Mission Beach
Mission Beach, CA
Mission Beach is a genuinely lively stretch of sand backed by a paved boardwalk that runs the length of the peninsula, with Belmont Park's historic Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster anchoring the scene as one of San Diego's real landmark attractions. It's one of the busiest, most energetic beaches in the city, especially in summer.
A genuinely lively boardwalk beach with a real historic amusement park attached, one of the most energetic beach scenes in San Diego.
How we score beachesBelmont Park's Giant Dipper is a genuine 1925 wooden coaster, still running, worth a ride even if the beach itself is the main draw.
Metered and on-street parking; it fills fast on summer weekends.
Dogs are banned from Mission Beach and its boardwalk daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Nov 1 to Mar 31) or 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Apr 1 to Oct 31), and must be leashed at all other times.
San Diego County's water climbs into the upper 60s and low 70s by late summer, the most comfortable window for swimming.
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