At Play in Kate’s Place

Hike and Relax in Kate O. Sessions Park in San Diego

Come for the trails, stay for the view! Kate O. Sessions Memorial Park is a dog-friendly urban park with 79 acres of open space where you can hike, picnic, toss a Frisbee, fire up a barbecue … and did we mention a view? From its crest, Kate O. Sessions offers a stunning vista of Mission Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and La Jolla and San Diego below. Bring a blanket and you can end your active day by enjoying one of San Diego’s famously stunning sunsets.

As for those trails, you can walk a 0.75-mile paved loop amid Peruvian pepper trees, ornamental pines, and eucalyptus trees in the park’s cultivated section. (Some of those exotics were planted by Ms. Sessions, a famed local horticulturalist known as “the mother of Balboa Park.”)

Or you can explore the park’s 55 acres of hilly, unmanicured land on a mile-long loop trail through the chaparral habitat filled with sage, yucca, and the occasional rabbit, gecko, and snake. Kids will gravitate toward the playground on the west side of the park near the trailhead, complete with swing sets and two jungle gyms. However you play in Kate’s place, you’ll enjoy this serene island in the middle of the city.

Kate O. Sessions Park is 1.7 miles west of I-5 between La Jolla and Mission Bay. From southbound I-5, take Exit 23 to Bluffside Ave. From the off-ramp continue straight onto Mission Bay Dr. and then turn right onto Garnet Ave. From northbound I-5, take Exit 23 A to Mission Bay Dr. Then turn left on Garnet Ave. Turn right on Soledad Mountain Rd., left on Beryl St., and right on Lamont Rd., which becomes Soledad Rd. and leads to free parking on Park Dr. Dog friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View
  2. Golden Gate's Blue Heron

    Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.

    View
  3. Rio Del Mar-velous

    Rio Del Mar State Beach in Aptos might be one of the best places for a treasure hunt. Its location between two other beaches makes for a good stroll featuring a spectacle of wildlife as you search the sand for sea glass and seashells.

    View
  4. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Gentle Giants

    Some people visit national parks to marvel at the iconic sights, while others come seeking solitude in nature. With visitation on the rise, it can be hard to find both. But in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, this pair of trails offers both....

    View
  2. Walking the Los Angeles River Trail Through Frogtown

    Frogtown Strutter’s Stroll

    Don’t go dismissing the Los Angeles River as merely a 51-mile concrete channel. It’s a genuine urban artery that links real neighborhoods, and its riverside bike/ped paths endear i

    View
  3. Griffith's Golden

    With over 4,200 acres and hundreds of trails, Griffith Park is the gold standard. Opt for the lesser-hiked northwestern end of the park and visit the 2.25-mile Skyline and Oak Canyon loop from Travel Town.

    View
  4. Sponsored

    Fall for It All in Reno Tahoe

    The best kind of getaway? Less time on logistics, more time on memory-making. Jackpot! You’ve got Reno Tahoe.

    View