It’s the night before Thanksgiving… the boys are in town. The hometown bar? Buzzing. The drinks? Flowing. The vibes? Immaculate. It feels like the same old story year after year: you have a consistent workout schedule, then BAM: the holidays. A nonstop drinking and eating extravaganza that leaves your wallet a little lighter and your body a little heavier.
Fortunately, we live in San Diego! A sunny utopia full of workout opportunities and inspiration in the form of insta-fitness nuts who call this great city home (and make you question how a human can have that many muscles).
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that an outdoor workout is the way to go in San Diego. Why subject yourself to stuffy, packed gyms when you’ve got countless options outdoors to break a sweat? Obviously, you’ve got plenty of gyms and studios around the area that offer outdoor classes and equipment, but why pay that when rent and real estate prices are through the roof?
Without further ado, here are my picks for the best places for an outdoor workout in San Diego:
San Diego Convention Center Stairs
The San Diego Convention Center: home to out-of-towners on company convention duty and pop culture fanatics (see Comic Con). This landmark of San Diego is also home to one of the best places to increase your heart rate, the dreaded Convention Center Stairs.
On any given day, you’ll find a variety of individuals getting their sweat on: serious fitness freaks, casual cardio first-timers, and Instagram influencers running up the stairs one time for the ‘gram. Though the people-watching is entertaining in itself, the stairs are serious. A few circuits up and down are enough to make your lungs burn – and that’s coming from a mildly in-shape 20-something.
One of the biggest bonuses of the Convention Center is the view. If you choose the stairs on the Harbor Drive side, you’ll catch a glimpse of Petco Park, the Gaslamp Quarter and a killer view of downtown. If you decide on the bay side, you’ll get a great view of the new Rady’s Shell, San Diego Bay, and Coronado.
How to Get Here: Take the 5 all the way to Front Street. Cruise through downtown until you hit Harbor Drive and head East. Find street parking or grab a spot around back by Joe’s Crab Shack.
Pro Tip: I prefer the bayside stairs. You get an amazing view and parking is a breeze on the backside of the Convention Center. You can also parlay your stair workout into a run along the Embarcadero witch is picturesque as f***.
Tierrasanta Stairs of Death
Tierrasanta is an urban wonderland full of greenbelts, an active community, and a great location situated next to Mission Trails Regional Park. With ample opportunities for an outdoor workout, the real star of the show is the aptly named Tierrasanta Stairs of Death. In Spanish, Tierrasanta translates roughly to “holy land”… but these stairs will have you saying “holy shit”.
Though it may not look like much, these stairs are a mainstay of this centrally-located neighborhood. Starting at the bottom on the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd and Antigua Blvd, these stairs climb all the way to the backend of Vista Grande Elementary School… and they are no joke. After the first climb of 112 steps, you’ll be gasping for air (the incline is DECEPTIVE). Personally, I can attest to the intensity of these stairs, I was the proud recipient of a stress fracture after going too hard in the paint one summer… at least the boot was cool.
How to Get Here: Take the 15 to Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Head East until you reach Antigua Blvd. There is street parking on Antigua that’s popular with the regulars.
Pro Tip: If you park on Antigua, don’t park too far up. Your legs will be jelly after the workout and the hill will not be your friend.
Kate Sessions Park
Kate Sessions Park: an immaculate San Diego staple, better known for picnics and sunset viewing is actually a hidden gem for a workout. This 79 acre hillside sanctuary has everything you could want: a nice slope for hill workouts and a few hiking tails on the backend. On weekends, you can find a variety of yoga classes taking place, so you won’t be out of place if you decide to get your sweat on out here.
There’s plenty of space to spread out at Kate Sessions, so feel free to bring some equipment and get creative with your workout. Dogs (on leashes) are also encouraged, so if you want to get your pup on the gainz train, DO IT. This is a popular picnic spot among the youths of San Diego, which also makes it a great place to meet some friends and expand your circle in SD.
