SoCal Nature Kids

SoCal Nature Kids I help Southern California families have fun outdoors by sharing tips + local places to go! Thanks for checking out the Nature with Kids Podcast!

I don't update this page much, but you can visit the web site or follow on Instagram

I’d love your cards, drawings, and letters of encouragement from your children (and you!) to include in care packages as...
01/14/2025

I’d love your cards, drawings, and letters of encouragement from your children (and you!) to include in care packages as a simple way of encouraging and sending love.

Here’s a simple, hands-on way for kids (and adults!) to get involved, virtually for free, in sending love and support for those impacted by the wildfires.

Read above for all the info about what to write and where to send (via email or regular mail) or comment HELP to get the address and more details sent to your inbox.

Do you know someone (including yourself) who lost a home, evacuated, or is helping with the fire department/emergency services and would benefit from letters of encouragement and a small care package? Please comment HELP for the nomination form and we’ll add them to the list!

Business owners: do you want to contribute any items to be included in our care packages alongside the cards/letters? Please send me a DM!

Thank you so much for your help and support!

I got tired of doomscrolling the latest news about the wildfires in LA and decided to put together this list of ways we ...
01/09/2025

I got tired of doomscrolling the latest news about the wildfires in LA and decided to put together this list of ways we can actually make a difference in helping, especially involving our children!

It can be tricky to find ways to help that involve kids, especially in a last-minute, but here are some ideas for ways to get involved!

I put together a post on my web site with more details, direct links, and other info — comment HELP and I’ll send it to your DMs.

(Just to be clear, this list is not meant for those who’ve evacuated or are in the thick of the fire areas… more for the rest of us throughout Southern California who aren’t directly involved. )

Sending love to all those affected 💛💛

Here are lots of ideas for places to camp with children in Southern California! (Swipe to see them all). Have you been t...
04/18/2023

Here are lots of ideas for places to camp with children in Southern California! (Swipe to see them all).

Have you been to any of these campgrounds? Please leave your reviews (positive or negative!) in the comments so we can learn from each other.

It's Camping Week here at SoCal Nature Kids! All week we'll be talking camping with children in Southern California. Whe...
04/17/2023

It's Camping Week here at SoCal Nature Kids! All week we'll be talking camping with children in Southern California. Where do you like to camp in Southern California? Please share in the comments!

I wanted to start off by sharing one of our fave SoCal camping trips! We visited William Heise County Park in Julian a couple Thanksgiving ago, and had a wonderful trip. All these photos are from that trip (November 2021).

What we liked about camping at William Heise:

🏕️ the campground is well-maintained + was very quiet. It’s a little out of the way so not as likely to be a “party campground” (though conditions may vary!)

⛺️ We were in Site 101, which was perfect. It was midweek so the campground was pretty empty. It was a short walk to the bathrooms.

✨ the view of the stars was incredible, especially for Southern California!

🦌 It feels very forested - we saw deer!

🛝 There is a nice playground along with hiking trails. My children also really enjoyed getting a Junior Ranger kit (free!)

🥧 You’re about a 10 minute drive from downtown Julian - we stopped into “town” to get some apple pie + check out a used bookstore.

🏕️ We camped in tents, but cabins available too! (Be aware cabins are very close to the playground/bathrooms.)

🚗 We took a specific route from Riverside that didn’t involve many windy roads.

☀️ Temperatures in Julian can be cooler than in the rest of San Diego (since it’s in the mountains).

Here are some things to be aware of when camping at William Heise:

🔥 On the last morning, there were no campfires allowed due to high winds/Santa Ana conditions. I’m not sure how often that happens, but we were grateful we were leaving!

🚙 Most routes into Julian are very curvy/windy.

🛒 There is not a camp store within the campground (though the town of Julian isn’t far).

🍎 The town of Julian can be very busy in the fall for apple picking, apple pie, and into the holidays. Just be prepared!

❄️ In the winter, Julian can be very cold - we visited in November and wore gloves + parkas.

💦 Be mindful of higher elevation: drink water!

FYI, you can also visit William Heise just for the day.

Please comment: where have you camped in SoCal? How was it?

Looking for somewhere to get outside with your family? My husband was born and raised in San Diego, and I lived here for...
03/29/2023

Looking for somewhere to get outside with your family?

My husband was born and raised in San Diego, and I lived here for 5 years - it’s where we got married and I became a mom! Now we live in the Riverside area + return to San Diego regularly on day trips to visit family and have fun. So I feel like I have the best of both worlds, experiencing San Diego as both a local and a tourist. 😉

Whether you live here or are coming down for a day trip or the weekend, here are nine of our favorite places in San Diego County!

Balboa Park - love walking around the gardens here (free!) or visiting the SD Zoo or museums

San Elijo Lagoon - beautiful for hiking + bird-watching. Some parts are wheelchair-accessible (and stroller-friendly!) The popular Annie’s Canyon hike is nearby (not stroller-friendly)

William Heise County Park in Julian - we had a delightful camping trip here a couple Thanksgivings ago. Great hiking trails - we even saw deer!

La Jolla Children’s Pool - this is the place we’ve visited most recently on the list - we had a wonderful time not only seeing the seals, but also walking down to the beaches nearby.

Cabrillo Monument and Point Loma Lighthouse - this is San Diego’s only “National Park!” this place holds a soft spot in my heart because my husband and I got engaged here! The tide pools are lovely, the visitor center is interesting, and the views can’t be beat!

Hotel Del Coronado area - there may be nothing as quintessentially “San Diego” for me as going to Coronado to play at the beach, walk through the Hotel Del, eat at Miguel’s, and maybe stop by the cute public library here.

Lake Murray - technically part of Mission Trails Regional Park, this reservoir in La Mesa offers a beautiful walking path that is stroller and scooter friendly.

Leo Carrillo Ranch - not only is this a lovely place for walking around (paths are not too short and not too long!) but the opportunities for cute family photos abound!

Safari Park - a membership here is one of our favorite Christmas gifts each year (it works at the Zoo too!) The tram ride around the area is so delightful (as long as the line isn’t too long!)

What would you add to the list?

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91001, 91003

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