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San Diego County

San Diego County

The Top 20 Natural Monuments in San Diego County

San Diego County’s landscape is a beautiful place to explore — something that you can best experience by visiting one of our 20

beautiful natural monuments in San Diego County. To help you find the one for, you can see all the details you need to explore the best natural monuments, and better plan your next outdoor adventure!

Last updated: October 18, 2025

Torrey Pines State Beach

Highlight • Beach

The beach trail leads you right down to where you'd expect. One of the things people love to do is to 1) park at the beach parking lot right after …

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Potato Chip Rock

Highlight • Natural Monument

Potato Chip Rock is an iconic San Diego hiking destination. It is a thin rock formation with a "potato chip" like curve that hangs over a lookout on the summit …

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Botanical Building, Balboa Park

Highlight • Monument

Balboa Park is beautifully landscaped and contains 15 museums alone that take varying entrance fees. The park itself is free of charge. There is also an international village in the …

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Borrego Palm Canyon Oasis

Highlight • Natural Monument

At the end of the easy, short hike up Borrego Palm Canyon that's dry most of the year sits this surprisingly green palm grove that somehow taps into a permanent …

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San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Preserve

Highlight • Natural

The San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve spans 979 acres and includes a lagoon formed by the convergence of Escondido and La Orilla Creeks with the Pacific Ocean. It's a favorite …

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Torrey Pines Climb

Highlight (Segment) • Climb

One of the best and beautiful places to do hill repeats. From the golf driving range at top of Torrey Pines to the stop light at Del Mar Heights and …

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Red Butte Rock Formation, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Highlight • Natural Monument

You can easily reach this point with a short walk from the visitor center. Once there, you'll be treated to panoramic ocean views, enhanced by unique rock formations scattered across the landscape.

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Seal Rock, La Jolla

Highlight • Natural Monument

One of the most famous attractions in the area is Seal Rock. Most of the time, you can see the seals or sea lions playing or sleeping on the seashore. …

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Los Peñasquitos Falls

Highlight • Waterfall

The name "Los Peñasquitos" translates to "little cliffs" in Spanish, a characteristic that becomes evident at this location. Here, you'll find a creek flows through a boulder-filled area, creating a …

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La Jolla Cove

Highlight • Beach

Beautiful cliffs with numerous pelicans, sea lions and seals. Meadows, benches and a walkway provide a relaxing place to stay.

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Find even more amazing natural monuments in San Diego County by checking out the top Highlights region by region:

The Top 20 Natural Monuments in San Diego County

Torrey Pines State Beach

Potato Chip Rock

Botanical Building, Balboa Park

Borrego Palm Canyon Oasis

San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Preserve

Torrey Pines Climb

Red Butte Rock Formation, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Seal Rock, La Jolla

Los Peñasquitos Falls

La Jolla Cove

Other adventures in San Diego County

Most popular routes in San Diego County

Most popular attractions in San Diego County

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