Ocean Beach San Diego

San Diego County

Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California
Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California

Ocean Beach San Diego

San Diego County


Ocean Beach

Mile-long Ocean Beach spreads north from the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier to the mouth of the San Diego River Floodway and the entrance of Mission Bay. The beach is popular for water sports such as swimming and surfing as well as shore side activities like beach volleyball and picnicking.

The 1,971-foot Ocean Beach Municipal Pier is the longest concrete pier on the West Coast. The pier is most popular for fishing and sightseeing.



Map of Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

Dog Beach

The expanse of sand immediately south of the San Diego River Floodway has been designated as Dog Beach. Dogs are allowed to romp freely here while under the watchful eyes of their owners. The beach is open 24 hours a day. Owners are expected to clean up after their pets.

Ocean Beach Municipal Pier

Constructed in 1966, Ocean Beach Municipal Pier is a community landmark, attracting sightseers and anglers. Every year more than a half million visitors walk out the concrete structure. The pier reaches more than a third of a mile out into the Pacific. The T extensions at the end of the pier add 360 feet jutting to the south and 183 to the north.

The pier is open every day from 4:00 AM to 2:00 AM. About half way out the pier are a bait and tackle shop and a cafe. Other features on the pier are benches, lights, and fish cleaning stations. Tide pool adventurers arrive at low tide to observe the marine life in the pools and crevices in the rocks beneath the pier.

Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, San Diego, California

Ocean Beach Municipal Pier

Exploring South of the Pier

Immediately south of the pier the coastline becomes rugged with many scenic overlooks but few opportunities for beach-goers other than scattered pocket beaches and some interesting tide pools. The most popular area is well to the south of the pier around Sunset Cliffs Park.

Stairs at Santa Cruz, Bermuda, Orchard, and Narragansett avenues provide access to a rugged concrete path than wends along the base of the cliffs. A ramp at the intersection of Cable Street and Orchard Avenue descends to a rocky shoreline.


Ocean Beach, San Diego, California


Sunset Cliffs

Sunset Cliffs Drive sweeps along the shore from Point Loma Avenue all the way south to Ladera Street and Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. Along this one and a third mile stretch of road are numerous overlooks where visitors can park and enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean and the jagged coastline.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park spreads over 68 acres along the Point Loma peninsula, at the southern end of Ocean Beach. Tide pools, rugged cliffs, caves, and inland sage scrub habitat offer interesting, but sometimes precarious, places to explore. Visitors are likely to spot cormorants, pelicans, gulls, hawks, sparrow, and finches. Besides the large area south of Ladera Street, the park includes the coastal region west of Sunset Cliffs Drive.
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Ocean Beach, San Diego County, CA

Parking around Ocean Beach

Three free parking lots are located along the edge of Ocean Beach.

  1. 110 parking spaces adjacent to the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier.
  2. 68 spaces at the foot of Santa Monica Avenue by the main lifeguard station.
  3. 298 spaces at the foot of Voltaire Street, adjacent to Dog Beach.

Parking can also be found along Newport Avenue and along nearby residential streets.


Metropolitan Transit System Bus Routes to Ocean Beach

MTS Routes 35 and 923 serve Ocean Beach. Route 35 buses run from the Old Town Transit Center west on West Point Loma Boulevard to Cable Street and south to Pt. Loma Avenue. Route 923 runs from downtown to Voltaire Street and then south on Cable Street
Metropolitan Transit System Trip Planner

Wonderland Park

The once popular amusement park known as Wonderland Park used to stand on the beach at Ocean Beach. The park was erected in 1913 by Ocean Bay Beach Amusement Company. It included spectacular buildings and minarets, rides, a boardwalk, and a short pier spread over 9½ acres. Rides included the Blue Streak racing coaster, a Chute-the Chutes (a water slide), a carousel, caged animals, and a hot salt-water plunge.

Competition from the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 at Balboa Park cut into Wonderland's attendance and by 1916 the park had closed. Parts were sold, but most was undermined by waves and then swept away by the sea.

Ocean Beach Restaurants

  • Surf Rider Pizza Cafe 2163 Abbott Street
  • Shades Oceanfront Bistro 5083 Santa Monica Avenue #1f
  • South Beach Bar & Grill 5059 Newport Avenue #104
  • Starbucks 4994 Newport Ave
  • Hodad's 5010 Newport Ave
  • Nati's Mexican Restaurant 1852 Bacon Street
  • Point Loma Beach Cafe1424 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard

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Ocean Safety

California State Parks and Recreation cautions that "large surf, cold water temperatures, backwash, sudden drop-offs, pounding shorebreak, and dangerous rip currents can turn what seem like safe activities such as playing near the surf line, wading, or climbing on rock outcroppings, deadly." Learn more about ocean safety at CA State Parks: Ocean Safety