Tijuana Estuary

This is a moderately-paced hike along established paths through the Tijuana Estuary Research Reserve in Imperial Beach. The total distance is about four or five miles, and the hike should take about two or three hours. For information on the reserve, see http://trnerr.org/ but don't believe everything you read. Some of the information regarding coronavirus closures is outdated.

We've done this hike before, most recently in September 2018. For more information, see https://www.meetup.com/sandiegodayhikers/events/254778021/

Face masks and "social distancing" are required. The Visitor Center is closed, but the trails are open. The rest rooms may open; they were partly open when I visited the reserve on Saturday morning.

We'll meet at 9:30 AM in the parking lot at the visitor center at 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach 91932 (N 32 34.498 W 117 7.547), and step off at 9:45 AM. The gates to the parking lot may be locked, but there is enough parking on nearby streets. (The nominal opening time is 9:30 AM, but that doesn't mean much if the visitor center is closed.)

Notice that the meeting time is A LITTLE LATER than our usual meeting time. This is to conform to the reserve hours.

SUGGESTED ROUTE FROM SAN DIEGO: Go south on I-5 and exit at Coronado Ave. Go east about two miles on Coronado Ave., which becomes Imperial Beach Blvd. when it enters Imperial Beach. Turn left on Third Ave. and follow it about 0.1 miles as it turns left and becomes Caspian Way. Park in (or near) the visitor center parking lot on the right. The distance from central San Diego is about 17 miles and the driving time is about 27 minutes.

San Diego MTS buses 933 and 934 stop nearby.

The name of this reserve varies somewhat from one sign to the next, but the words "Tijuana" and "Estuary" (or "Estuarine") seem to appear in all variants.

The reserve is especially good for bird watching: ducks, gulls, terns and even some big, noisy whirlybirds.

The paths are mostly decomposed granite (which is a kind of fine gravel, not granite and not decomposed), with a few muddy spots, and NO HILLS. Hiking shoes are not required.

Leashed dogs are allowed.

CONTACT: Philip Erdelsky, cell 619-866-8512, E-mail pje@efgh.com