Border Field State Park reopens after two-year closure

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Border Field State Park, one of San Diego County’s most scenic coastal areas, has reopened after being closed for two years during construction that raised sections of the U.S.-Mexico border wall from 18 to 30 feet.

The reopening allows visitors to once again drive directly into the park, which sits on the southwesternmost corner of the continental United States. The area offers sweeping views of the Coronado Islands and the Tijuana River Estuary, but advocates say the sewage crisis along the border continues to threaten the land and sea.

“We are getting a little bit of a chemical smell today from the water,” said Bethany Case, an Imperial Beach resident with the Surfrider Foundation who led tours of the park to highlight the environmental damage. “This is a perfect spot to get a lay of the land and see what’s going on.”

The timing coincides with the 54th anniversary of former First Lady Pat Nixon’s dedication of Border Field State Park and Friendship Park, a meeting point on the border for families separated by immigration status. While Friendship Park remains closed on the U.S. side, festivities were held in Mexico to mark the occasion.

“It’s the only state park in California that is at the border,” said Janice Deaton with Friends of Friendship Park. “Right across the border is the first marker that separated Mexico and established the United States here. It has a lot of historical significance.”

For many, the park is more than a place to enjoy the scenery — it’s a site of personal connection.

“This is a very important meeting place on the border,” said James Brown, a park visitor. “For people that can’t otherwise cross, it’s a place where they might see their mothers and fathers for the last time, or their grandkids for the first time.”

Admission to Border Field State Park is $7 per vehicle, though entry is free for California State Parks annual pass holders.