State Historic Park & Museum
15808 San Pasqual Valley Road
Escondido, CA 92027
760-737-2201
www.sanpasqual.org
Open Saturday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
State Historic Park
San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park is located on a hillside of the San Pasqual Valley, overlooking the Mexican-American War battle site and includes the American soldier's camp site after the battle.
This 50-acre park features a Visitor Center, amphitheater, and a 1/2 mile nature trail. Several picnic tables are available.
Visitor Center
The Visitor Center has interpretive displays of the history of San Pasqual Valley through Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and American occupations. A short video of the Mexican-American War is presented and additional displays cover events prior to the battle. An observation room features a map of the battle and descriptions of each day's actions. All are in Spanish and English.
The bookstore specializes in the battle and war, biographies, and the history and people of California.
Admission to the Visitor Center is FREE.
Battle of San Pasqual
In the San Pasqual Valley southeast of Escondido, in the darkness of early morning on December 6, 1846, the American Army under Stephen Watts Kearny fought the bloodiest encounter to win California from Mexico. General Kearny and his 120 or so member Army of the West had just arrived from Missouri by way of New Mexico. Dreary, hungry, wet, and cold, they met and were defeated by a smaller force of Californios led by General Andres Pico who were waiting there to stop them from joining other American militants.
Suffering over 35 dead or wounded during the battle and under siege on Mule Hill, only the midnight escape by Kit Carson, Edward Beale, and an unnamed Indian averted their outright slaughter. The combined American force led by Commodore Robert Stockton then went on to win the Battle of San Gabriel on January 8 and January 9, 1847.
Today, a California State Monument commemorates the battlefield, and hundreds of volunteers reenact the event there on the Sunday closest to December 6.
Location
The park is located on Highway 78, just east of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.