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Fun Things to Do in San Diego

No tricks here – it’s all about treats when you visit a County park in October. From fall festivals with costume contests to spooky trails and movies after dark, we’ve brewed a magical cauldron brimming with park memories that are sure to get a hoot, howl or holler from your inner monster.

The first activity takes place Oct. 8 with a kick-off to the season at the Fall Festival at San Dieguito County Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event includes costume contests, zero-waste activities and crafts, games, interactive nature education and a chance to meet real birds of prey that are part of our Hawktober tour!

Our 19th annual Hellhole Canyon Spooky Trails event takes place Oct. 14, from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors can take a short trek through scary scenery, participate in costume contests, play games and win prizes, and cap the evening with an outdoor showing of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. PARTY PERKS: The Hawktober crew will be stopping by at 4:30 p.m. and the first 100 kids at the event will receive a free pumpkin!

Park staff and volunteers will be your spirit guides on a dark and macabre (yet completely safe) Haunted Trail at Oakoasis County Preserve on Oct. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. Wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers if you dare to travel with us!

Those in Ramona can get in on the haunted trail action the following weekend, at Dos Picos County Park on Oct. 21 from 5 to 9 p.m. Anyone lurking about in south county can get spooked by their own eerily lit path at Potrero County Park on Oct. 21 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Rangers at both parks have added extra not-so-scary activities to their party plans to thrill and fulfill park guests – so plan to make a night of it.

Get dressed in your alter-ego best because our community and teen centers are hosting their own Halloween-themed parties. No RSVP is needed to have a ghoulishly good time enjoying the music, food, games, giveaways and costume contests at these thrilling locales:

Come “pick” a perfect pumpkin by the bay to keep and decorate at the Waterfront Park Pumpkin Patch! The event is back Oct. 22 with free pumpkins for kids (while supplies last), music, inflatables, crafts, games, food trucks and other seasonal festivities! The pumpkin patch will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and public transportation is encouraged.

Dia de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—is returning to Rancho Guajome Adobe in Vista Oct. 28 at Rancho Guajome Adobe from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Peruse decorated altars, try your hands at papel picado and other crafts, enjoy food, listen to music, cheer on Ballet Folklorico dancers, and be awed by the Catrin and Catrina parade!

There are also quite a few movies taking place in parks – the final films in the Summer Movies in the Park series. Titles include Hocus Pocus, E.T., Frankenweenie, The Goonies and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Learn more by visiting summermoviesinthepark.com.

Inclement weather may cancel any of the abovementioned events. Consider calling parks ahead of time to confirm details.

Links for sharing:

To encourage more people to spend quality time outside – wherever and whenever they can – we’re partnering with Nature Unplugged to host ranger-led hikes during their October 2023 Hike-a-Thon.

The event has a dual purpose: To encourage people to fully experience nature, and to raise funds for Nature Unplugged’s scholarship and subsidy program for organizations and communities in need.

 

Participating in the Hike-A-Thon is optional, and mileage is calculated Oct. 1 – 31 via trail application.  Learn more about the 2023 Hike-A-Thon here .

 

Participants will have all month to log their travels for opportunities to collect prizes and earn matched dollars for charitable contributions. County Park Rangers are hosting interpretive hikes to inspire them to go the extra mile:

 

9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 7  

Oakoasis County Preserve – Easy to Moderate

12620 Wildcat Canyon Rd., Lakeside, CA 92040

Park phone: 619-561-0580

A favorite for solo hikers and families alike, Oakoasis boasts nearly 400 acres of chaparral, manzanita, and woodlands. A 3-mile loop trail explores the cool shade of mature oaks, slight hills to sweeping views of the San Vicente reservoir, grassy valleys and a tree revitalization zone.

 

9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 14 

Sycamore Canyon/Goodan Ranch County Preserve – Moderate

16281 Sycamore Canyon Rd., Poway, CA 92064

Park phone: 858-513-4737

More than 10 miles of trails in this 2,272-acre preserve lead to grand vistas, abundant wildlife and interesting reminders of human habitation. For this activity, we’ll start on the Poway end and hike into Martha’s Grove, taking the trail down into the valley, along the olive groves, below the old windmill, into the nature center, and then back to the starting point, for roughly 3.5 miles.

