Belmont Park and Mission Beach

Belmont Park is an oceanfront amusement park at 3146 Mission Blvd in the Mission Beach neighborhood of San Diego, California, at the southern end of a busy beachfront boardwalk. Its best-known attraction is the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster that opened in 1925 and remains a landmark, joined by other rides, arcade games, a mini-golf course, an indoor surf-simulator attraction and a variety of casual food stands and restaurants. The Plunge, an indoor swimming pool in a historic building, sits within the complex. Outside the park, Mission Beach offers a broad sandy shoreline, volleyball courts, a paved boardwalk along which visitors walk, skate, bike and scooter, and a calmer bayside on Mission Bay a few blocks east. Visitors can spend two to four hours here, depending on whether they ride attractions, eat or spend time on the sand. Rides generally open from late morning, and some operate on reduced schedules on weekdays or in the off-season, so checking belmontpark.com helps. Weekday afternoons are comparatively quiet, while summer weekends and holidays are crowded, with heavy traffic and limited paid parking nearby. Summer evenings offer a lively atmosphere and sunset views along the boardwalk. Admission to the park and beach is free, with rides priced individually or through day passes. The area can be reached by MTS bus toward Mission Beach, though many visitors drive, and parking lots fill early on sunny weekends. Visitors should bring sunscreen and layers, since the sea breeze can feel cool after sunset. Lifeguards patrol the beach, and swimmers should heed posted flags and signs.