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Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge

Part of Coronado & South Bay, our guide to Coronado, the South Bay and the bayfront.

The Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge is free to visit and open from sunrise to sunset. Its visitor center, at 301 Caspian Way in Imperial Beach, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trails, boardwalks and observation decks look over the estuary. Call for current conditions after the recent flooding.Checked October 23, 2026.

Freeno fee to visit
Sunrise–sunsetrefuge hours
Wed–Sunvisitor center, 10 to 5
6 ftleash limit
Open green and brown wetland at Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge under a blue sky with houses on the far edge
The wetland at Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge. Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Visitor Center301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, CA 91932.
HoursRefuge sunrise to sunset, year-round. Visitor Center Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Restrooms daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CostThere is no fee to visit.
PetsAllowed on most trails on a leash no longer than six feet.
ConditionsPhone (619) 221-3473 for current conditions.

Quiet Times

The refuge notes that helicopters are common on weekdays and that Sundays and early mornings are quieter.

Check Conditions First

The refuge page listed no alerts on October 23, 2026, but California State Parks reports flooding and contaminated flood water at neighboring Border Field State Park. A page with no alert is not proof that every trail is open, so call the refuge before you go.

Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge Open the map. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Current trail conditions after the flooding State Parks describes were not confirmed.

More in Coronado & South Bay

FAQ

Is the refuge free?

Yes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says there is no fee to visit.

Sources

  1. Tijuana Slough NWR
  2. Visit the refuge

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.