Despite ancient lore that hints at people adding wheels to wooden boards since the 1920s, influential skate photographers and skateboarding legends concur that the global-sensation sport had humble beginnings in La Jolla in 1947, when a couple of teens stuck their sister’s roller skate wheels on a two-by-four. Since the early days of reckless street skating sans helmets, culture-defining skateboarders have essentially handcrafted San Diego into a world-renowned destination for the sport.
Sprinkled around San Diego are dozens of parks designed with help from professional boarders who began their careers right here in SD, including Tony Hawk, Andy Macdonald, and Chris Miller. Young prodigies, seasoned pros, and average joes alike: San Diego is your place to scope out bowls, ramps, pump tracks, and so much more. Here are 14 of the best skateparks in San Diego.
Washington Street Skatepark
Using industrial concrete beneath the Pacific Coast Highway as a blueprint, local skaters launched this underground skatepark in 1999 as a free place to ride without the threat of fines. In the years since, Washington Street has become a vibrant, community-supported attraction for the more advanced skateboarders of SoCal.
Address: Pacific Highway and West Washington Street, Middletown
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: Free, but only for advanced skaters
Robb Field Skatepark
Overlooking Mission Bay, just across the San Diego River, sits the Rob Field Skatepark, fully equipped with bowls, rails, and ledges for skaters of any skill level to master their tricks while catching a sick view.
Address: 2525 Bacon Street, Ocean Beach
Hours: 10 a.m. to dusk
Price: Free
Krause Family Skate & Bike Park
This massive facility is every aspiring X Gamer’s dream park (while keeping mom and dad’s peace-of-mind at the forefront). Events like birthday parties, private and group lessons, and parents’ night outs with reliable supervision for little shredders well overshadow the small fee it costs to ride here.
Address: 3401 Clairemont Drive, Mission Valley
Hours: 2 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekends; sessions are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: Year membership: $30 / Without membership: $10 per session / With membership: $5 per session / Month pass: $40 (free sessions)
Bill and Maxine Wilson Skate Park
New to the skating world and terrified of wiping out in view of the experts? No worries—do it in front of the newbies at the Bill and Maxine Wilson beginner’s bowl, sans embarrassment. Advance from there and take a shot at the 10-foot “keyhole” or a 90-foot-long “snake run.”
Address: 702 South 30th Street, Logan Heights
Hours: 10 a.m. to dusk
Price: Free
Del Mar Pump Track
Pump yourself up to take on the Del Mar Pump Track, one of the best skateparks in San Diego, and an undulating path full of small, looped sequences of rollers and swoopy, banked turns designed for riders to flow freely in circles without the need to push.
Address: 5977 Village Center Loop Road, Del Mar
Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset
Price: Free
Poway Skate Park
Known as a hidden gem for its lack of crowds and chill vibe, Poway Skate Park is beautifully suited for beginners and intermediate skaters alike. As a bonus, it’s open 12 hours a day, so you can work on your heelflip well into the evening.
Address: 13090 Civic Center Drive, Poway
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Wednesdays
Price: Free
Alga Norte Carlsbad State Park
Expectations were understandably high for a skatepark in Tony Hawk’s hometown. Luckily, designers understood the assignment: The large facility is one of the best skateparks in San Diego and is free of fees and full of diverse features, including a steep ramp where more advanced skaters can flex their skills.
Address: 6565 Alicante Road, Carlsbad
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Price: Free
Rancho Penasquitos Skate Park
Rancho Penasquitos Skate Park is a 22,000-square-foot, multi-level skate plaza offering handrails, bank ramps, boxes, ledges, pipes, and a wealth of other elements—including picnic tables where parents can hang while their little ones work on their kickturn.
Address: 10111 Carmel Mountain Road, Rancho Penasquitos
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free
Linda Vista Skateboard Park
This Linda Vista park satisfies skaters of all skill levels while taking advantage of the natural landscape. The focal point of the area is a pedestrian viewing bridge, hovering over the middle of the park for 360 views of all the action.
Address: 7064 Levant Street, Linda Vista
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Free
Poods Encinitas Skate Plaza
Named after Ian “Poods” Barry, a young local skateboarding instructor who passed away in 2012, Encinitas’ sweet escape for skaters offers tons of selling points, including varied terrain, thoughtful design, a busy atmosphere, and loads of skate contests.
Address: 425 Santa Fe Drive, Encinitas
Hours: 8 a.m. to dusk
Price: Free
Prince Memorial Skate Park
Recently renamed to honor fallen skateboarder Michael “Prince” Johnson, this strangely satisfying, no-frills park has become a hub for North County skaters to practice boardslides, drop-ins, kickflips, and everything in between. It’s one of the best skateparks in San Diego.
Address: 3300 Alex Road, Oceanside
Hours: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Free
Park de la Cruz Skate Park
This City Heights park was a slow burner: Planning started in 2007, but skaters didn’t get to roll down to the grand opening till 2018. The fruits of all those years of labor? A 19,300-square-foot space equipped with elements for all styles and plenty of lighting to help visitors nail tricks after dark.
Address: 3901 Landis Street, City Heights
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Price: Free
Carmel Valley Skate Park
Situated adjacent to a police station, Carmel Valley Skate Park—decked out with a challenge course, concrete bowl, urban elements, and night lighting—is a quieter and more monitored space where solo skaters and kiddos can practice their moves.
Address: 12600 El Camino Real, Carmel Valley
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Price: Free
Coronado Skate Park
Coronado’s 23-year-old park offers three levels of bowls for skaters of all stripes: beginners can drop just a few feet into the “street plaza,” while more seasoned shredders can tackle the deeper “clover bowl” before flying down into the eight-foot “teardrop.”
Address: 2000 Mullinex Drive, Coronado
Hours: Mon–Fri: 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sat–Sun: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Price: Daily pass: $5 / Annual pass: $60 for youth ages 6–17 and seniors 55+, $100 for adults / Safety equipment rental (helmet, knee & elbow pads): $5
