Landmark · 48 min north
Salvation Mountain
A hand-painted desert art hill near Niland in Imperial County.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Best Oct-Apr (confirm before you go)
- Free
Day Trippin' › California › From El Centro
Day trips from El Centro
From El Centro, Imperial Sand Dunes is under an hour away, Anza-Borrego Desert under an hour and a half, and Balboa Park under two hours. The best day trips from El Centro, by drive time.
90 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from El Centro
- Imperial Sand Dunes 44 min east
- Salvation Mountain 48 min north
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 1 hr 22 min northwest
- San Diego Zoo 1 hr 48 min west
- Cabrillo National Monument 1 hr 53 min west
- Palm Springs Aerial Tramway 1 hr 57 min northwest
- San Diego Zoo Safari Park 1 hr 59 min west
- LEGOLAND California 2 hr 6 min west
- Mission San Juan Capistrano 2 hr 36 min west
- Crystal Cove State Park 2 hr 54 min west
Within an hour from El Centro 2 spots
Landmark · 44 min east
Imperial Sand Dunes
A huge dune field popular with off-road vehicles and sandboarding near Glamis.
- Half day · Moderate
- Best Oct-Apr
- See the official site for current fees
1 to 2 hours from El Centro 42 spots
State park · 1 hr 22 min northwest
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
California's largest state park, with palm canyons, badlands and, in some years, spring wildflowers.
- Full day · Moderate
- Best Oct-Apr
- See the official site for current fees
Zoo · 1 hr 48 min west
San Diego Zoo
A world-class zoo with pandas, big cats, gorillas and a hillside garden.
- Full day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
National park · 1 hr 53 min west
Cabrillo National Monument
A historic lighthouse and tide pools at Point Loma with a big view over San Diego bay.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Landmark · 1 hr 57 min northwest
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
A rotating tram car lifts you from desert floor to cool alpine forest in about ten minutes.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round; annual maintenance closure in fall (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Zoo · 1 hr 59 min west
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
A big wildlife park in Escondido with African savannah areas and a tram or safari tour.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Food town · 1 hr 33 min west
Julian
An old gold-mining mountain town known for apple pie, cider and fall color.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round; busy in fall
- Free to visit
Museum · 1 hr 44 min west
Balboa Park
A huge park with Spanish-style buildings, gardens and more than a dozen museums.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Beach · 1 hr 48 min west
Coronado Beach and Hotel del Coronado
A wide sandy beach in front of a famous Victorian hotel, with calm water and tide pools.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
2 to 3 hours from El Centro 46 spots
Theme park · 2 hr 6 min west
LEGOLAND California
A theme park in Carlsbad built for kids ages 2 to 12, with rides, shows and a water park.
- Full day · Easy
- Check calendar; some weekdays closed
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 2 hr 36 min west
Mission San Juan Capistrano
A historic mission with gardens, the Great Stone Church ruins and swallows legend.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 2 hr 54 min west
Crystal Cove State Park
Beach, tide pools and coastal bluff trails with historic cottages.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 2 hr 57 min northwest
Lake Arrowhead Village
A lakeside village with shops, restaurants and a pretty mountain setting. Good for a relaxed lunch.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to visit
Small town · 2 hr 28 min northwest
Idyllwild
A cool pine-forest village under Mount San Jacinto with art shops, cafes and trailheads.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to visit
Hike · 2 hr 41 min north
Barker Dam
A loop to an old dam with petroglyphs and sometimes water that draws birds.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Best Oct-Apr
- See the official site for current fees
Beach · 2 hr 47 min west
Laguna Beach Main Beach
A pretty cove beach in a classic art town with basketball and sand volleyball.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free; parking is paid
Viewpoint · 2 hr 49 min northwest
Keys View
A high lookout over the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault and the Salton Sea on clear days.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 92243 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.