Are you looking for a great outdoor activity with friends and family without spending an arm and a leg? This post will cover the best free pickleball courts in San Diego. Pickleball is the perfect sport for all ages and skill levels, and. It’s easy to learn but can still challenge experienced players.
Let’s Jump in!
Where Can I Play Pickleball In San Diego?
Whatever your skill level or schedule, there’s sure to be a pickleball opportunity for you in San Diego. We’ve compiled a list of the best indoor and outdoor courts open to the public and free to play. For some places we list, you may need to bring your nets and equipment and check for any necessary reservations or permits.
I’ll provide as much info as possible.
(How do indoor and outdoor pickleball differ? Read our full post)
The Best Free Indoor Courts in San Diego, California
The Black Mountain Multipurpose Community Center
9353 Oviedo St, San Diego, CA 92129
Black Mountain is one of several “joint use” facilities in San Diego. This multipurpose center shares space with Black Mountain Middle School. They provide three indoor pickleball courts in their gymnasium on Mondays from 5:15–8:30 pm. All nets and courts are ready for your pickleball game.
Call Hilltop Community Recreation Center (858) 538-8198 to confirm times, as they may have more open play days.
Carmel Mountain Ranch/Sabre Springs Recreation Center
10162 Rancho Carmel Dr, San Diego, CA 92128
Carmel Mountain is an intense, established community center. They offer youth basketball leagues twice a year, as well as a variety of other camps, classes, and pickleball. They have three indoor courts and provide nets for free! The days and times fluctuate based on their gym usage, so give them a call at (858) 538-8100 to confirm what days are open play sessions.
Balboa Park Activity Center
2145 Park Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101
Balboa park has a multipurpose gymnasium built to accommodate badminton, table tennis, volleyball, and pickleball, including fun regional and national tournaments. They have five indoor courts to play on, with nets provided. Open play sessions include Tuesday/Thursday – from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm/Wednesday – from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. They do close during high school summer break & winter breaks, so give them a call at (619) 235-5997
Ocean Air Recreation Center
4770 Fairport Way, San Diego, CA 92130
Opened in 2010, it is an 18-acre park with a 16,500-square-foot recreation center providing meeting rooms, a kitchen, offices, restrooms, and a multifunctional gymnasium with indoor pickleball courts. They set up six indoor courts with nets and open play – visit Oceanair rec center:
Monday 10 am – 1:15 pm, Wednesday 9 am – 12:15 pm, Friday 10 am – 1 pm. Call them at (858) 552-1687 to confirm days and times.
Municipal Gym
2111 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101
The municipal gym downtown has 9 Indoor Pickleball Courts with open play on Mondays & Wednesdays from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm and Saturdays from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm. They provide free nets and can get pretty busy. Check out this place if you want to play games or meet other pickleball players. Call them at (619) 525-8262 to confirm dates and times.
Best Free Outdoor Courts in The San Diego Area
As I was hunting down all this info, I saw many rec centers have courts, but you need to borrow or bring your own nets to set up on the court. I recommend calling ahead to make sure you know what to bring.
La Mesita Park
8855 Dallas Street La Mesa, CA 91942
La Mesita park has four lighted pickleball and youth tennis courts daily from 6 am-10 pm. La Mesita is one of the hidden gems on the list, and it’s a well-maintained park next to a YMCA facility with ample parking.
Kearny Mesa Recreation Center
3170 Armstrong St, San Diego, CA 92111
Kearny Pool opened in 1970, and the Recreation Center opened four years later. The facility is almost 12,000 square feet, located on more than 70 acres. They have four outdoor lined pickleball courts on the unlit blacktop. Give them a call at (858) 573-1387 to see what equipment you may need to bring. The courts are provided, but you may need to bring your own net.
Standley Recreation Center
3585 Governor Drive, San Diego, CA 92122
2 Outdoor pickleball courts on an unlit outdoor basketball court and 2 Indoor Pickleball Courts – Open play is available on Fridays 9 am – 12 pm. Nets can be checked out at the recreation center during office hours. Give them a call at (858) 581-1652 to confirm all the equipment you may need to bring.
Nobel Recreation Center
8810 Judicial Drive San Diego, CA 92122
The Recreation Center at Nobel Athletic Fields was completed in 2007 due to strong community organization and effort. The 31-acre site is also home to the North University Branch Library. They have three indoor courts and two outdoor courts for free. They also will provide free paddles for first-timers to pickleball. I tried looking for info on outdoor nets, so call them at (858) 552-1626.
Murray Ridge Neighborhood Park
8651 Celestine Ave, San Diego, CA 92123
Murray ridge has excellent views, a large open field, a playground, tennis courts, and a perfect trail for running around the park perimeter. They have two lined pickleball courts set up on the tennis court. You must bring your own net, but this park is excellent. Be aware that this is a first-come-first-serve public park, so you may need to fend off other players to get a game going.
La Jolla Recreation Center
615 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037
The recreation center was built in 1915 by Ellen Browning-Scripps, whose residence was next door. It was dedicated that same year to the City of San Diego for the children of La Jolla. They have two lined outdoor courts on a basketball court; you must bring your own net. They have two basketball courts, so it may be easier to play here if it’s not too busy. Give them a call to confirm at (858) 552-1658.
Best Paid Pickleball Outdoor Courts
Coronado Pickleball –
2000 2nd St, Coronado, CA 92118
Coronado’s eight tennis courts are owned and managed by the Marriott Resort. They’re available for public use at $6 per player, but if you have a membership with them, it’ll only set you back about half that!
The courts in Coronado have been converted from two tennis courts to eight, with the addition of temporary taping on each court. The fee for using them is $5 per resident and non-resident alike–residents get first dibs when they’re available, while non-residents will need reservations before trying their luck at getting on the court!
Barnes Tennis Center –
They have five dedicated courts that you can rent for 12$ an hour or an open play session for 5$ on Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 9 am-noon and Saturday from 1 pm-noon to noon. Call them at (619) 221-9000 to make a reservation.
S.D. Pickleball – Pacific Beach Tennis Club –
San Diego pickleball sets up eight outdoor courts by the Mission Bay Golf Course and the Mission Bay High School. They have a reservation-only system and can fill up quickly, so reservations can be made up to 7 days in advance. Your reservation gets you two hours of court time, and it’s 32$ with up to four people on the court. They also provide a pickleball intro lesson for first-timers with paddles and balls. Pay $25 a lesson.
To set up a lesson, email them here: [email protected]
Here are the times they have court reservations for
Conclusion and Thoughts
We hope we have given you some great resources to find your next court. I have a fantastic write-up on the best ways to find pickleball courts and players anywhere you live, so be sure to check that out.
So there you have it! Some of the best pickleball courts in San Diego won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Get out there, enjoy the weather, and have some fun! And if you know of any other great free or low-cost pickleball courts in San Diego, let us know so we can check them out.
Check out all of the cities we have covered:
Best pickleball courts in Las Vegas
Best pickleball courts in Austin
