Printer-friendly version
March 31, 2010 (San Diego)--The County of San Diego's Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has launched a Virtual Recreation Center! This is your one-stop-shop for tips, tricks and tales to help you pass the downtime caused by school closures, quarantines and other County advisories. From virtual hikes to daily home fitness challenges, the site has both indoor and outdoor activities to adults and kids who are homebound.
"While our standard rallying cry is to encourage people to spend more time outside, we understand that recent realities may not make that feasible. We’re now poised to offer many of our incredible outdoor activities in an online environment, or in a manner that supports social distancing," the site states.
Bookmark this page and check back often for new content. Below are items posted as of March 31:
Quick links
Indoor Activities
You can explore the ‘upside of outside’… from inside your home!
Participate in the Live Well 31-Day Challenge! Beginning April 1, the County's Live Well team will be posting daily fitness challenges you can do while sheltering in place. Tune in and join the movement on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Take a Virtual Hike. Experience our trails from your favorite mobile device.
- Annie's Canyon Virtual Hike
- Bayshore Bikeway Tour
- Dairy Mart Loop Trail Virtual Hike
- Helix Flume Trail Virtual Hike
- Lake Morena Nature Trail Virtual Hike
- Lake Morena County Park Virtual Ride
- Lindo Lake County Park Virtual Hike
- Martha's Grove Virtual Hike
- Mt. Gower County Preserve Virtual Hike
- Otay Valley Regional Park Virtual Hike
- Ramona Grasslands Virtual Hike
- San Dieguito County Park Virtual Hike
- Volcan Mountain Summit Virtual Hike
- William Heise County Park
View popular vantage points in 360 degrees. You take the reins in these interactive videos that offer walk-through reviews of historic sites and summits.
- View from Mt. Gower Trail
- View from the Top: Volcan Mountain Summit
- Inside the Ranch House at Los Penasquitos
Learn from the experts. We made short videos to answer our most frequently asked questions!
- Why do some trails close when it rains?
- How do I safely start a campfire?
- Camping Essentials
- Camping Etiquette
- Snake on the trail! What do I do?
- What do I do if I encounter a swarm of bees?
- What do I bring on my first hike?
Follow us online. Join the conversation on our official social media channels.
- Facebook – @CountyofSanDiegoParksAndRecreation
- Twitter – @sandiegoparks
- Instagram – @SanDiegoParks, @PQGoats
- Pinterest – @sdcountyparks
- YouTube – @sdcountyparks
Stay informed. With information changing daily, it’s important to be in ‘the know’.
- San Diego County COVID-19 info page (for overarching situational updates)
- DPR COVID-19 info page (for park-specific updates)
- Text COSD COVID19 to 468-311 to get text alerts and updates
Outdoor Activities
If you’re healthy and able – and not on mandatory or voluntary quarantine – we’ve got plenty of outdoor activities to share with you, too!
Take a stroll around the block! You don't have to go far to find cool stuff in nature - try this scavenger hunt!
Choose your own adventure! We partnered with San Diego Magazine to highlight our favorite parks and preserves for hiking, biking and horse-back-riding. Read the article.
Try a TRACK Trail. These are educational checklists designed for kids that encourage them to find and track plants, animals, insects and other park wildlife... for prizes! TRACK Trails are free and self-paced via booklets available at each of the following parks, where it's easy to maintain safe social distancing:
- Felicita County Park
- Guajome Regional Park
- Lake Morena County Park
- Lindo Lake County Park
- San Dieguito County Park
- San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve
- Stelzer County Park
Find your inner photographer.
- Snap a selfie at these Instagram-worthy parks!
- Share your park pictures online using our hashtag: #UpsideofOutside.
- Stockpile your favorite images for a chance to win a prize in our #MayPhotoMonth Challenge (details coming soon).
Download the Libby app… and read under a tree! This is a free book-sharing service offered through County Libraries.
Walk along San Diego’s historic flume. You can access a trailhead from El Monte County Park, and from a mile to the west thanks to a special easement we opened in 2017.
How You Can Help
We all have a role to play to help prevent the spread of coronavirus while offering support to those in need. Here are ways you can pay it forward.
Practice social distancing. Here are six tips for success!
Share and be aware. Following proper trail etiquette means exercising caution, using communication and acting with respect. Watch this award-winning video for the inside scoop!
Protect your pets! Here are seven things to keep in mind for their protection, as well as yours, as you venture into our park system.
Support a Live Well San Diego Partner. The County has established working relationships with hundreds of local businesses that embody the Live Well commitment to healthy, safe and thriving communities. Consider following them online, attending a virtual workshop, purchasing a gift card or ordering takeout to help keep them in business during this trying time.
Pledge to make a difference. County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher has joined forces with the San Diego Foundation to establish a COVID-19 Community Response Fund that makes emergency funding available to nonprofits and rescue crews helping to combat coronavirus, and those dedicated to providing support for affected individuals and businesses.
Recent comments