Pets allowed
Allowed with Restrictions
Guided tours
No
Backcountry camping
No
Lodging
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Cradled between Coast Boulevard and Del Mar City Beach, Powerhouse Park is popular among families. The name “Powerhouse” is a nod to the park’s history. In the 1920s the Del Mar Hotel needed hot water, so construction began on the Del Mar Powerhouse. Nearly 20 years later the powerhouse became a nightclub, and later on a desalination plant. It was not until 1983 that the powerhouse and what is now the parkland became known as Powerhouse Park. Today the old powerhouse is a community center.

If you enter from the northern end of the park you will pass the Del Mar Powerhouse Community Center. The park is relatively small, but as you walk along the grass you will get an excellent view of the Pacific Ocean. On summer nights this area is swarming with music fans, as Powerhouse Park hosts the Del Mar Twilight Sumer Concert Series. A playground specifically designed to allow children to play barefoot sits at the southernmost end of the park.

If you continue walking southward you will find yourself in Seagrove Park. Pathways made of brick carve their way through this quaint park. Picnickers enjoy the benches and the large lawn. It is not uncommon to see weddings taking place here. Just like Powerhouse Park, Seagrove Park provides an exceptional vantage point from which to observe the sea. While you are certain to see surfers, you will have to pay close attention to see dolphins as well.

There has been discussion of moving Alvarado House, a Del Mar historical building dating back to 1885, into Seagrove Park. The Del Mar Historical Society is in favor of this relocation, but they have come up against some opposition. The president of the society has pointed out that the close proximity between Alvarado House and the Del Mar Powerhouse Community Center would transform the area into a historical district.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Beach access. Family friendly. Surfing.

Cons

Dogs not allowed in summer.

Features

ADA accessible
Flushing toilets
Potable water
Picnic tables
Surfing
Fishing
Playground

Location

Nearby Adventures

Nearby Lodging + Camping

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