Wow what a great park. We stopped by to check out the out the play ground, and there was also a…read morehuge panda event. Which resulted in the playground being loaded with children and families having fun and relaxing in the cool breeze. There are ton of play activities for the kids: blue climbing mountain with slides, cool spaceship looking merry go rounds, swings, climbing, obstacle courses, etc. There are tons of tables, benches, and lots of shady areas for picnics or relaxing while the kids play. It was awesome to find this playground ride down the road from where we were staying. Too bad this is our last full day in San Diego.

This is a big park with a lot of grass area, a fountain, basketball and pickle ball courts, plus an…read moreoff leash dog park. What more can you ask for? What about great views of the harbor and city skyline on the other side? Yup it has that too. I come here many times with my dogs, as the dog park is a decent size for medium dogs to run around in. The dog area may not have grass, but it has dirt, and is usually kept clean. I actually prefer the dirt compared to artificial turf. Something to note is that there is only one park, so big dogs are combined with small ones. Theres a small obstacle course for dogs to jump and run through. And for the humans, there's also a few benches on the side to sit at.

I spotted this tree that spoke to me while riding on the way to breakfast at Hash House. After…read moreleaving breakfast, we came back to Balboa Park it was a peaceful and grounding experience before heading to the airport to return home. That moment honestly made me decide the park was a must-visit. I ended up stopping by afterward just to walk around, release some stress, and enjoy the calm energy. I even found myself just sitting in a tree, hugging two or a few, and taking in the quiet; especially in the Trees for Health Garden, which felt fitting for the whole experience. It was a simple but meaningful stop that added a peaceful pause to the end of the trip before heading back to the airport. I even met a squirrel that I chat with; I named him James. While I was chatting with him, he even place his paw on his chest as if he was asking me "are you speaking to me?" It felt great speaking to my own little grandma Willow tree moment.

Yes - park and museums are lovely, but for me, I just didn't love Balboa Park…read more Didn't hate it but if you are someone with just a weekend in town, I think there are better options for afternoon activities in the zillions of things there are to do in SD. All I'm saying is don't get fooled making this a top of your list, must do-thing. Go if you REALLY want to, but don't feel like you missed out if you made a different selection.

Sunset Cliffs is a San Diego institution! I frequently go for walks in this area. A lot of of it…read moreis parallel to the street but at the end there is a nice open park with a few trails that butt up to Point Loma Nazarene university. It is especially beautiful right now in the spring... All the flowers are starting to come out and everything is green. This is also a great area to come out with a picnic and watch the sunset. And if you don't bring a picnic, there are lots of great taco and brunch spots in Ocean Beach for after your walk!

I love Sunset Cliffs! It's one of my favorite spots for photoshoots. Parking has never really been…read morean issue for me, and the area is so big that you can walk around, explore, and take photos without feeling crowded. The views are absolutely gorgeous--especially around sunset--and there are so many beautiful backdrops. I've had so much fun running around with friends here capturing photos. Overall, it's such a peaceful, scenic spot and definitely one of my go-to locations!

Love this place, as it is one of the few places in south San Diego where you can play some…read morebadminton, table tennis, indoor volleyball and indoor pickleball as well. And the best part at least for badminton is that it is free. Well now you have to pay for parking as of January 5th, 2026, but once inside badminton is free, you just have to sign up. The table tennis, and volleyball, are part of clubs where I believe you have to be a member (San Diego table tennis club). This is just a great place for people to meet outside, as they have a lovely park with a fountain and nice walkways. It's a hidden gem for a recreation center. Get there early as the place fills up. If you are going for badminton you have to have your whole party there before you can sign up. The only not so great part was the introduction of paid parking for balboa park in general. But you know what we had it free since 1915 or something, so not horrible. Besides the proceeds from the parking fees will go to making balboa park even better, I hope.

