The Tijuana River Estuary Interpretive Center Part 5

The swamp extends from here at the visitor’s center to the very distant bull ring and the real California State Park.

The flattened disk of the bull ring and the shiny narrow roadway to the Park’s only developed area can be seen in this image.

The McCoy Trail

There are several trails to visit here. The McCoy Trail is featured prominently in park literature. The McCoy Trail is actually just a new use for the flat tops of a series of earthen dikes surrounding a vast complex of abandoned sewage settling ponds. So, yes, stepping off the trail can be the most interesting thing you have ever done in your entire life — especially if you fall through the crust.

You can can come back time and time again and visit the dissolving shoe. The fluids really do vent gasses from some odd forms of fermentation and so staying up wind can be a really good plan.

We must remember that this place is a money magnet. Whether it be from environmentally concerned silver haired old ladies or government bureaucrats, the money flows in.