14 Best Sights in North County and Around, California

At Galleta Meadows, camels, llamas, saber-toothed tigers, tortoises, and monumental gomphotherium (a sort of ancient elephant) appear to roam the Earth again. These life-size bronze figures are of prehistoric animals whose fossils can be found in the Borrego Badlands. The collection of more than 130 sculptures, created by Ricardo Breceda, was commissioned by the late Dennis Avery, who installed the works of art on property he owned for the entertainment of locals and visitors. Maps are available from Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Once a hangout for cowboys, Old Town is in full swing with boutique shops, good restaurants, a children’s museum, and a theater, while retaining its Old West appearance. A walking tour put together by the Temecula Valley Historical Society, starting at the Temecula Valley Museum, covers some of the old buildings; most are identified with bronze plaques. Free maps can be downloaded from their website ( www.temeculahistoricalsociety.org). A walking tour ($5) of Old Town Temecula is given every Saturday 10–11:30, departing from the Temecula Valley Museum, located in the Sam Hicks Monument Park directly across from the weekly Farmer’s Market.

While development destroyed many of the saltwater marsh wildlife habitats that once punctuated the North County coastline, this 610-acre lagoon was restored in 1997 to support fish and bird populations. Today, there are more than 200 species of birds here. A stroll along the 2-mile trail from the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation Nature Center along the north shore of the lagoon reveals nesting sites of the red-winged blackbird; lagoon birds such as the great blue heron, the great egret, and the snowy egret; and life in the mud flats. This wheelchair-accessible trail is a quiet spot for contemplation or a picnic. The Nature Center showcases exhibits on butterflies, moths, birds, and the Kumeyaay tribe who once fished on the lagoon. They spent half the year on the coast and half the year in the highlands of Julian to gather acorns—an important part of their diet. Today there are just 12 Kumeyaay reservations in California, predominately in East County San Diego. Within the Nature Center, you can view examples of the tribe’s traditional clothing, fish traps, baskets, clay pots, bows and arrows, and more. Guided walking tours, lasting 1–2 hours, are offered monthly by appointment and can be arranged through the website.

A 3,058-acre conservation area and historic ranch site is laced with more than 25 miles of multipurpose trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The 2.4-mile Boulder Loop affords sweeping views of Escondido, and the 2.5-mile Ranch House Loop passes two small ponds, the 1928 Daley family ranch house, and the site of the original log cabin. Private cars are prohibited on the ranch, but there's free parking just outside the entrance. From the main trailhead, you can access Dixon Lake, a popular fishing and camping spot. Free naturalist-guided hikes are offered on a regular basis; call for schedule. Leashed dogs permitted.

This gallery showcases works by local artists, with regular exhibitions and year-round special events.

Most of the beaches in the little city of Solana Beach are nestled under cliffs, and access is limited to private stairways. However, at the west end of Lomas Santa Fe Drive, where it turns into Plaza Street, there's an entrance to this small beach, along with parking lot, picnic area, playground, and restrooms. The softest sand can be found by the cliffs and it gets a bit coarser as you near the water's edge. During low tide it's an easy walk under the cliffs to nearby beaches, but high tide can make some of the beach impassable. At the northern end of town there are also restrooms, a pay lot, and easy beach access. The City of Solana Beach and the Belly Up Tavern often host free summer concerts at Fletcher Cove ( www.cityofsolanabeach.org) and there are plenty of great restaurants nearby on Highway 101 and on Cedros Avenue. Tides and surf conditions are posted at a kiosk by this parking lot. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; solitude; swimming; walking.

This was a real working ranch with 600 head of cattle owned by actor Leo Carrillo, who played Pancho in the Cisco Kid television series in the 1950s. Before Carrillo bought the spread, known as Rancho de Los Kiotes, in 1937, the rancho was the home of a band of Luiseno Indians. Carrillo's hacienda and other buildings have been restored to reflect the life of the star when he hosted his Hollywood friends for long weekends in the country. Four miles of trails take visitors through colorful native gardens to the cantina, washhouse, pool and cabana, barn, and stable that Carrillo used. You can tour these buildings on weekends when guided tours are offered twice daily. After Carrillo's death in 1961, the ranch remained in the family until 1979, when part of the acreage was acquired by the city for a park.

With 1,000 slips, this is North County's fishing, sailing, and water-sports center. On the south end of the harbor, the Oceanside Harbor Village has oyster bars, fish-and-chip shops, and an ice-cream parlor where you can linger and watch the boats coming and going. If you fancy a day at sea, Helgren's Sportfishing can arrange whale-watching and harbor tours.

At 1,954 feet, this is one of the longest piers on the West Coast. The water surrounding it is known for its surf breaks and good fishing. A restaurant, Ruby's Diner, stands at the end of the wooden pier's long promenade.

Atop 6,000-foot Palomar Mountain, the observatory is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology, whose astronomy faculty conducts research here. The observatory houses the Hale Telescope, as well as 60-inch, 48-inch, 24-inch, 18-inch, and Snoop telescopes. Some of the most important astronomical discoveries of the 20th century were made here, and already in this century scientists using the observatory's 48-inch telescope have detected a 10th planet.

The observatory closes without advance notice during inclement weather, and closes daily at 3 pm. Call in advance during winter.

The small museum contains photos of some of these discoveries, as well as photos taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and from recent NASA–European Space Agency missions to Mars and Saturn. A park with picnic areas surrounds the observatory. Guided tours are available weekends at 11 am and 1:30 pm between April and October.

The last work by sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), this sculpture garden designed for entertaining children consists of nine totemic figures up to 21 feet tall. Adorned with stylized monsters, animals, protective deities, geometric symbols, and crests, the pieces evoke ancient tales and legends. Youngsters can climb on the giant fanciful figures.

This valley looks pretty much the way the backcountry appeared a century ago, with sweeping meadows surrounded by oak-studded hillsides. The San Dieguito River (Santa Ysabel Creek) emerges from Volcan Mountain here and winds its way 65 miles to San Dieguito Lagoon at Del Mar along the Coast to Crest Trail. An 7-mile trail follows the river for the first mile, from Farmer Road in Julian to the East Entrance of Santa Ysabel Preserve. Legacy oak trees shade the trail, there are spectacular views along the way, and picnic tables abound. The trail is best explored in the fall.

Picnics and weddings make this coastal park popular on weekends. For free summer evening concerts (Tuesday 6–9 pm) and beach access, head to Powerhouse Park at the north end of this small stretch of grass overlooking the ocean.

Founded in 1920 as a retreat and place of worship, the center also offers one of the best views along the Pacific Coast, a sweeping seascape extending north and south as far as the eye can see. Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi, created two beautiful meditation gardens that are open to the public. The gardens are planted with flowering shrubs and trees and contain a series of koi ponds connected by miniature waterfalls. Swami's Point at the south end of the gardens is a popular surfer's break.