Phone: (619) 575-3613
Border Field Vehicle Entrance Gate Status CLOSED to vehicles.
Read more…
Border Field Entry Project. Read more…
Beautiful Picnic Facilities on Monument Mesa. Read more…
Vehicle Entrance Gate
When the road is not flooded, the entrance gate is open and accessible to vehicles on Saturday and Sunday (as well as Thursday and Friday summer 2016). The road is subject to frequent flooding, check status on this website for the latest updates (above). Pedestrians and equestrians may still enter the park. Read more in the Border Field FAQ section below.
Entrance Fee: $5.00 per vehicle
Please watch this website for any changes in the status of vehicular access.
Park Hours of Operation: hours change seasonally, read more.
Special Events and Group Visits: more than 25 people requires a permit, read more.
Border Field State Park
Border Field is a park you won’t want to miss. The park has a number of trails which can be used for horseback riding as well as walking. It is one of the few parks that permit horseback riding along the beach. Horses can be rented at a ranch close by which has access to the park. You may also bring your own horses; there are areas for staging (see Horseback Riding at Border Field State Park). There is no charge for use of the trails for hiking or horseback riding. A $5.00 charge is collected at the kiosk for vehicles. The gate is open to vehicles on Saturday and Sunday (read Border Field FAQs below for reasons why the gate may be closed even on these days). Bicycle riding is not permitted on trails but on the main road only. Dogs are not permitted on the trails (with the exception of service dogs) but are permitted in the picnic area on Monument Mesa as long as they are leashed.
The park provides restrooms, picnic areas, barbecues, horse corrals, and interpretive displays. Visitors enjoy beach combing, hiking, horseback riding, and bird watching. The Park does not recommend swimming or wading, due to hazardous conditions, such as inshore holes, rip currents, and the lack of lifeguard service within the Park.
Scenic
Sitting high on a bluff on the border of the United States and Mexico is Monument Mesa. A monument dividing the two countries straddles the boundary line. This is the southwestern corner of the United States! With the construction of the triple border fence, there is no close access to the border monument as it is now behind two fences. Through the fences you can see the monument and Mexico’s beach neighborhood of Las Playas de Tijuana where a bull ring is still standing by the sea as a picturesque companion to an old lighthouse. Although there is usually no swimming on the U.S. side, you may observe families playing in the water in Las Playas.
History
Border Field State Park goes back quite a way and is full of history. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was concluded on February 2, 1848, officially ending the U.S./Mexico War. In 1850, delegations from both countries began surveying the boundary at this location. Border Monument number 258 can be viewed from Monument Mesa, however there is no close access because it is now behind two border fences. You can still see the bunkers which were left over from World War II. While you are at Monument Mesa, read the interpretive panels of who was here and what happened in years gone by. Read more.
Border Patrol
Border Patrol personnel are evident at the park. At times, there may be a checkpoint set up for which identification is requested.
Border Field Entrance Gate FAQs
- Why is the entrance gate closed?
The entrance gate to Border Field is closed Monday – Friday. There is no vehicle access on those days; however the park remains accessible to pedestrians and equestrians.
The entrance gate is open and accessible to vehicles on Saturdays and Sundays. Vehicles can park at the Monument Mesa parking lots (at the end of the paved road). - Are people allowed to enter the park even if the entrance gate is closed?
Yes, as long as it is during park hours of operation (daylight hours). - I am getting intimidating looks from U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Are you sure I am allowed to be in the park?
You have every right to be in the state park. You do not have a right to be on the federal property immediately along the border which includes Border Monument #258. - Are Border Field State Park, Monument Mesa, and Friendship Park the same place?
Not exactly, this document will explain the difference between each and the other places found within the larger Reserve. - It is the weekend and the gate is still closed…
This means that most likely it has rained within the last 3 weeks. Public vehicle access to Border Field and Monument Mesa may be intermittently closed due to flooding and sedimentation following rainstorms or from runoff from the City of Tijuana. During the rainy season, you should visit this website for the current status before visiting the park or call 619-575-3613 between 10AM and 5PM. for the latest update. We are currently seeking funds for a permanent solution to this flooding problem. - Pedestrians – how to get to Monument Mesa when gate is closed…
When the entrance gate is closed, the best way to reach Monument Mesa is to park at the entrance gate lot, walk on the road and when the road turns, continue straight on the dirt path to the beach. When you reach the beach, head south until you reach the border and Monument Mesa. It is advised to stay out of any puddles and mud. - Equestrians – what to do when the gate is closed…
When the gate is open, equestrians may use the staging area below Monument Mesa. When the gate is closed, please stage at the parking area at the entrance gate to the park. -
Why is the road ALWAYS flooded?We painfully recognize that since the storms of 2005, the Monument Mesa portion of Border Field State Park is inaccessible to public vehicles for, typically, 5 months of each year. In 2005, sediment flowing from intense storms changed the topography of that part of the park such that the park entrance road is the low spot in the surrounding area and there is nowhere for the water to flow to. We would love to provide a permanent fix to this problem, but it will involve major earth-moving in a wetland area and costs may exceed $4 million. We continue to search for a source for these funds.
Rules and Regulations
The following rules and regulations are for your own safety and to protect the plants and animals that live in this Reserve. For additional information, please check out this brochure.
- Dogs.
Dogs (only on leash) are allowed only atop the Monument Mesa picnic area. Therefore, only on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, when the road is accessible to public vehicles (when the road is not flooded). - No harassing or disturbing wild animals.
This is prohibited by state and federal laws. - No collecting.
Shells, rocks, wood, plants or animals. As a State Park, all features are protected. Please don’t dig, collect, break or in anyway disturb the natural and historic features found in Border Field State Park. Help us save them for future generations to enjoy. And, anyhow, it’s a violation to do so. - Special Events and Group Visits.
A Special Event Permit is required for any company, society, organization, or group of persons greater than 25 individuals. Any group that has alcohol or catering is required to have a permit for any size group. Read more…
Access to the Border Monument at Friendship Circle
Friendship Park is open to the public year-round on Saturday and Sunday from 10:ooam – 2:00pm. Any document verifying legal residence in the U.S. (Driver’s License, eg) is sufficient to gain access to Friendship Park. For more information, please contact the Border Patrol Public Information Office: 619-216-4182.
Enjoy!
If you are new to the area, or if you just haven’t ventured this far south, you will have a unique experience where these two countries meet. It is interesting and educational but more than that, it is a delightful way to spend an active or relaxing day surrounded by the breeze and the beauty of the sea.