Things to do in Pacific Beach: Boardwalk, Pier and a Hilltop Park
A plain guide to Pacific Beach's long boardwalk, old pier, wetlands, bay shores and hilltop views, with Torrey Pines a short drive north.
8 Oct 2026
Pacific Beach is a coastal neighborhood of San Diego. La Jolla lies to the north, and Mission Beach and Mission Bay lie to the south. Interstate 5 marks the eastern edge, and the Pacific Ocean is on the west. Locals just call it PB.
It is a place built around the water. You can spend a day on the sand, on a bike, on a surfboard or on a hill with a view. This guide sticks to places that have been here for years and are likely to stay.
The boardwalk
The walkway along the ocean is officially called Ocean Front Walk, and it runs for about 3.2 miles. Walkers, cyclists and skateboarders all use it. It has shops, bars, hotels and restaurants along the way, and it is a good people watching spot.
Electric motor scooters have been banned along the boardwalk area since December 2019, so check the posted rules if you plan to ride something with a motor. Keep to the side if you are on foot, and watch for bikes.
The pier
Crystal Pier is a public pier at the west end of Garnet Avenue. It was first built in 1927 and is easy to spot from much of the beach. A walk out on the planks gives you a view back along the coast.
On the water
Pacific Beach is open to all surfers, though the waves are best suited to intermediate riders. Water temperatures run in the high 50s in winter and rise to the high 60s or low 70s in summer. Fall and winter often bring the best surf.
If you are new to the ocean, stay near the lifeguard stations. San Diego lifeguards patrol Pacific Beach and North Pacific Beach, along with other city beaches.
The bay side of the neighborhood is calmer. Mission Bay Park starts just to the south. It has 27 miles of shoreline, with 19 sandy beaches, and about 14 miles of bike paths. You will find playgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms and showers. Sailing, windsurfing, water skiing and rowing all happen on the bay, which is mostly man-made. Crews dredged 25 million cubic yards of sand and silt from the late 1940s to shape it.
Wetlands and wildlife
Rose Creek runs through Pacific Beach before it empties into Mission Bay. Along the way it gives the neighborhood a patch of open space and wetland. Where the creek meets the bay, Kendall-Frost Marsh is one of the last pieces of the old tidal marsh. Development removed most of the original wetlands, and only about 40 acres of the old marsh remain. It is a place for bird lovers. Keep your distance from the wildlife.
Kate Sessions Memorial Park
Kate Sessions Memorial Park sits at the base of Mount Soledad, in Pacific Beach. It covers 79 acres and has some of the best views in the area. On a clear day you can see the Pacific, Pacific Beach, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and downtown San Diego, with glimpses of San Diego Bay and Coronado.
There are walking trails, picnic tables and barbecues, restrooms and a playground. The park has dog friendly spaces and natural habitat areas. A seasonal creek runs through it.
The park is named for Kate Sessions, a botanist and landscape architect known as the "Mother of Balboa Park." In 1933 she and local residents asked for a small two acre park of flowers and trees. It grew and was renamed in her honor in 1957.
For families
The bay beaches and Mission Bay playgrounds are good for children. Kate Sessions Park has a playground and open grass. The flat bike paths around the bay suit families riding together.
When the weather turns
When the sky is gray, Balboa Park's museums are a short drive away. The park has more than 15 museums covering natural history, art, science, photography, aviation and cars. Check each museum's own website for current exhibits.
A short drive away
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is in San Diego, up the coast from Pacific Beach. It covers about 2,000 acres. It protects the Torrey pine, the rarest pine in North America, which grows only here and on a small coastal strip in Del Mar. There are about eight miles of trails. Guy Fleming Trail is the easiest. Razor Point Trail has views of ravines. Beach Trail leads down to Torrey Pines State Beach. During migration, whales such as humpback and gray whales can be spotted from the cliffs. The reserve can close for months at a time for building work. Check the California State Parks page before you go.
Cabrillo National Monument, at the end of the Point Loma peninsula, has the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, tide pools and coastal trails.
Getting around
The boardwalk and bike paths make it easy to get around without a car. The area is small enough that many things sit within walking distance. The pier sits at the west end of Garnet Avenue.
Good to know
The ocean is cool most of the year. Bring a layer.
Electric scooters are banned on the boardwalk.
Stay near a lifeguard tower when you swim.
Keep to the paths in the wetlands and at Torrey Pines.
Check each park's own website for current trail and facility details.
Find local businesses
Planning a visit, or live nearby and need a hand with something? Browse the local businesses listed in the San Diego guide to find who serves Pacific Beach and the neighborhoods around it.
Useful links
About Pacific Beach: the town at a glance
Own a business in Pacific Beach? Claim or add your listing, free
By Thomas Hassett and Eric Andrews, Local Business America
Photo: Adbar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Wikipedia, "Pacific Beach, San Diego" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Beach,_San_Diego); Wikipedia, "Kate O. Sessions Memorial Park" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_O._Sessions_Memorial_Park); City of San Diego, "Mission Bay Park" (https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/regional/missionbay); Wikipedia, "Mission Bay Park" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Bay_Park); City of San Diego, "Beaches" (https://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/beaches); Wikipedia, "Balboa Park (San Diego)" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balboa_Park_(San_Diego)); Wikipedia, "Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrey_Pines_State_Natural_Reserve); National Park Service, "Cabrillo National Monument" (https://www.nps.gov/cabr/index.htm). Wikipedia text is available under CC BY-SA.