Border Field Trail

From Border to Tijuana River is 3 miles round trip;to Imperial Beach is 6 miles round tripAt the very southwest corner of America is a monument marking the border between Mexico and California. When California became a territory at the end of the Mexican-American War, an international border became a necessity. American and Mexican survey crews determined the boundary and the monument of Italian marble was placed in 1851 to mark the original survey site. Today the monument stands in the shadow of the Tijuana Bull Ring and still delineates the border between the United States and Estados Unidos Mexicanos.

During World War II, the Navy used Border Field as an airfield. Combat pilots received gunnery training, learning to hit steam-driven targets that raced over the dunes on rails called Rabbit Tracks. Despite a variety of real estate schemers, the Navy retained control of Border Field until the land was given to the state in the early 1970s.

Before you walk down the bluffs to the beach, take in the panoramic view: the Otay Mountains and the San Miguel Mountains to the east, Mexico's Coronado Islands out to sea, and to the north-the Tijuana River floodplain, the Silver Strand, Coronado.

Much of the Tijuana River Estuary, one of the few salt marshes left in Southern California and one of the region's most important bird habitats, is within Border Field State Park's boundaries.

Stop in at the visitor center and check out the natural history exhibits that interpret this unique environment.

This walk explores the dune and estuary ecosystems of the state park and takes you to wide, sandy Imperial Beach. Wear an old pair of shoes and be prepared for the soft mud of the marsh.

The park is located 15 miles south of San Diego. Latitude/Longitude: 32.5428 / -117.1214 From Interstate 5, there are 2 routesExit Dairy Mart Road (exit #2)Head Southwest on Dairy Mart Road. Dairy Mart Road will curve right onto Monument Road. Turn right (West) on Monument Road until you reach the park entrance.OR(For Southbound traffic) Exit Coronado Avenue (exit #4) in Imperial Beach.Go straight from the off-ramp onto Hollister Street. Continue down Hollister until you reach Monument Road. Turn right (West) on Monument Road until you reach the park entrance.