Waterfront Park
Waterfront Park
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Waterfront Park and nearby attractions
The area
Address
How to get there
- Santa Fe Depot • 8 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
1,586 within 3 miles
Attractions
465 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
92 reviews
Excellent
59
Very good
27
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Heliana Mano
Mumbai, India3,083 contributions
Jul 2022
OMG! My sister who lives in San Diego brought us here with the kids to the splash park! This place is amazing for children. I can't recommend this enough. Where to start? So much to do, endless water play - kiddos literally couldn't get enough of it. And then a huge playground with so much to explore. Absolutely lovely. Get there early, find parking and plan to have sandos on the lawns or grab food nearby. Brilliant day outing. Can't wait to visit again when we are back to SD!
Written May 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raymond C
Stoughton, MA57 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
Very nice clean park.
Well maintained wall mannered people.
Penty of room for social Distance.
There are swings throughout the park nice little marina.
Getting there is easy. Not too much traffic .
Parking metters ..
Nice Fall hangout.
Well maintained wall mannered people.
Penty of room for social Distance.
There are swings throughout the park nice little marina.
Getting there is easy. Not too much traffic .
Parking metters ..
Nice Fall hangout.
Written September 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Waddler
York, UK10,395 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Kids won't resist the shallow pools and water fountains. They had great fun - bring a change of clothes!
Nice views from the park. Playground is modern though it feels like it could be better. For a start, the slides were way too hot to use being metal and in the direct sun - this couldn't be a surprise in San Diego so I'd have thought they'd have planned around it.
Nice views from the park. Playground is modern though it feels like it could be better. For a start, the slides were way too hot to use being metal and in the direct sun - this couldn't be a surprise in San Diego so I'd have thought they'd have planned around it.
Written September 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John T
Cebu City, Philippines1,068 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
In May 2014, the 12-acre County Administration Center Waterfront Park opened on both the north and south sides of the building, formerly surface parking lots. There are open grassy areas, drought-tolerant flower gardens, picnic areas, playground with swings and slides, and an interactive water fountain. The garden has matured nicely since it's construction and is a beautiful place to visit when in SD.
Written June 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
623DBAX
Phoenix, AZ228 contributions
Jun 2015 • Family
The views, the equipment, the water feature, the gardens, even the fact there's security hanging around make this a huge asset to the downtown waterfront. Our boys (6 & 8) had a blast here for a couple hours, even after they'd been romping in the ocean for most of the day before we got there. We were staying at the Residence Inn across the way (great place btw, see my review), and mom wanted some quiet (a nap) before dinner later on. I walked w/ the boys across PCH and in to the park. They went nuts running through the water. They played on the swings, the slides, the rock walls, some crazy spider web type climby thing too. This park has some unique stuff also, my favorite was a skateboard sized metal (w/ deck tape on top to provide traction) uh, deck, on top of a spring loaded rod which moves laterally and up and down. Hella tricky for an old fart like me to master, but I couldn't get my 8 year old off of it who rode it like Tony Hawk on Christmas w/ his first penny board. Super use of space for the city, kudos on a job well done.
Written June 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
776GregC
Vestavia Hills, AL79 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
This is a great park to go to for a beautiful sunset. The bay was full of sail boats and the sunset cast great light and shadow on the water. The park is clean and dog friendly. Fun people-watching spot too.
Written October 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith
10 contributions
Jul 2019 • Family
If you want to enjoy San Diego and the nice weather of San Diego you have to visit this park, plenty of stuff you can do, just sitting on the bench and looking at the view is great. I highly recommend that you visit this park if you visiting San Diego
Written July 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Abzman
Portland, OR23 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
The parking was free when we visited and easy parking. There are bikes and electric scooters to rent all over using an app but we didn't do that. There are places kids can play and get wet in hot weather! The view of the downtown is awesome and the waterfront is amazing. Opportunity for great pictures and walks. This was our first time and we loved it.
Nice clean restrooms available
Nice clean restrooms available
Written July 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patsy M
San Diego86 contributions
Jun 2018 • Solo
Walked over to the San Diego Waterfront park to get out of my hotel room. This park was so "well planned out.". It has lots of grass, restrooms, Bus stop, one block walk from Green Trolley, children's playground, and fountain sprays for everyone! So relaxing with a beautiful view of San Diego Bay from North Harbor Drive. The Airport Bus 992 stops right in front. If your timing is right, you can enjoy an amazing Sunset.
Written June 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marbella E
24 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
We took a break from sight seeing at this park. It was beautiful and well maintained.
There's a snack shack located right next to the play area & clean restrooms nearby.
One thing I didn't like was that there was really no place to sit with shade. There were a few benches, but the trees are young and therefore not tall and full enough to provide any shade. I'm sure that will change as the years go by, but for now, there's not too much shade.
There's a snack shack located right next to the play area & clean restrooms nearby.
One thing I didn't like was that there was really no place to sit with shade. There were a few benches, but the trees are young and therefore not tall and full enough to provide any shade. I'm sure that will change as the years go by, but for now, there's not too much shade.
Written July 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Natalyn N
McKinney, TX
Where is the best free parking by Waterfront Park? Or will we need to pay for all parking?
sparegular2013
Derby, NY23 contributions
Can you bring beach chairs?
FamilytravelTX
103 contributions
I don't see why not, although there are benches around to sit on. To be clear, this park has a view of the harbor across the street but there is nothing beachy about it. It's a city park with gardens, playground, and fountains for splashing. Enjoy!
Ruthie S
Boise, ID
Are there any covered pavilions available for birthday parties for children?
How far is it from the cruise terminal ?
What types of food is available at the snack shack?
Thank you for you help...Ruth
CSE
Carlsbad, CA373 contributions
I'm not sure about covered pavilions, I didn't see any but I've seen people have birthday parties for children here.
The cruise terminal is a few blocks away, but by blocks, I mean lonnng blocks of it. If you don't mind walking, it's fine.
Typical sodas, chips, candy type stuff are available at the snack shack
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingWaterfront Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Waterfront Park
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Waterfront Park:
- San Diego Scavenger Hunt Adventure (From $21.34)
- Downtown to Balboa Park Tour (From $195.00)
- Private Walking Tour San Diego: Little Italy and Gaslamp Quarter (From $249.95)
- San Diego Harbor Scavenger Hunt Walking Tour and Game (From $24.50)
- Sights of San Diego Harbor: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour (From $7.99)
- Hotels near Waterfront Park:
- (0.10 mi) Hampton Inn San Diego-Downtown
- (0.08 mi) The Pacific Hotel
- (0.12 mi) Residence Inn by Marriott San Diego Downtown
- (0.26 mi) Urban Boutique Hotel
- (0.22 mi) La Pensione Hotel
- Restaurants near Waterfront Park:
- (0.08 mi) Los Panchitos Mexican Restaurant
- (0.08 mi) Jack in the Box
- (0.12 mi) Portal Coffee
- (0.22 mi) Salt & Straw
- (0.23 mi) Isola Pizza Bar
- Attractions near Waterfront Park:
- (0.00 mi) County Administration Center
- (0.00 mi) Guardian of Water Sculpture
- (0.11 mi) The Embarcadero
- (0.33 mi) Pedego Electric Bikes San Diego
- (0.15 mi) HMS Surprise