Depends on how much you would like to run. There is a 12-mile path around the park, but you can create your own route if you are looking for something shorter.
Destination Distance From Downtown
5.7 miles
Difficulty
3 of 5 diamonds
Time To Complete
1 hours
30 minutes to 3+ hours.
Seasonality
All Seasons
Dog Friendly
No
Some areas in Mission Bay Park allow dogs to be on leashes, other areas are leash free, and other areas do not allow dogs. Please pay attention to posted signs.
Mission Bay Park is a destination that will impress runners and cyclists alike. For runners, the sidewalk paths along the waterfront are great for getting in workouts of any magnitude. The paths themselves are wide and far from traffic, and you can take them as far as you'd like; it just depends on the workout you're seeking on a given day.
What Makes It Great
The 12-mile bike path around Mission Bay is a great place for a smooth long run, a cruise on your bike, or an easy workout with the family. The bike path is flat and provides gorgeous scenery along the interior of the bay. On this route, you will pass by all of Mission Bay's 10 parks and two wildlife reserves as well.
You can also run out to the boardwalk on the bay side, but keep in mind that it's usually crowded with longboarders, and rollerbladers, as well as bikers and other runners; the inner track is usually more free of pedestrian traffic.
There are restrooms and many parking areas throughout the park as well as nice grass lawns where you can lounge under the shade of tall palm trees, when you're ready to take a break.
If you decide to go for a bike ride, there are many bike rental shops in the area, and the park makes for a nice place to pull over and have a picnic, swim, or just lounge under the sun. The path has an 8 mile per hour speed limit on most sections, so you don't have to worry about the kids being plowed over- although they should, of course, still be wearing their helmets!
Who is Going to Love It
Mission Bay Park is a family-friendly location where you could easily spend a day hanging out. There are shorter and longer running routes on paved paths if you want to get a workout in, or if you want to take a relaxing walk or bike ride with your family.
Directions, Parking, & Regulations
Mission Bay Park is located at 2688 East Mission Bay Drive.
