San Diego, California Marine Corps Base

MILITARY HOUSING | ABOUT MCRD SAN DIEGO | AREA SCHOOLS | YOUTH CARE, ACTIVITIES & SPORTS

GETTING TO AND FROM | RESOURCES

MCRD San Diego better known as the Marine Corps Recruit Depot is the West Coast boot camp for enlisted Marines. This base has many buildings that are considered historical landmarks. It is situated right next to the San Diego airport and the 5 freeway.

This base is very intimate and easy to get to know. Many of the buildings are original when the base was constructed so there is some TLC needed, but all in all, this is a beautiful base. If you are looking to live here, it probably won’t happen as the housing is limited here. However, many other bases around MCRD San Diego will accommodate families stationed here. If you love great weather, great food and activities, you will love being stationed here!

Weather

The weather here is almost always beautiful. The winters do get down in the 40’s but the afternoons tend to be sunny and warm. If you live on the coast, you will get the marine layer in the mornings which usually burns off by mid-day. We do experience “June gloom” where the skies are overcast and it tends to be colder most of the days. The summers average 70-75 degrees and dips down to the mid 60’s. It’s a perfect place to live. We are not close to a fault line, but do get small mini-quakes. Best to be on the safe side and have a plan with food and water stored just in case.

What is there to do around San Diego Marine Corps Base?

Area Activities

Lego Land: Great theme park for children under 8. Tickets are very expensive, more so than the other parks in the San Diego area. Get discounts on admission at the ITT ticket office. There are also yearly passes available that are affordable.

Disneyland: Located in Anaheim (about 2 hours). The tickets at ITT only save you a couple bucks, but keep checking because they do offer military specials occasionally. Sometimes you can get better deals on Disneyland specials.

Padres Games: The San Diego Padres as a great way to spend an evening at Petco Park. The trolleys and trains run to the park nightly on game nights. Get discounted tickets at ITT.

San Diego Chargers: The San Diego Chargers games are a lot of fun…

USS Midway: The aircraft carrier has been fully restored and is a great way to spend the afternoon.

Seaport Village: A great place to visit and check out many of the unique stores and walk along the ocean.

Wild Animal Park and San Diego Zoo: If you are going on a one-time trip, get discount tickets at ITT.

If you are stationed at San Diego, you may want to consider buying a family pass. Two adults in the same household can get a yearly pass for approximately $89. 1 adult pass is $71. Koala club for kids $24 (ages 3-11) and $28 (ages 12-17). When you become a member, you also get 2 free tickets for guests to come in. Click here to become a member or get more information. One trip to the zoo and one trip to the Wild Animal Park in a year pays for itself by being a member. Parking is free at San Diego, $6 or $9 at the Wild Animal Park.

La Jolla Cove: A neat place to spend some time along the water. It offers a children’s beach, a seal beach, and a free protected park for snorkeling and scuba diving. You can walk along the rock beds and look for crabs and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Big Bear: Approximately 2 hours away. Big bear is known for its ski resort and lake and the military has discounted cabins for rent up there. It’s a quick drive up there. Check out ITT on base to book.

ITT (Information Tickets and Tours): Discounted tickets to various events.