Mission Bay (San Diego)

Mission Bay is an artificial, saltwater bay located south of the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, California, created from approximately 2,000 acres (810 ha) of historical wetland, marsh, and saltwater bay habitat. The bay is part of the recreational Mission Bay Park, the largest man-made aquatic park in the United States, consisting of 4,235 acres (17.14 km²), approximately 46% land and 54% water. The combined area makes Mission Bay Park the ninth largest municipally-owned park in the United States.

The bay was created to enhance recreational opportunities in San Diego. Wakeboarding, jet skiing, sailing, camping, cycling, jogging, roller skating, skateboarding, and sunbathing are all popular around the bay. Mission Bay Yacht Club, on the west side of the bay, conducts sailing races year-round in the bay and the nearby Pacific Ocean and has produced national sailing champions in many classes. Also on the west side of Mission Bay lies Mission Bay Sportcenter, which offers boat rentals in Mission Bay and boasts the largest aquatic Youth Camp in San Diego.

Fiesta Island, a large peninsular park located within Mission Bay, has a large off-leash dog park and is a popular location for charity walks and runs, bicycle races, time trials, and other special events like an over-the-line tournament. It is also home to an impressive diversity of rare, threatened, and endangered bird and plant species, despite the popularity of the area for people and dogs.^[1] Mission Bay is also host to the annual San Diego Bayfair Cup, a hydroplane boat race that takes place on the H1 Unlimited circuit.