Staycation in San Diego: Spring Hiking, Flower Fields, and Coastal Color

It’s a beautiful time to visit San Diego.

We’re at the tail end of the rainy season, which runs from November through March. Yes, there will still be rain. But the days are longer, the air is warmer, and the showers tend to be shorter and less disruptive. Everything feels like it’s stretching toward the light again.

Lucky for me, my staycation lasts all year. And this is a particularly great time to be in San Diego.

The Magic of Spring in San Diego

I moved to San Diego in March three years ago and quickly learned that this month has its own kind of magic. The afternoons can be warm enough for shorts. The evenings are perfect for hoodies, leggings, beach pants, and the sweatshirt that lives by the door year-round.

And then there are the flowers.

Wildflowers Everywhere You Look

The first thing that completely captured my heart was the wildflowers. They bloom everywhere. Along the roads. Across open fields. Tucked into hillsides you might have ignored in winter. Some of my favorite floral photos were taken this time of year.

I first noticed them while taking Jax to Fiesta Island Dog Park. The fields erupt with color. It is one giant natural photo backdrop. The trails are clear and easy to follow, so walking with your unleashed furry sidekick is not just good exercise, it is genuinely awe-inspiring.

Fiesta Island Dog Park / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content

As March unfolds, those wildflowers seem to spill into every corner of Mission Bay and around town. Even the short drive to OB Dog Beach feels festive. What used to be a simple outing suddenly feels like a celebration of spring in San Diego.

Dog-Friendly Trails and Scenic Hikes

Spring is also prime hiking season.

San Diego is filled with incredible hiking trails, and most of them put on a show this time of year. The temperatures are comfortable, the skies are a clear, bright blue dotted with marshmallow clouds, and the hills are still green.

We love hiking at Torrey Pines during wildflower season. The views of the Pacific are stunning, and the trails are lined with seasonal blooms. Dogs are not allowed, which means it is not our top choice since Jax has to sit that one out, but it is undeniably beautiful.

Tecolote Canyon: Blooming Trails for All Levels

One of our favorite dog-friendly hikes is Tecolote Canyon. Tecolote Canyon Natural Park has a nature center and about 6.5 miles of trails. In spring, the canyon comes alive with color.

The Tecolote Canyon and Hillside Loop is a two-mile loop with minimal elevation change, making it an easy and accessible hike. The trails are well-maintained and clearly marked. Stay on them. If you wander off, you may meet poison oak, and that is not the souvenir you want from your hike.

Spring Festivals and Flower Events

If you love flowers on a grand scale, there are organized events that turn spring into a full celebration.

One of the most popular is The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch in Carlsbad. The season typically runs from early March through early May. It is considered the largest ranunculus flower field in the world, covering 55 acres with roughly 80 million blooms.

This is not a quiet stroll past a few flower beds. It is a full spring festival. There are fields of ranunculus, orchids, and sunflowers; tractor wagon rides; food vendors; art displays; butterflies; and hands-on activities. Visitors come from all over to photograph the rolling hills of color and soak in a full day outdoors. You can purchase single-day tickets or a season pass.

Photos courtesy of The Flower Fields Press Room/ Photographers in order of photos: Sam Loera and Marcie Gonzalez

Balboa Park: Gardens in Full Bloom

Then there is Balboa Park, which feels like the heartbeat of spring in San Diego.

Beyond the seasonal wildflowers scattered throughout the park, you will find year-round gardens that truly shine this time of year. The Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden features more than 130 varieties of roses. The lily pond becomes even more spectacular when the lilies bloom. The newly restored Botanical Building is filled with flowers and more than 2,000 plants. And that barely scratches the surface.

Cherry Blossoms and Japanese Gardens in San Diego

Most people associate cherry blossoms with Washington, D.C., and the Tidal Basin. But you can experience that same soft pink magic right here. The Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park hosts its annual Cherry Blossom Festival in mid-March, when the blossoms are in full bloom.

San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas

And finally, I would be remiss not to mention the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas. Spanning 37 acres, it is a living collection of gardens, plants, and trees from around the world. Encinitas is often called the Flower Capital of the World, and in spring, that title feels well earned.

Celebrating the Simple Signs of Spring

There truly is so much to do in March in San Diego. But more than the festivals and hikes, I treasure the simple signs of the season. As the rainy season winds down, I look forward to the scent of wildflowers in the air, the flutter of butterflies, and the steady buzz of bees getting back to work.

Cheers to spring in San Diego.

- J.S. Whaldo