Tijuana River Valley, A Jewel in the Rough

Located in San Diego's extreme southwestern corner, The Tijuana River Valley is little known to most of the county's residents, but locals know it as a place of gardens, farms, stables, parks, horse trails, Border Patrol, and Pollution.
Butting up against the border between the U.S. and Mexico, there is a strong Border Patrol presence wherever you go here. I'ts just a fact of life in this part of the county. With a number of canyons and river beds that connect the two countries, acting as a conduit for people from the south, seeking a better life in America, this area is a hotbed of illegal immigration.
The people you meet here are friendly and hardworking. Life in the Valley is not easy. The Valley has seen major flooding, most recently in 1980, 1983, and 1990, resulting in major loss of Natural Habitats, Structures, and Personal property. To this day areas of the Valley have not been redeveloped and are considered unusable, due to the flooding. Efforts have been made to mitigate the effects of flooding, caused by high rainfall, but as the Valley is a natural watershed, flooding will continue to be a concern. Then, there is the pollution. Each major rain in the area, is accompanied by a river of untreated sewage, flowing from Mexico, into the Valley, and on into the ocean, causing the closure of our southern beaches and shutting the gates of one of the areas best kept secrets, Border Field State Park. A pumping station, built to pipe this sewage far off the coast has not solved this ongoing problem.
Border Field State Park, one of a number of parks in the valley, is located at the end of Monument Road and is at the absolute southwestern spot in the U.S., as its southern boarder is the Border Fence and its western border is the Pacific Ocean. The park offers horse trails and you can rent horses at any of a number of local stables and ride to the park following its many trails including some that lead to the beach. There, you can enjoy the sounds of the shorebirds and the crashing waves, as well as watch one of San Diego's famous sunsets. From the park, you can see Tijuana's Bull Ring and get a great view of The Coronado Islands, just 9 miles away. Although the main gate to the park is only open, Saturday and Sunday, the park is accessible to horses and pedestrians everyday, the exception being after a rain, when the park may stay closed for up to three weeks.
Another spot worth checking out, is the Tijuana River Valley Bird and Butterfly Garden. Home to many local and migratory bird species, as well as many colorful butterfly species, this small park is a great place to visit with a camera and a guide book. Here, you may encounter no less than six species of butterflies. As for birds, frequent visitors include, Anna's Hummingbirds, Black Shouldered Kite, Red Tailed Hawk, Red Shouldered Hawks, Black Phoebe, Western Meadowlark, Roadrunners, and many more .
Just north of the park is a large community garden. The Tijuana River valley Community Garden is the largest community garden in San Diego County with 136 garden plots spread over ten acres. Here people of many ethnic and cultural background grow fruits and vegetables, share techniques and advice. It is quite interesting
to walk through this garden and view the diverse crops with their varied colors and shapes, as well as the sometimes amusing garden arrangements and ornaments.
The Valley is also home to a large sports park, with 5 ballfields and a huge multi use turf area great for soccer, playing Frisbee, or having a picnic.

The Tijuana River Valley is an area that is rich in wildlife, recreation, parks, agriculture, and equestrian activities. It is a place where, although you are less than twenty miles from Downtown San Diego, you feel as though you are worlds away from the fast pace and clamor of the city. With all it has to offer, there is much that needs to be done to polish this little jewel in the rough.