 

9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 21

Wilderness Gardens County Preserve – Easy to Moderate

14209 Highway 76, Pala, CA 92059

Park phone: 760-742-1631

Parking fee is $3

This 737-acre preserve is the oldest in the County portfolio and offers 4 miles of relatively easy trails with excellent birdwatching opportunities. We’ll take the Main Trail and Alice Fries Trail for a 2-mile adventure – with the option to continue to overviews of the San Luis Rey River corridor. On site is the foundation of Sickler’s Grist Mill – a remnant of North County’s rich agricultural history – and more colorful stories can be discovered in the onsite visitor’s center.

 

9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 28

Santa Ysabel Nature Center and East County Preserve – Moderate

22135 Highway 79, Santa Ysabel, CA 92070

Park Phone: 760-765-4098

Meet us at the new, LEED-certified 6,000+-square-foot nature center for some ranger education before stepping foot on a new stretch of trail to plateaus on the east side of the preserve. Take in thick vegetation and hearty groves of native oaks – don’t be surprised by the occasional hawk or cow on the roughly 3.9-mile trek!

 

Ranger-led hikes are free and open to guests of all ages. Registration is not required.

Please plan appropriately with good footwear, sun protection and plenty of water and snacks.

A Hike-A-Thon Kick-Off event has also been scheduled from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Oct. 1 at Los Penasquitos Ranch House, located at 12122 Canyonside Park Drive, San Diego.

Members of the public are welcome to attend this event which will include a presentation about the program, a County proclamation, resource tables and wellness information, a fitness activity and a guided nature walk to the creek. The museum will be open, and guests will have access to the barn and live animals!

For more information about the Hike-A-Thon Kick-Off or Planned Hikes, contact Jessica Geiszler at jessica.geiszler@sdcounty.ca.gov or Sonya Mohamed at sonya@natureunplugged.com.

Now in its fifth year, our annual celebration of local birds of prey – Hawktober – is coming to 18 parks across San Diego County. Attend a free workshop to meet hawks, owls and falcons that are part of our animal ambassador program!

Throughout the month of October, specially trained rangers will be taking some of our resident raptors on tour. Get to know Turbo, our Peregrine Falcon – the fastest animal alive – and Penelope, our Ferruginous Hawk, the largest in North America. Mutaah, our Great Horned Owl, is the only owl that actually hoots. Violet, our American Kestrel, is small and sweet in appearance, but looks can be deceiving because she will eat other birds!

Learn what these raptors look like up close, where they live, what they eat, how they hunt and what survival skills they’ve picked up over time, to help them thrive in San Diego’s diverse environments.

Different birds may be featured at different locations, so we encourage you to visit more than one workshop. Events are free and open to guests of all ages.

Download the flyer or scroll down to see the list of locations.

You can also view individual events on our Facebook events page – and catch the virtual series we ran in 2020 on Owls, Hawks, Falcons and Small Birds of Prey.

PERK ALERT!! When you visit any of these parks, pick up a limited-edition set of Hawktober trading cards! Each includes a picture of one of our superstar-raptors, and fun stats like their length, weight, wingspan and adaptations for success.

Throughout October, Flagship Cruises & Events is proud to welcome children aboard for a free cruise around San Diego Bay. Kids 12 and under can ride the scenic San Diego Harbor Tour for free with paying adult companion. Enjoy a fun, educational family outing in San Diego at an unbeatable price.
• Choose 1-hour North or South route or 2-hour Full Bay
* Up to two children per full-fare adult
Book here. Flagship also offers harbor tours, brunch, cocktail and dinner cruises. Enjoy 15% Off a Cruise Here

Weather conditions are just right to embark on some of the region’s best trail adventures! To encourage more people to spend quality time outside – wherever and whenever they can – the County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation is partnering with Nature Unplugged to host ranger-led hikes during their October 2023 Hike-a-Thon. Enjoy hikes every Saturday morning, throughout the month. This free, all-ages event will include a brief presentation, wellness information and resources, a fitness activity, a guided nature walk, giveaways and more!. Get details on the hikes here. Check out the calendar of events at sdparks.org

Circle back to the past and ride the historic Balboa Park Carousel! Almost all of the animal figures are original from 1910, as are the hand-painted murals on the center panels, the outer rounding boards, the military band organ, the motor, and the famous brass ring game. Fifty-two animals — ranging from horses to giraffes to zebras — and four chariots, are hand-carved and intricately and colorfully painted. Rides, set by an old-fashioned egg timer, last 5 minutes, with a top speed on the outside ring of 13 miles per hour. Take a spin and make new memories on this treasured attraction, celebrating its 101st anniversary in 2023. The Carousel is open 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekends in the fall. Balboa Park Carousel