Day Trips From Mission Viejo With Kids

Dana Point → Avalon · Day Trips

Hop the ferry for a car-free island of glass-bottom boats, snorkeling, and golf-cart tours — a memorable big-day adventure.

Big Bear Lake · Day Trips

Alpine lake getaway with boat rentals, fishing, swim beaches, hiking, and winter skiing, about 90 minutes up the mountain.

Julian · Day Trips

Historic gold-rush mountain town famous for apple pie, fall apple picking, and a quaint Old West main street.

Idyllwild · Day Trips

A cozy mountain arts town with pine forests, easy nature trails, a nature center, and a famous mascot (Mayor Max the dog).

Temecula · Day Trips

Those colorful balloons drifting over the vineyards at dawn are a Temecula signature, and several operators fly family-friendly rides that lift off just after sunrise. Flights are weather-dependent and book up fast, so reserve ahead — and the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival each spring is a fun way to see dozens rise at once.

Dana Point → Avalon · Day Trips

Hop the ferry for a car-free island of glass-bottom boats, snorkeling, and golf-cart tours — a memorable big-day adventure.

Corona · Day Trips

A historic day spa with mineral pools and the famous red-clay 'Club Mud,' geared to teens and grown-ups.

Newport Coast · Day Trips

For a true splurge: the famed circular coliseum pool, ocean-view dining, and gelato carts. A spendy but unforgettable treat day.

Temecula · Day Trips

Those colorful balloons drifting over the vineyards at dawn are a Temecula signature, and several operators fly family-friendly rides that lift off just after sunrise. Flights are weather-dependent and book up fast, so reserve ahead — and the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival each spring is a fun way to see dozens rise at once.

Hacienda Heights · Day Trips

One of the largest Buddhist temples in the Western Hemisphere — ornate courtyards and a vegetarian cafeteria. Dress modestly.

Pomona · Day Trips

The big annual anchor — rides, livestock and fried everything each May. Go a weekday or opening week, and bring hats (little shade in the inland heat).

Arcadia · Day Trips

A Family Fun Zone (jumpers, pony rides, face painting) runs on select race days with the San Gabriel Mountains as backdrop. Also hosts the 626 Night Market.

Cardiff-by-the-Sea · Day Trips

A long bluff-backed beach with reliably gentle surf at the south end, which makes it one of the better North County beaches for young swimmers. Day-use lots fill by 10am in summer — arrive early, or park free along Coast Highway 101 and take the stairs down.

Cardiff-by-the-Sea · Day Trips

An independent grocery known countywide for its marinated tri-tip, with a deli counter that makes the easiest beach picnic in North County. Order at the deli, then walk across Coast Highway to the sand rather than eating in the cramped lot.

Rancho Bernardo · Day Trips

The indoor gym at the community park, with drop-in open-gym hours and youth programs — a useful backup when inland heat makes outdoor play miserable. Call first, since the schedule shifts around league bookings.

Idyllwild · Day Trips

A cozy mountain arts town with pine forests, easy nature trails, a nature center, and a famous mascot (Mayor Max the dog).

Burbank · Day Trips

Best for older kids and TV fans, not toddlers. Central Perk (Friends) and the DC/Superman stops are highlights — reserve ahead.

Ramona · Day Trips

A professionally sanctioned rodeo at the Fred Grand Arena and the town's biggest annual event. Evening performances are cooler and better for kids than the daytime heat, and the good seats go on sale in May.

Ramona · Day Trips

An eight-acre in-town park with three playgrounds, a lighted enclosed soccer field, courts, restrooms and a community garden. It's a block off Main Street, so it's the natural place to burn energy before or after anything else in town.

Big Bear Lake · Day Trips

Alpine lake getaway with boat rentals, fishing, swim beaches, hiking, and winter skiing, about 90 minutes up the mountain.

Sherman Oaks · Day Trips

Three 18-hole mini-golf courses plus arcade and batting cages — a Valley institution. Teen-heavy on weekend evenings.

