# Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve: Winter Birding & Discovery

> Place to go for families in the San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad area (CA). Times are Pacific Time.

- When: Visitor Center open Wednesday–Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Trails open daily sunrise to…
- Dates: Tue, Dec 1 – Sun, Feb 28
- Where: Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, CA 91932
- Ages: All ages; flat stroller-accessible salt marsh trails; free loaner binoculars for children
- Price: Free admission, free parking, and free loaner binoculars
- Schedule: Visitor Center open Wednesday–Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Trails open daily sunrise to sunset
- Organizer: California State Parks & US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Official page: https://trnerr.org/
- Last checked: Wed, Nov 4

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/san-diego/activities/tijuana-river-national-estuarine-research-reserve-winter-birding-and-d--listing-97c43d97ce3488d7e5cc7f0a

## About

Spanning 2,500 acres of pristine salt marsh at the southwesternmost point of the continental United States in Imperial Beach, the Tijuana Estuary is a critical winter haven for over 370 migratory bird species. Families can walk flat, barrier-free boardwalks and packed dirt trails to spot snowy egrets, endangered light-footed Ridgway's rails, and California least terns.

The visitor center offers interactive coastal ecology exhibits, touchable bird skulls and feathers, free loaner binoculars for kids, and Junior Ranger activity booklets. Admission and parking are completely free.

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