and reserve Zinfandel all merit a taste. The on-site Creekside Grill Restaurant serves sandwiches, salads, seasonal seafood, and has an entire menu dedicated to those who are gluten-free.