Name: Mission Beach
Rating: 4

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About Mission Beach in San Diego, California

Mission Beach (the beach) is a long and wide sandy beach in the Mission Beach district of San Diego. It’s a family friendly place with waves to play in and lifeguards on hand every day. Adults and kids can enjoy the amusement park and restaurants behind the beach.

The crowds on Mission Beach congregate near the large parking areas at Mission Beach Park and the adjacent amusement park called Belmont Park. Belmont Park is a relatively small amusement park by California standards, but it has rides of all levels including a full-size roller coaster, big drops, spinning rides, and mellow rides for younger kids. The park also has a swimming pool, surfing wave pools, a putt-putt golf course, a climbing wall, a zip-line, bumper cars, and a game arcade. Restaurants, ice cream, T-shirt shops and more can be found all around Belmont Park.

Ocean Front Walk, a paved pathway, runs north and south at the back of the beach for biking, skating, running, and walking. Heading north leads to Pacific Beach and heading south leads to the end of the Mission Beach Peninsula at South Mission Beach, a popular spot for beach volleyball.

The Mission Beach area is crazy with activity on a daily basis and wide sandy beaches are clearly not the only draw. If you’re visiting San Diego, Mission Beach should be high on your priority list, especially if you haven’t been there before.

Mission Bay Park is nearby and has many separate parks and beaches that offer calm water and a different experience than Mission Beach.

Beach address: 3171 Ocean Front Walk, San Diego, CA 92109

Activities: Surfing, Sunbathing, Swimming, Biking, Skating, Running, Walking, Bonfires, Grunion Runs, Beach Walking, and Picnicking.

Amenities: Amusement Park, Boardwalk, Arcade, Wave House, Grass Park, Picnic Tables, Lifeguards, Restrooms, Showers, Bike Path, Fire Pits, and Restaurants.

Dogs: Leashed dogs allowed on the beach before 9am and after 6pm from April through October. (changes to 4pm Nov-March).

Parking: There’s a large public parking lot on Ventura Place, and another one south of Belmont Park. Both of those lots are free and have the most direct access to Mission Beach. Belmont Park has another lot next to the roller coaster at 3126 Mission Blvd.

Hours: The beach is open all hours of the day. Belmont Amusement Park changes hours throughout the year so consult their website.