Ocean Beach · Day Trips

A leash-free stretch of sand at the north end of Ocean Beach where dogs have run since 1972 — one of the best free hours of entertainment for kids who love animals even if you don't own one. Park in the lot off Voltaire Street and bring a towel; the sand near the river mouth is damp and dogs shake off wherever they like.

Ocean Beach · Day Trips

A small grassy park with play equipment set back a block from the sand — useful when the beach wind gets to be too much for little kids. There's a public restroom here, worth knowing when the beach ones are jammed on a summer weekend.

Ocean Beach · Day Trips

Below the bluffs at the south end of the beach, rocky shelves fill with anemones, crabs and sea stars at low tide. Go at a minus tide or there's genuinely nothing to see — and wear closed-toe shoes, because the rocks are slick.

Santee · Day Trips

A commercial sports complex next to Town Center with batting cages, courts and youth leagues — the practical rainy-day or hundred-degree-day option in Santee. It's pay-per-activity rather than open play, so check what's bookable before driving over.

Santee · Day Trips

Run in partnership with the city and open to the public, with a 25-metre pool plus a separate shallow activity pool with a water play structure for little kids. Call ahead — lap swim, lessons and rec swim rotate, and the family pool isn't always open.

Victorville · Day Trips

The county fair each spring — rides, livestock, concerts and fair food. The grounds also host swap meets and community events year-round.

Santee · Day Trips

A small tucked-away playground with a picnic shelter, half-court basketball, a walking path and adult exercise equipment. Genuinely a toddler park — the right size when a full regional park is more than you need.

Lakeside · Day Trips

An eight-acre permanent rodeo facility run by volunteers, home to a long-running April rodeo that's the town's biggest annual event. Seating is open bleachers with little shade or wind protection, so bring cushions and layers for an evening show.

Santee · Day Trips

One of the few genuinely shaded playgrounds in Santee, with a gazebo holding six picnic tables, restrooms and courts. The shade makes this the reliable summer pick when the rest of East County's playgrounds are too hot to touch.

La Mesa · Day Trips

La Mesa's oldest park reopened in 2024 after a full rebuild, with a brand-new playground, nature trails, shaded seating and shared tennis and pickleball courts. At under eight acres it's easy to keep eyes on younger kids while they roam.

Julian · Day Trips

Historic gold-rush mountain town famous for apple pie, fall apple picking, and a quaint Old West main street.

Alpine · Day Trips

A licensed falconry school on a 40-acre ranch where you walk through oak groves flying a trained hawk to and from your glove. It's expensive and best for older kids with patience — the ranch is down a private dirt road, and the gate code arrives by email after booking.

Indio · Day Trips

Home of the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, running since 1947 to celebrate the date harvest, with carnival rides, camel and ostrich races and a rodeo. The February–March festival is the classic family outing, but check the calendar for other events year-round. Buy tickets ahead and plan for parking crowds during festival weeks.

Lancaster · Day Trips

The big high-desert fair each fall — rides, livestock, concerts and fair food. Evenings beat the hot afternoons; check avfair.com for 2026 dates.

Mount Laguna · Day Trips

After a winter storm the pullouts along Sunrise Highway become San Diego County's main sledding spot — the only place in the county that reliably gets snow. Strictly weather-dependent: check road conditions and chain requirements, and go the day after a storm rather than during one.

Mount Laguna · Day Trips

Picnic tables on the edge of the escarpment with a straight drop-off view across the Anza-Borrego desert, plus a walkable section of the Pacific Crest Trail. It's windy and the drop is unfenced in places, so keep small children close to the tables.

Mount Laguna · Day Trips

The general store at the centre of town selling snacks, firewood, sleds in winter and basic supplies — and it's the last real supply point for miles. Cell service is patchy up here, so download your directions before you leave the interstate.

Mount Laguna · Day Trips

A small volunteer-run center where kids can handle pelts, antlers and rocks, and where you buy the Adventure Pass required at most trailheads up here. Hours are genuinely limited and seasonal, so don't count on it for your parking pass without checking.