About Kate Sessions Park

There are many, many lovely green areas in San Diego and many, many places with beautiful views, but Kate Sessions Park in Pacific Beach combines both, which makes it probably the best place to have a picnic in all of San Diego County. Bring a blanket or chairs, pack your own food or bring a portable grill to cook out (it is legal, just try not to set your fellow park-goers on fire), and find a spot at the top of the hill. The view is spectacular – you will see all of Mission Bay, downtown San Diego, Coronado, and on a clear day south all the way to Mexico.

Alcohol is illegal at all San Diego parks and beaches, but our policy is don’t be an ass and you will probably be okay. Eat an early dinner and stay for the sunset. The park fills up quick, so arrive early afternoon to claim your spot at the top of the hill. There are grills and picnic tables at the bottom of the hill, but you can’t see the view from there so what is the point.

In the northern part of the park, just across the street from the views, there is a big flat grassy field for soccer or other games, as well as a playground, and an easy one mile hiking and mountain biking trail.

Best Parts

• Free things to do
• Sunset
• Keeping it low key
• Picnics

Behind The Counter

Kate Sessions Neighborhood Park is a public park owned by the city. Kate Sessions herself was a locally famous horticulturalist who is responsible for planting essentially every tree in Balboa Park and turning San Diego from dessert scrubland to the horticultural melting pot it is today. In 1933 she successfully petitioned the city for a two acre park to be called Color Park for all the flowers they planted there. It has expanded since then to the 79-acres it is today and is now named after its founder.