Skateboard Parks in San Diego

Started in the 1950s during the first surfing craze, skateboarding has gone from a 2-inch by 4-inch board with metal rollerskate wheels to high-tech specialized boards, trucks and custom urethane wheels. The 1970's trend of using abandoned swimming pools, parking lots and any other concrete open space gave rise to the skate park with custom pools, verts (vertical drops), street sections (built to mimic actual streets with stairs, rails and walls), half pipes (concave u-shaped designs usually in wood) and many other features. San Diego is home to more vert skating champions than anywhere else in the world; therefore, it's not surprising that the San Diego County area has more than 19 skate parks with more in the works, most designed by the world's best street and vert skaters. Helmet, elbow and knee pads are required at all San Diego County skate parks.

  1. Mission Valley YMCA Krause Family Skate Park

    • Designed by Andy McDonald, one of skateboarding's most famous champions and the high-profile "drug-free" professional skateboarder, the Krause Family Skate Park has more than 53,000 square feet of skatable surface, which includes a pool, an X-Games-style vert ramp, and lots of variable wood and concrete skate terrain. Catering to all levels of skaters, the Krause Family Skate Park is supervised, fully gated and is open Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. (or until dark). There is an admission fee.

      Krause Family Skate/Bike Park
      3401 Clairemont Dr.
      San Diego, CA 92117
      619-279-9254
      missionvalley.ymca.org/programs/skate-park.html

    YMCA Magdalena Ecke Skate Park

    • Multiple award-winning SITE Design Group brought together the extreme aspects of skating with the first-time beginner ramps, resulting in one of southern California's premier skateparks. The 37,000-square-foot YMCA Magdalena Ecke Skate Park has wood and concrete terrain, the 2003 X-Games vert ramp, the largest vert ramp built to date, a skate pool with a death box in the deep end, and beginner and intermediate areas. Local pros Chris Miller, Lance Mountain and Brian Howard, along with many others, helped design the kidney pool and combination bowl and are regulars at the park. With paid admission, the YMCA Magdalena Ecke Skate Park is open Monday through Friday 2:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. with an extra Friday session at 12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. (or dark). The park is fully gated and supervised.

      Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA
      200 Saxony Rd.
      Encinitas, CA 92024
      760-942-9622
      ecke.ymca.org/programs/skate-park.html

    Jim Banks Sports Park

    • Plan a session at the Jim Banks Sports Park, designed by veteran skatepark designer Wally Hollyday to hit finely finished concrete surface and varied terrain. The 18,000-square-foot park features a pool, vert and street terrain with good transition throughout. There is no advanced terrain, but there are well-designed intermediate and beginner sections that even the pros will enjoy. The Jim Banks Sports Park is a fully supervised and gated paid admission park that is open Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. until dusk and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until dusk.

      Jim Banks Sports Park
      12196 Pala Mission Rd.
      Pala, CA 92059
      socalskateparks.com/park/palaskatepark