12600 N Torrey Pines Rd
San Diego County, CA

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, located on the cliffs above Torrey Pines State Beach, is a 1,750 acre reserve dedicated to preserving its namesake, the Torrey Pine tree and other indigenous wildlife in its native environment. A coastal wilderness of pine forests and sandstone canyons, the park has a series of well-kept trails that wind along the cliffs offering breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. With both easy, family-friendly paths and more advanced trails, the park provides a great hiking experience for all levels. While hiking around Torrey Pines keep an eye out for the wildflowers including: heliotrope (Phacelia distans), Sea Dahlia (Leptosyne maritima), popcorn flower (Cryptantha intermedia), San Diego jewel flower (Caulanthus heterophyllus), and a coastal version of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)! Please do not pick these flowers as they are very important to the local ecosystem.

5704 Paseo Del Norte
Carlsbad, CA

For more than sixty years, Mother Nature has transformed the rolling hills of North San Diego County into one of the most spectacular and coordinated displays of natural color and beauty anywhere in the world. The nearly fifty acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers that make up the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch in Carlsbad, California, are in bloom for approximately six to eight weeks each year - from early March through early May - literally bringing the famous fields back to life. This annual burst of color, which has become part of the area’s local heritage, also is one of nature’s official ways of announcing the arrival of spring here in Southern California.

2215 Pan American Rd E
San Diego, CA

The Japanese Friendship Garden (JFG) is located in Balboa Park and represents the friendship between San Diego and its sister city in Yokohama, Japan. It binds the two cultures to create a unique experience for visitors from all over the world. JFG is considered in Japanese culture to be a living work of art and is designed to present an atmosphere of elegant simplicity and beauty. JFG includes a bonsai exhibit, a moon-viewing deck, beautiful black pine trees, azaleas and ornamental plants such as camellias, magnolia, wisteria and cherry blossom trees, and the largest and oldest bronze Kannon statue in the USA.

San Diego, CA

Balboa Park is a garden lover’s paradise. The beautifully landscaped park features thousands of different types of flowers and plants in gardens that that range from precisely manicured, historic landscapes to natural preserves featuring the region’s native plants. With mild temperatures year round, Balboa Park gardens can be enjoyed during every season. Gardens in the park are kid friendly and dog friendly. The collection of gardens below are a definite don't miss on your trip to San Diego. Balboa Park is also home to many floral and garden groups, including the San Diego Bonsai Club, San Diego Geranium Society, San Diego County Orchid Society, Southern California Plumeria Society and San Diego Floral Association, the oldest garden club in Southern California. These groups host floral and horticultural shows and plant sales in Balboa Park throughout the year.

Ecke Ranch Rd
Encinitas, CA

Established in 1970, San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) is a 37-acre urban oasis that creates, shares and applies plant wisdom with people of all backgrounds, ages and interests. The Garden's four miles of trails display more than 5,000 plant species and varieties, including 300 plants for which SDBG is the only garden maintaining a population. SDBG has 15 gardens that represent different regions of the world, 12 demonstration gardens, and the largest public bamboo collection in North America. SDBG has three children's gardens, including its flagship, one-acre Hamilton Children's Garden, the largest kids' garden on the west coast.

200 Palm Canyon Dr
Borrego Springs, CA

The 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is justly famous for a number of noteworthy natural features including palm oases, vast open spaces, the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep, and its soaring desert vistas. Above all else, the park's notoriety stems from its spectacular spring wildflower displays. During peak bloom in wet years, few sites are more memorable than miles of brilliant colors stretching across vast, sandy flats and extending onto rocky, varnished hillsides. Desert flower displays are often a matter of timing, and generous rainfall amounts. Rainfall in Southern California is highly variable, and the desert is no exception. Much of Anza-Borrego receives paltry rainfall sums between 4-8"" annually. When California experiences a wet year, much of the desert receives more than that, which causes the normally dormant seeds of hundreds of different flower species to germinate and bloom spectacularly. During these rare times, hundreds of thousands of people make the pilgrimage to the park to witness this inspiring sight.

1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr
San Diego, CA

Located at the southern tip of the Point Loma peninsula is Cabrillo National Monument, named after European explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on the what is now West Coast of the United States in 1542. Now a national park, Cabrillo National Monument is not only home to history, but also home to breathtaking views of San Diego, gorgeous flora & fauna, walking trails, tidepools, and vantage points such as the New & Old Point Loma Lighthouses. Cabrillo's land is home to four community types: southern coastal bluff scrub, maritime succulent scrub, Diegan coastal sage scrub, and southern maritime chaparral. Through these communities find many diverse terrestrial plant species that make up a coastal Mediterranean ecosystem.

La Jolla Shores

San Diego, California, United States

Find your happy place in San Diego this spring! With our 70 miles of coastline, vibrant neighborhoods and endless options to relax and rejuvenate, we’ve got just the spot for you. Start planning your spring escape now, and get the scoop on all the best places to stay, play, dine and soak in those San Diego vibes.