Love this place! Would 100% recommend to play badminton here. The service is great wait time is…read moreonly 30-45 min. But today I went my older sister, her bf, my friend and I.. tell me why I had to wait a full 1hour.. each time I wanted to play I would play for only 30 min.. WHY ARE THESE OTHER PEOPLE PLAYING FOR A HOUR AND IM PLAYING FOR 30 MIN AND WAITING FOR A HOUR. Other than that i love this place (leave immediately if you see the person checking you in is a old lady)

I went in the giant dipper for the first time today!…read more The dark tunnel spooked me cuz I didn't know what was coming lol! I loved the first drop it was really smooth it was only the last few drops that was really shaky! Honestly I had to hover above my seat so I wouldn't be tossed on my friend lol! I scrambled off, and went another 3 times! I really recommend to ride it IF you don't have back problems because I got sore after riding it 4 times

Where do I start? I show up to purchase wristbands for myself and my 10-year-old and the cashier…read morewas very aggressive and intimidating. He shouted out the total for two wristbands and I let him know there was a different price online. He shouted out to purchase the wristbands online for that price. I walked away purchased the wristbands went back to pick up the physical wristbands. He scanned the barcode and put the wristbands on our wrist. And then with a smile said the list of rides that were closed. And then said " we are short staffed and due to that we do not have employees at the rides once they get here at 12:30 then you'll be able to get on the rides" I looked at my 10-year-old and said OK we'll go walk the beach and get a bite to eat until they open up. Guess what the staff never got there! Honestly, he thought it was funny when he told me that we weren't going to be able to get on rides until the other staff got there. There were a few rides like the mini dipper and the carousel. But who buys wristbands to get on a couple rides and then get on the bumper cart. If that's the case then I would've just bought individual tickets. LET YOUR GUEST KNOW AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU ARE SHORT STAFFED AND THE PARK WILL NOT BE RUNNING AS USUAL!! I had to keep looking for staff to let us on rides and then even then I wasn't able to get on every ride. I paid for a wrist band for myself and my daughter thinking that we were going to be able to enjoy the day but we were not. I do want to point out that I'm a single mom and low income and this was supposed to be something amazing for us. $100 to Belmont Park is absolutely nothing but for me it is. And just FYI, I a lot of people kept leaving the park upset. But for them, they didn't purchase wristbands. We waited till after 5 PM hoping that as the shift changed employees would come and open up all of the rides, but that never happened. I was hoping to get my money back for the wristband, but because the employee at the counter was so aggressive I was honestly afraid to go up and ask for a refund. I'm hoping Belmont Park will make this right and provide my daughter and I with an opportunity to return to Belmont Park at no charge to us and be able to get on the rides.

Civita Park in Mission Valley has quickly become one of my go-to spots, especially since it's just…read morea short drive from home. It's super accessible with ample parking, and I love that there are multiple entry points and routes you can take depending on how long of a walk you're in the mood for. This park truly has something for everyone. There's a splash pad, basketball courts, a great playground for kids, and even a giant chess game, which is such a fun and unique touch. It's also an amazing place to walk your dog--I bring mine here all the time, and he absolutely loves all the open grass and the variety of paths we can explore. One of my favorite features is the set of stairs that lead up toward the residential areas and the dog park. If you take them all the way up, you're rewarded with really pretty views at the top, which makes the little climb totally worth it. Overall, Civita Park is clean, well-designed, and perfect whether you're looking to be active or just enjoy a relaxing afternoon outdoors. Definitely a Mission Valley gem!

