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Border Field State Park
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: San Ysidro
San Ysidro and Tijuana border
Last USA exit
San Ysidro, CA 92173
San Ysidro and Tijuana border
Last USA exit
San Ysidro, CA 92173
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
8 reviews for Border Field State Park
I think this is definitely an SD must see. So interesting to see 2 countries divided by a fence, and in some places, a few posts.
In saying that though, I must admit I was a bit let down. After reading all of these great reviews, I got there only to discover that they had indeed erected another fence, around about 40 feet back from the original fence, and the area between the 2 fences (including the monument) is a no go area. So I never got to go as close to the fence as I had hoped. But the view of the houses on the beach and the Bull Fighting Arena was pretty cool. It was also pretty cool to see a couple of Mexicans waving at me through the fence.
The SD beach side was pretty dirty looking. Not messy, but dirty. Even the seagulls were filthy! There were even some people swimming in the water, despite the sewerage warnings (EWW).
But it aint all bad, I am glad I went. I loved seeing over the fence in to Mexico. Those people were having so much fun! Music, laughter, tonnes of people. A totally different atmosphere on the US side though. Border guards everywhere, and not much else. I am sure most who come here feel like they want to go to their side for the day!
The mesa at the extreme southwest portion of Border Field State Park is a craphole. Do not come here.
The most frequent visitors are those who have family in Mexico and wish to visit them while having a wire fence between them (WHY would someone NOT go to Mexico and see their family in person, sit down and have lunch/dinner, give hugs et cetera? Methinks its because they are passing illegal documents/drugs through the fence).
There is nothing to do here. The top of the mesa has picnic tables. You can see the bullring in Mexico but it's not worth coming all the way out here for that reason. Sometimes you can see dolphins off shore and you can see the San Diego skyline.
There used to be flowers and a decent landscaping presentation but due to lack of funds, the top of the mesa is now barren, dry and unsightly.
The trails are nice, however, if you ride horses or if you like to birdwatch. There are some brown eagles and hawks in the area. They have swooped on me before - be careful.
Rattlesnake season is bad. I see snakesign EVERYWHERE this summer and have personally seen snakes 6-8 feet in length - WOA!
There are rabbits everywhere, roadrunners, lizards. A good place if you are into nature.
There are extensive trails for walking and horseback riding. Keep an eye out for Border Patrol activity.
Definitely not worth the trip unless you want to take a nature walk, birdwatch (birding) or ride a horse.
This park is quirky and unusual for a state park. It's not always open--I've had good luck on weekends and I think it's normally closed during week days, but you may want to check the website before going. It's $5 to get in if you're in a car.
The park itself is surreal. The beach borders right on Mexico, and the Mexican side is packed, while the U.S. side is almost empty. Sometimes people go to talk to their families and friends across the fence while t he border patrol watches. You can hear firecrackers going off fairly regularly on the Mexican side. Some people go horseback riding here.
I find this park to be an *outstanding* place to go birdwatching. If you want to see shorebirds on a large beach relatively undisturbed by people, this is the place to go. I haven't seen anything rare here, but I have seen many species of sandpiper closer than I have ever been able to approach them elsewhere, and I have counted larger numbers than I have anywhere else. If you want to see the best birds, I'd park in the lot near the beach. You will see a ton right there, usually, but then go on the beach and walk north, to the mouth of the Tijuana river. Right behind the beach there's a small inlet and that area is absolutely packed with Pelicans, Terns, Cormorants, and all types of Sandpipers. On the other side of the river is Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, which is free, and is accessible from Imperial Beach.
Downsides? Prepare to have your car searched on the way out. Don't try to smuggle any Mexicans across the border! I find it highly amusing that the border patrol always have heavy foreign accents. They are friendly though!
Almost always deserted, Border Field State Park is a nice quiet place to go. The park has recently undergone several renovations so now there are bathrooms and stuff if you want to make a picnic out of your trip.
There are informative signs explaining the historical and ecological importance of the site.
But my favorite aspect of this place is the wildlife. The bird-watching opportunities here are plentiful. While some of the park sits on the beach, some of it on the border, the bulk of the park lies on the Tijuana Estuary Reserve, which is home to several endangered and protected species.
It is also really neat to see the border fence as it continues into the water.
@David M.: the horse farms are outside the entrances to the park, on Hollister St.
Maybe someone else can corroborate this, but I believe there is an annual volleyball game across the border fence.
UPDATED 04-10-2008: We went again recently and they've barricaded the pathway so you can't drive all the way in to the water like we were able to before.
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Call me naive, call me ignorant, but hubby thought I'd get a kick out of this when he drove us out to this state park.
Following the signs to Border Field State Park, we drove until we could no longer drive anymore to Beach Playa. From there we made it on foot to where the fence which separates the US from Mexico runs into the water.
I guess I must've had that deer in the headlight look because I looked like I was in shock. There were a whole bunch of Mexicans partying on the other side of the fence and from where we stood it was just amazing that on the other side, it was a whole other country. Then, I noticed that these guys weren't on their side of the fence anymore. I was like "huh"???? Hubby goes "yeah they do that, they come through and then go back again".
I was like "WHATEVER". But then when I looked closer, they were seriously doing that. It just blew my mind.
For starters... GO! IT IS FREE!
On the surface it is really nice to sit there and look at a stretch of beach untouched by progress and watch people on horseback gallop up and down the beach.
Then there is the obvious huge steel fence which separates the United States from Mexico.
It was a sobering experience to sit there and talk with a Mexican citizen through a chain link fence. The conversation started with my Mexican counterpart saying "this (the fence) sucks unh?" We then had a conversation about how much nicer the streets of TJ were on this particular afternoon as the La Policia were not out writing tickets as they had been disarmed by the military police. We traded stories about our personal run ins with the federalies and then parted ways.
Regardless of where you sit on the political pendulum, it is a sobering experience to sit there and watch people cross the border take a look around and walk back knowing you're a product of privilege and another group of people is not.
You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.
Four stars. Everyone should go down there and check it out. The park is only open during the day on weekends, but you can walk past the signs and gates whenever you please. If you're lucky you may be able to purchase some grilled corn on the cob or some mangos through the fence, for a premium I'm sure. :)
Admission is free.
You used to be able to walk up to the border monument that straddles the international boundary. Now there is a heavy steel fence that is 60 feet from the actual border. Visitors must remain on the US side of the new fence. The distance between the actual border and the new fence is a no mans land used by the US Border Patrol to police the border. The park itself is a dry wasteland with a bathroom and some picnic tables. There are no trees. Hopefully some will be planted. The park is only open on weekends and there is a $5 entrance fee per vehicle. During the week access is by foot. If there is any rain at all the park and road is closed to everyone. The Tijuana River that flows into the US is a highly polluted stream that turns Border Field into a hazardous danger zone.
It is indeed intense either side you look at it.
Nature as seen does not permit a stronger fence and it has been like that for quite some time. There is actually the park if you walk up the hill from the water, than in the late 1800's was supposed to be a park with no fences or borders, just the park itself for people from both ends to sit and enjoy the park. It is indeed not happening though.
As it appears in the image there was an art installation which to me is the most fantaastic instalation I have seen, the artist is Valeska Soares for the insite festival from 2000 (http://insite05.org/) which is a festival that brings artists together around the US-MX border. I believe she did a fantastic work with making you feel with mirrors, what it could be a fence with spaces to go through and back, which people do anyways, and engraved in the mirror there was a segment from Italo Calvino's 'invisible cities'.
