Before I moved to Florida to live with WC, I lived in San Diego for two years. I love our new home, but I’ll admit San Diego is still one of my favorite places in the country (if not my favorite!). Of course, what you hear is true and California can be quite expensive to live in and visit. The good news is there are many free things to do in San Diego!
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Free Things To Do in San Diego:
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Visit Balboa Park
San Diego’s Balboa Park is our favorite park in the country and our favorite of all the free things to do in San Diego!
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I love this park so much that WC knew it was the perfect place for him to propose when we were there on a weekend vacation in 2016! He popped the question in the beautiful rose garden right next to the Apricot Drift.
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Balboa Park is a 1,200 acre park close to downtown San Diego. I was walking distance to one of the dog parks when I lived in San Diego and would take my dachshund there almost every day. While not all the attractions at Balboa Park are free, a good number of them are. Also, the walk through the park is just gorgeous (especially given the perfect weather in San Diego)!
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Balboa Park has a variety of museums including the San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Museum of Art, and the San Diego Air & Space Museum. These museums do have an admission charge, but every Tuesday there are Residents Free Days at a variety of the museums! The Residents Free Days include San Diego City and County residents (with ID), and active military and their dependents. You can find the complete schedule by clicking here. During the Christmas season, there is a free festival called December Nights on Fridays and Saturdays that includes live music, food from around the globe, and more. Participating museums also are free of charge on these nights.
The world-famous San Diego Zoo is also inside Balboa Park. It is not free, but is worth the money if you enjoy zoos!
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Go Hiking
I fell in love with hiking while living in San Diego. My first hike was at Torrey Pines State Park which is one of the easier climbs in town.
Cowles Mountain is the hike I did most often because it’s a good workout, but is close to the city and doesn’t take up the entire day. It is possibly the most popular hike around town. There are always a lot of people here but they’re typically spread out along the trail.
The hike up Cowles takes you to a summit of 1592 feet and gives you a sweeping view of San Diego. The hike is mixed with some parts that are pretty easy and some parts that are steeper. It typically takes a little less than 45 minutes, give or take, for an beginning hiker. Make sure you bring water because there is not any shade on this trail. You can also bring your pooch.
Mount Woodson Trail aka Potato Chip Rock is a famous hiking photo spot just outside San Diego in Poway (pictured below). The hike is a little tougher than those I mentioned previously, but worth the effort. Plan to take about an hour and a half to reach the summit.
Once there, you will see the famous rock and the long line of people waiting to have their photo taken (plan to wait at least 20 minutes for your photo). You’ll also need to have someone not in line that is willing to take your photo for you. The only part I didn’t like was the jump onto the rock.
NOTE: You’ll need plenty of water and maybe a small snack for the Potato Chip Rock hike. I’d also recommend going in the morning. I went midday and it was pretty hot!
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Watch the Seals at the La Jolla Children’s Pool
If you love animals, you’ll love this spot. Initially, it was built to be a swimming area for kids. Hence the name: Children’s Pool. However, now harbor seals have made it their home and you can watch them from a walkway along the sea wall. They are so entertaining as they move on and off the beach! Parking is free along the road, but can be difficult to find- especially on the weekends.