Pros: Spacious, plenty of walking paths, with nice clean facilities, which include 2 family…read morebathrooms with baby diaper changing stations and several drinking fountains. There's also a row of small fountains for kids to play, run through and splash in. Cons: It's a really nice park ON A COOL DAY. Lately, with temperatures 10 to 19° above "normal average" - or maybe it's just the new normal - it's hard to recall the last time we got to experience a cool day. But here, the way the gazebos, tables, and benches are set up reflects a pretty severe case of denial that this is Southern California, and not quite within walking distance from the beach. It WILL get hot whenever it damn pleases, with or without notice. It did so in February already, in case you missed it. We came a few times for the farmers market. Both days were unfortunately " 80°F" her weather report, which in reality feels like 92°F, and we had to scramble to find a little bit of shade, so that we could eat our street food without passing out from heat stroke. We huddled awkwardly on the curb under a small tree. Other people passing by with food in their hands looked at us with envy. NOT A SINGLE PERSON sat on the readily available benches with tables, because they were in the blazing sun, yet lacked any shade. Never mind an umbrella, not even holes to put one in!! Denial much?? It's really sad, because it's a beautiful place. It just DESPERATELY needs more shade for the visitors to feel comfortable without clinging to trees or the bathroom walls.

Amazing experience! We moved my son to SDSU and my 9 year old and 17 year old went with me to…read moreMission Bay and we rented paddle boards. The staff was so helpful and when it was a little too windy and we were pushed astray, they quickly came and loaded us up in a little boat and took us back to shore. Highly recommend.

Super chill people! We rented a kayak for an hr. The people were nice and helpful. There are…read morelockers there for your personal belongings

Anytime any family and friends are in town, I take them down to see the La Jolla coves. Beautiful…read morescenery on a sunny day! There are plenty of public street parking and also parking garages. Once you get past the stench of the sea lions, you can enjoy yourself more. It does take some getting used to! There are typically some street vendors there selling apparel. Some really cool hand crafted items. Just go where the wind takes you and enjoy yourself! Do NOT bother the sea lions, they can and will be aggressive if you get too close.

3/30/26 update:…read more Free parking is very difficult to find if you come during peak times. You might have to drive around in circles to see if anyone is leaving. We decided to park in the garage that is close to the Cave Store. It's about $15 and you have to pay by scanning a QR code. I didn't feel like waiting for people to leave since we were in a time crunch. There is a path by the Cave Store that you can walk down and get some great views. The cove where you can see the sea lions is a short walk. You can go to the beach which is shared with the sea lions. There's a park ranger that makes sure people don't get too close to the animals.

We went here for an open skate session. We had 2 6 year old girls. The equipment including…read moreskates, helmet and elbow, wrist and knee pads worked fine. The rink is outside with a cement floor. Overall it looks ragged. It's not a polished looking rink like most others. That's part of the charm. On the way out we saw the roller derby team practicing. Hope to watch a game soon.

I attended this skating rink for my daughter's field trip. I usually prefer indoor skating, but for…read morean outdoor experience, this wasn't bad--I imagine it looks even nicer at night. The staff member in charge who was using the microphone was very kind and helpful. However, the two employees distributing skates came across as rude and unapproachable. I understand that working with large groups of kids can be frustrating, but their attitude was noticeable. At one point, I even stepped in to help distribute skates because the situation felt a bit overwhelming due to their frustration. Overall, the experience was okay, but improved customer service would make a big difference.

Hard A-port Park…read morelocated inside the Port of San Diego that has some nice features and amazing views. The Good: * As mentioned above, the views are second to none and it's a great place to catch a sunset. *Shoreline path for running and walking *Leashed dogs ok *Restrooms *If you plan on visiting, you really should try and make reservations at Tom Ham's Lighthouse restaurant located right on the shore. The Meh: *Not the biggest park in the world but the views make up for it. The Ugly: *Not a whole lot of shade either, so probably not a place to be during a heatwave. Conclusion: Great place to come check out the Ha'bor and soak up some vitamin sea.

A stroll with a view, that is what one could expect when visiting Harbor Island Park. This trail…read moreelongates up and down the island and it is a walk most welcomed after a meal and drinks. Staying on Harbor Island at the Hilton had allowed us the opportunity to enjoy the stroll at random. Many folks would bring their pups or simply get their cardio in. Definitely a nice way to break up your day!