Imperial Beach

Centerpiece of four miles of beach

A plaza with an 18-foot bronze statue honoring the surfing and sandcastle culture of Imperial Beach

A large park that overlaps parts of Imperial Beach and San Ysidro. It is divided into the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge on the north, and Border Field State Park in the south.

Provides access to hiking trails north of the Tijuana River

Perhaps slightly misnamed, visiting this park is a good opportunity to get up and personal with the wall that separates Mexico and the US. The adjacent Monument Mesa picnic area is open 7 days a week; the International Friendship Park itself is between the primary and secondary border fences, and is only open for a few hours on weekends. The entrance gate to Border Field State Park is only open weekends when the road is not flooded, but the park is still open and Monument Mesa is accessible via a 1.6-mile hike.

An excellent beach to swim or surf at. RV camping and fishing are allowed here.

A small coastal estuary, south of Imperial Beach, and one of the few salt marshes remaining in Southern California. Next to the estuary at the USA-Mexico border is Border Field State Park, which covers the extreme southwestern corner of the United States, where the USA-Mexico border meets the ocean. Border Patrol officials keep a close eye on this area.

includes a sandcastle building competition for kids.