Border Field State Park

2025-01-17T14:23:35Z

151.30.141.30: /* History */

{{Short description|State park in San Diego, California}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Border Field State Park
| iucn_category =
| photo = Border Field State Park (16034475811).jpg
| photo_caption = Border Field State Park sign
| map = USA California#USA
| relief = 1
| location = [[San Diego County, California]], United States
| nearest_city = [[Imperial Beach, California]]
| coordinates = {{coord|32|32|36|N|117|6|23|W|region:US-CA|display=inline, title}}
| area_acre = 1316
| established = 1972
| visitation_num = 62,000<ref name="Visitors"/>
| visitation_year = FY 2014/2015
| governing_body = [[California Department of Parks and Recreation]]
| website = http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=664
}}
'''Border Field State Park''' is a [[state park]] of [[California]], United States, containing beach and coastal habitat on the [[Mexico–United States border]]. The park is within the city limits of [[Imperial Beach, California|Imperial Beach]] in [[San Diego County]], next to the suburb of [[Playas de Tijuana]] in Mexico. It contains the southernmost point in the state of California.<ref name="Website">{{cite web | title = Border Field SP | url = http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=664 | publisher = California State Parks | access-date = 2011-10-02}}</ref> The refuge forms the southern part of [[Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve]].

Border Field State Park contains [[Friendship Park (San Diego–Tijuana)|Friendship Park]], which is just inland from the place where the border meets the ocean. Immediately adjacent is the [[Initial Point of Boundary Between U.S. and Mexico]].

==History==
The [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]] was concluded on February 2, 1848, officially ending the [[Mexican–American War|war]] between the [[United States]] and [[Mexico]]. It provided that the new international border between the two countries be established by a joint [[United States and Mexican Boundary Survey]]. The commission began its survey at Border Field. During [[World War II]] it was base for [[Border Naval Outlying Landing Field]]<ref name="Website" /><ref>[https://members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/CA/Airfields_CA_SanDiego_S.htm#border Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California - Southern San Diego area]</ref><ref>[http://sunnycv.com/history/exhibits/military.html sunnycv.com Military Bases in the South Bay]</ref><ref>Van Wormer, Stephen R. "A Land Use History of the Tia Juana River Valley," California State Parks, Southern Service Center, June 2005.</ref>

The park was closed to the public in 2020 during the [[COVID-19]] outbreak. After the COVID-19 threat passed, the park remained closed, ostensibly due to flooding and sewage issues. In 2024 the park remained closed, purportedly due to construction on new [[Mexico–United States border wall|border fence]]. The park remains closed as of January 2025.<ref>"Concerns grow that Border Patrol will never reopen Friendship Park" Salvador Rivera Jul 9, 2024 ''Fox News''
https://fox5sandiego.com/news/border-report/concerns-grow-that-border-patrol-will-never-reopen-friendship-park/</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="150" caption="Escalating militarization of the U.S.’s border barrier at Border Field State Park" style="line-height:130%">
File:Monument marking the Initial Point of Boundary Between U.S. and Mexico (1974 photo).jpg|1974 border
File:Frontera San Diego Tijuana.jpg|2008 border. (Border Patrol vehicles present in image)
File:United States - Mexico Ocean Border Fence (15838118610).jpg|2014 border
</gallery>

==Habitat==
The [[Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve]] contains much of Border Field State Park and is an important wildlife [[habitat]]. The salt and freshwater [[marsh]]es give refuge to migrating [[waterfowl]] and resident [[wader|wading bird]]s, such as [[black-necked stilt]], [[American avocet]], [[green-winged teal]], [[American wigeon]] and [[pelican]]s. The park offers hiking, horse trails, surf fishing and birding.<ref name="Website" />

==Visitors==
For [[fiscal year]] 2014–2015 61,799 people visited the Border Field State Park,<ref name="Visitors">{{cite web|title=California State Park System Statistical Report 2014/15 Fiscal Year|publisher=Statewide Planning Unit Planning Division California State Parks|url=http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/795/files/14-15%20statistical%20report%20-%20internet.pdf|format=PDF|pages=32–33|access-date=June 6, 2016}}</ref> up from 45,633 in FY 2011–2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=California State Park System Statistical Report 2011/12 Fiscal Year |publisher=Statewide Planning Unit Planning Division California State Parks |url=http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/795/files/11-12%20statistical%20report%20internet.pdf |format=PDF |pages=28–29 |access-date=June 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701160742/http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/795/files/11-12%20Statistical%20Report%20INTERNET.pdf |archive-date=July 1, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0.5em auto; clear: both; font-size:95%;"
|- style="text-align: center;"
|- style="text-align: center;"
| width="30%" align="center" rowspan="1"|To the East:<br/>'''[[San Ysidro, California|San Ysidro]]'''
{{S-ttl|rows=1|title=[[California State Beaches]]|years=}}
| width="30%" align="center" rowspan="1"|To the South<br/>'''[[Tijuana]]'''
|}

==See also==
*[[Initial Point of Boundary Between U.S. and Mexico]]
*[[Friendship Park (San Diego–Tijuana)|Friendship Park]]
*[[Imperial Beach]]
* [[List of beaches in San Diego County]]
* [[List of California state parks]]
*[[Mexico–United States international park]]
*[[Playas de Tijuana]]
*[[Tijuana River]] (''Río Tijuana'')
*[[Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve]]
*[[Tortilla Wall]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Border Field State Park}}
* [http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=664 Border Field State Park]
* [http://trnerr.org/plan_a_visit/borderfield/ Border Field State Park (Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve)]
*{{cite web |url=https://www.airfieldsfreeman.com/CA/Airfields_CA_SanDiego_S.htm#border |title=Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California - Southern San Diego area |author=Paul Freeman |date=8 September 2012 |publisher=California Pilot Associated }}

{{Protected areas of California|SP}}
{{San Diego–Tijuana Border |state=expanded}}
{{Tijuana River Watershed}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:State parks of California]]
[[Category:Parks in San Diego County, California]]
[[Category:Beaches of San Diego County, California]]
[[Category:Imperial Beach, California]]
[[Category:South Bay (San Diego County)]]
[[Category:Mexico–United States border]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1972]]
[[Category:1972 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Beaches of Southern California]]

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Border Field State Park