The best traffic-free bike rides in San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge

A great place to relax and a central point for exploring the park.

A Pacific coast promenade with a very special character: here the boardwalk ends right where the border fence with the United States begins. You can walk among murals, surfers, and the sound of the waves.

Balboa Park began as 1400 acres of land set aside in 1868 by San Diego civic leaders. Known then as “City Park”, the scrub-filled mesa that overlooked present-day Downtown San Diego sat without formal landscaping or development for more than 20 years. (Today the Park’s total land parcel has been reduced to 1,200 acres.) The first steps in Park beautification were made in 1892, largely due to the contributions of Kate Sessions. Sessions offered to plant 100 trees a year within the Park as well as donate trees and shrubs around San Diego in exchange for 32 acres of land within the Park boundaries to be used for her commercial nursery. Several popular species, including the birds of paradise, queen palm, and poinsettia were introduced into the Park’s horticulture because of Sessions’ early efforts. In fact, many of her original trees are alive and visible today. Just after the turn of the century, a master plan for Park improvements and beautification was formally introduced. Supported by a City tax levied in 1905, the process began in 1903 and continued through 1910. Water systems were installed, planting continued, roads were built, and the Park began to take on much of the familiar look of today. As San Diego was set to play host to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, and “City Park” was a less-than-memorable or distinctive name for such an internationally prestigious event. In 1910, Park Commissioners announced plans to re-name City Park and the public was eager to throw potential names into the hat, including San Diego Park, Silver Gate Park, Horton Park, and Miramar Park. After months of discussion and great public interest, the Park Commissioners decided on the name Balboa Park, chosen in honor of Spanish-born Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the first European to spot the Pacific Ocean while on exploration in Panama. https://balboapark.org/about-balboa-park/

The San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge that was created to protect San Diego's historic coastal salt marsh and mudflat habitat. The refuge is home to a wide variety of wildlife. There are several bike paths that run along the coast, which give you great views of the water and a chance to spot wildlife.

The Bernardo Shores Spur is a small connector trail off of the Bay Trail. It runs along the bank of Pond 10A, which is home to a variety of wildlife. The path is lined with palm trees and is a very relaxing setting to ride through.

The Otay River is one of the main attractions in the Otay Valley Regional Park. The river is home to several types of waterfowl and other wildlife, so if you have some time on your ride, it is a great place to take a break and see what you can spot.

This park stands as one of the largest open spaces in the South Bay of San Diego County, stretching across approximately 11 miles. It has miles of trails, with the Otay Valley meandering through it, alongside salt ponds on the outskirts.

This park stands as one of the largest open spaces in the South Bay of San Diego County, stretching across approximately 11 miles. It has miles of trails, with the Otay Valley meandering through it, alongside salt ponds on the outskirts.