Top Rated Parks to Visit in San Diego

"Balboa Park, San Diego is known as one of the best things to do in San Diego with kids and has everything to suit all ages and your family’s preferences:. Even just wandering around and appreciating the stunning Spanish Renaissance and Southwest architecture and beautiful gardens is enjoyable. Balboa Park is America’s largest urban cultural park, is ranked as one of the best parks in the world, and is one of the best things to do in Southern California – you could spend a full day here!"

"Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre urban green space featuring natural vegetation zones, planted gardens and walking paths. It is one of the oldest public recreational areas in the country. The park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion is the site of free weekly concerts."

"With a lovely old-style look and feel, the historic Belmont Park certainly makes for a fun day out thanks to its roller coasters and rides, attractions, and eateries. Since 1925, the beachfront amusement park has been one of Mission Beach’s main draws and can be reached in just fifteen minutes from downtown San Diego. Although it is home to some charming carnival rides such as a carousel and bumper cars, the park’s standout sight is its iconic Giant Dipper roller coaster which is now a National Historic Landmark."

"may remind you of Coney Island in New York, but it comes with a vibe that is ALL California!. Roller coasters, arcade games, carny food, and shopping for souvenirs to bring back home all add up to a day spent in paradise. The sun is always shining in Belmont Park and you will kick yourself if you miss out on this beachside theme park!"

"A Mission Beach linchpin, Belmont Park was opened by the sugar magnate John D. Spreckels back in 1925. This amusement park has 12 rides, three oceanfront eateries, an 18-hole Tiki-themed mini golf course and a host of smaller attractions. But the king of Belmont Park has to be the time-honoured Giant Dipper."

"At the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, you can travel back in time and soak up some of the rich culture from San Diego's early days. The park recreates the feel of the Mexican and early American periods, from 1821 to 1872, when this settlement grew from a small Mexican pueblo. Visit a working blacksmith shop, shop for authentic Mexican crafts, browse the art studios, enjoy live Mariachi music, and dine on a sunny patio at one of the atmospheric restaurants."

"In 1968, the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation established Old Town State Historic Park to preserve the rich heritage that characterized San Diego during the 1821 to 1872 period. Within Old Town don’t miss Casa de Estudillo, which is one of the few original buildings (many are reproductions), Whaley House and Museum, which is believed to be haunted and Junípero Serra Museum, literally the place where California began."

"Many people recommended we take in one of the famous San Diego sunsets from Sunset Cliffs, which is just a couple of miles south of the Ocean Beach pier. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park is a 68-acre City of San Diego regional park which extends 1½ miles along the Point Loma peninsula’s western shoreline. You get expansive ocean views, dramatic cliff formations and caves, an intertidal area, and in some spaces plenty of space and rocks for the kids to run over way back from the edge."

"For the best ocean views in town, visit Sunset Cliffs Natural Park: a 68-acre park where people do indeed come to take in the colorful sunsets. The promise of a gorgeous Pacific panorama has made the area incredibly popular with hikers, surfers and birdwatchers."

"Although the beach below this steep hillside waterfront park is nicknamed Garbage Beach, it is anything but. However, a visit to this beautiful spot has to be earned. The descent is so steep that a fixed rope has been installed for safety."

"Let your little one splash around this pirate-themed spray park on a hot summer day. The park has a large open space and grass, which is perfect for the crew. Even more, the large playground nearby has tons of swings."

"La Jolla Strand Beach is located along Neptune Place between Palomar Avenue and Gravilla Street in La Jolla. There are several stairs along Neptune Place in this area so you […]"

"It has one of the best views of the San Diego Skyline and yet this small pocket park is seldom visited […]"

"San Diego has its own version of Central Park: The Waterfront Park, located along the Embarcadero in Little Italy. Opened in 2014, it's become a family-favorite destination for locals. The 12-acre park is just a stone's throw from the bay and is decked out with tons of innovative ways to entertain kids including a splash pad and slide––but it's the giant fountain, with its many jets, that is the park's main attraction."

"Enjoy a day at this public park that features interactive splash fountains, beautiful gardens with distinct themes, picnic areas and a lot of playing ground and equipment for kids. Unleash the kid in you and play in the splash fountains or unique playing ground. Take a walk along the waterfront while capturing great pictures."

"If you can’t make it across the bridge to Coronado, you can walk along Harbor Bay to get a photo as well. The angle is a bit different and it’s a good deal harder to park but it can be done."

"Tidelands Park is a Coronado city park with sports fields, a skate park, and a sandy beach on San Diego Bay. It is located next to the San Diego-Coronado Bridge […]"

"When the temperature climbs, it’s a sweet, creamy treat that really beats the heat. But it’s also the perfect cap to an evening out with friends or an end to a cozy date. Bobboi is renowned in the city for its commitment to using only the freshest local ingredients, experimenting with off-the-wall flavors, and for using refrigeration methods that they claim enhance the flavors and textures."

"This La Jolla gem is less than two blocks from La Jolla Cove. Grab a cup of their organic gelato, made-in house everyday from scratch and walk down to the park or eat it on one of their cute outdoor tables with ocean views. They change their flavors everyday and have an updated list on their website you can review before stopping in."

"Located at 8008 Girard Ave. (between Prospect Street and South Coast Boulevard) in the La Jolla, the spot to score gelato, ice cream, frozen yogurt and other desserts is the most popular gelato spot in San Diego, boasting five stars out of 1,707 reviews on Yelp."

"Mission HillsIt’s a bold move, opening a new business in the midst of a pandemic, but Trust Restaurant Group and their Executive Pastry Chef Jeremy Harville did just that, launching Mr. Trustee, an ice creamery with a street-side, walk up window adjacent to Cardellino in Mission Hills. Mr. Trustee offers rotating, seasonal flavors of soft serve and handcrafted ice cream available in cups or house-made waffle cones, and by the pint. Scoops include Cookies and Cream, Malted Chocolate Brownie, Honey-Vanilla, Berry Sorbet, and more, with soft serve options in Captain Crunch, Malted Milk, and the like."

"The Trust Group’s venture into ice cream is this walkup window found next to Cardellino in Mission Hills. Lead by Executive Pastry Chef Jeremy Harville, the shop serves chef-centric flavors like malted chocolate brownie, kiwi cucumber sorbet with Tajin and Captain Crunch or malted milk soft serve."

"For the best sushi in La Mesa, diners head to Banbu Sushi Bar and Grill. This restaurant has beautiful outdoor dining options with firepits, so head here on a nice night, no matter..."

"Our famous chain of fish taco restaurants, Rubio’s, has a rather nice dine-in space here with beer and wine options. Ralph Rubio is a La Jollan. Local kids like the kids’ meal with a folded up quesadilla and churro."