How to Get Here: Take the 5 to Mission Bay Drive (remember those old Mossy Nissan radio spots??) and head to Garnet. Head West on Garnet to Soledad Mountain Road. From there, hang a right on Beryl, and another right on Lamont. Take that all the way to the parking lot.
Pro Tip: Be sure to time your workout during the summer for sunset. Not only will you get an incredible view of Mission Bay, but if you decide to bring a blanket and a post-workout meal, you can hold out for fireworks from SeaWorld.
De Anza Cove (Mission Bay)
If I gave every San Diegan a map and asked them to point to De Anza Cove, I think the success rate would be around 15%… which is a shame. At De Anza Cove, located on the northeast end of Mission Bay, you’ll generally find family reunions, bonfire aficionados, and passerbys on the way to the Mission bay Golf Course (shoutout to their night golf). But one of the most underrated parts of De Anza are the workout opportunities.
If jogging or running is you jam, there’s no better place. The Bayside Bikeway offers 12 miles of FLAT, well-kept paths, perfect for training for your next marathon, or just a mile jog (in which you stopped halfway through to go dry heave in the bushes). There is also a paracourse (had to look up what that even meant). Apparently, a paracourse is a fixed set of equipment, ideal of sit ups, pull ups, and other body-weight exercises… so that’s cool!
If traditional workouts aren’t your thing, they also have volleyball courts, basketball courts, and it’s a GREAT place to launch a SUP or kayak.
How to Get Here: Take the 5 to Clairemont Drive and head toward the water. Follow the signs on Mission Bay Drive for De Anza Cove. It’s located right next to the golf course so you can’t miss it. The parking is ample (unless you try to workout on a holiday like the 4th).
Pro Tip: The Mission Bay Beach Club just opened, offering a new juice bar and coffee stand. You can also rent some bikes and paddleboards from them too… a win-win.
Mt. Helix Amphitheater
Where my East County people at?! This one’s for you! I know the La Mesa Secret Stairs may be a more popular pick for an outdoor workout, but I prefer the Mt. Helix Amphitheater. I previously talked about the kickass sunset views Mt. Helix provides, but this place also doubles as a great place to get a free workout in.
Like the aforementioned Convention Center and Tierrasanta Stairs of Death, the stairs at Mt. Helix are a fantastic place to curse yourself on how out of shape you are. If you’re feeling extra bold, be sure to park at the bottom and hike up. There are miles of trails around Mt. Helix that will take you to the top, so have fun exploring.
How to Get Here: Take the 8 east all the way to Fuerte Drive. Follow Fuerte up to Mt. Helix Drive. Park wherever you like, but be warned the top has limited spots available.
Pro Tip: Again, try and time your workout for just before sunset. You can grab a parking spot, get a good sweat in, and take in one of the best sunset viewing points in all of San Diego County.
Pacific Beach/Mission Beach Boardwalk
The Mission Beach/Pacific Beach Boardwalk may be the most popular place for an outdoor workout in San Diego. Though you’ll feel like a salmon swimming upstream against bicyclists, scooter riders, and helplessly unaware tourists, it’s a great place for a bike, run, rollerblade, or walk.
If you start down by the South Mission Beach Jetty, you can take the boardwalk about 5 miles up to Crystal Pier. This flat path is generally well-kept with plenty of visual distractions, diverting you from the pain your legs and lungs feel from running like Forrest Gump across America.
This is another great place to bring friends, your dog, or meet other people. The boardwalk is always buzzing and there is no shortage of entertainment on your 5 mile journey.
How to Get Here: I prefer parking at the South Mission Beach Jetty, so take the 8 to West Mission Bay Drive and follow that all the way to Mission Blvd. Turn left at the rollercoaster and follow that all the way to the jetty parking lot. Parking is tight on weekends, so be aware!
Pro Tip: If you’re like me, you’ll be itching to replenish the calories you just burned at many of the PB area bars after your workout. I encourage it. Go grab that beer, you earned it.
