Hidden gem: Gillespie Field Duck Pond

The Gillespie Field Duck Pond? What is it? Where is it? Why? These are all good questions. Rumor has it, the pond was part of a golf course long, long ago, but for decades it was a  dirty, smelly, and trashy pond of water, an eyesore, but the local wildlife still lived there and called it home.

Today, it's a hidden gem in El Cajon. This cute little pond is located behind Chemtronics, on Billy Mitchell Drive, and is just west of Gillespie Field. On airport land, the pond has benefited from work crews who clean and maintain it.

In the winter, the ducks and geese are abundant and it's an awesome sight to see the huge Canadian geese  swimming in the rain. But starting in spring, the majority of the waterfowl fly north. That's when the dozens of  turtles come out to swim.

Although the pond is fenced off from the public and there is no fishing, it’s a great place to just sit, relax, and eat lunch. There are a couple of nice picnic tables just east of the pond for visitors; that area is open 8 a.m.–8 p.m., but most of the pond can be viewed from the street.