Photo: Der-wuppertaler · CC BY-SA 3.0National City has 183 acres of parks, 3.1 for every 1,000 residents
91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: El Toyon Park (0.8 mi), Kimball Park (0.5 mi). 4.1 miles of mapped trail cross National City, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns · #454 of 847 in California. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is National City?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does National City have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, National City is ahead of 58% of U.S. towns, #454 of 847 in California. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
Water is 22% of National City’s area (2 of 9 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 4%.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is El Toyon Park, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge
All 8 parks & preserves
207 conserved acres
4% of National City’s land. Water is left out: National City has 7.3 square miles of land and 2.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages National City’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 76 | Restricted |
| Sweetwater Summit Regional Park Local Park | County | 42 | Open |
| National City Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 41 | Restricted |
| Kimball Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| El Toyon Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Las Palmas Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Paradise Creek Educational Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Pepper Park Local Park | Regional agency | 4 | Open |
| Centennial Greenbelt Trail Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Butterfly Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
27 places to go in National City
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 20 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
1 community garden without a name on the map.
1 lakes & rivers
28 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in National City: April to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.2 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 10.0 |
| High (°F) | 66 | 65 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 75 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 70 | 66 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 2.0 inches fall in February, the wettest month. The climate in National City →
National City and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National City | 4% | 0.6 | 3 | 91% | B |
| San Diego | 26% | 2.2 | 28 | 97% | A+ |
| Chula Vista | 19% | 2.2 | 10 | 94% | A |
| Bonita | 14% | 1.4 | 30 | 99% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in National City
Where can I hike in National City?
The longest trail networks: El Toyon Park, 0.8 miles; Kimball Park, 0.5 miles; Pepper Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of National City is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on National City’s trails?
El Toyon Park and Kimball Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in National City?
28 miles of bike routes are on the map: 15 of painted or protected lanes, 7.3 of off-road paths and 6.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near National City?
36,506 acres of parks and open public land lie inside National City or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 183 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does National City have?
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #454 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from National City neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →