If you drove to Bayside Park the old way recently, how far did you get before the detour signs sent you back toward the Gaylord?
That short stretch of Sandpiper Way, the east-west extension built during resort construction, is gone for good. The Port of San Diego says it is "permanently closed and is being converted into new park space." Small as it is, the change says a lot about the bayfront in fall 2026. Most of the big destinations now exist. Sweetwater Park has been open since April 2025, Gaylord Pacific since May 2025, and the Living Coast Discovery Center is still at the end of Gunpowder Point. The work left this season is mostly about connections: entrances, paths and a short bikeway gap. Until those are finished, getting from one place to the next takes more planning than it will once construction wraps up.
The Shortcut Became the Park
The Sandpiper Way closure is part of the biggest change on the bayfront. Harbor Park is the new name for Bayside Park, and it is roughly doubling in size, from about 12 acres to about 25. The added land is split into a north phase and a south phase. The south phase has the most amenities, so it is being built first. KPBS put the south phase at $15 million when ground broke in March and reported that the Port had not yet identified funding for the north phase.
The Port lists the south-phase features on its Chula Vista Bayfront project page:
- A nautical-themed playground with multi-age equipment, climbing structures and a play slope
- A splash pad with outdoor showers for rinsing off chlorinated water
- Accessible pathways connecting the existing park to the streets around the Gaylord
- Shade trees, pedestrian lighting, picnic tables, benches and shade structures
- A new park entrance from the roundabout at the west end of H Street
- Reconnected utilities to the south restroom near the fishing pier
Three of those six items are about access: the pathways, the H Street entrance and the restroom hookup. The planned layout ties the old park to the resort's street grid instead of treating it as a separate parking-lot destination.
The Detour, in Order
Until the H Street roundabout entrance opens, the Port suggests two ways to reach the park.
- From the south: take H Street west, go around the front of the Gaylord, and continue to G Street. Detour signs are posted along this route.
- From the north: take F Street, continue west onto Lagoon Drive, then go south on Marina Parkway to G Street.
Both routes end at G Street. The Port's own visitor listing still calls the destination Bayside Park, at 999 Bayside Parkway, with a fishing pier, sand beach, restrooms, bike paths and free parking. The new name is official, but the signs and listings haven't all caught up, and both names appear in directions this fall.
Where the Playground Actually Stands
The Port's timeline says south-phase construction began in spring 2026. The playground is expected in fall 2026 and the splash pad in spring 2027. KPBS reported the same targets, saying the splash pad is expected to open in early 2027.
The most recent on-the-ground report is from September 16, when the local blog Cool San Diego Sights spotted a large playground being installed between the Chula Vista Marina and the Gaylord Pacific. As of October 10, no Port announcement, city update or news report confirms that the playground or the roundabout entrance has opened. Anyone planning a weekend around the new playground should check the Port's project page before going.
The bigger features are further away. The full build-out concept includes an enlarged beach with terraced headlands, a pocket marsh, a north-end launch for kayaks and paddleboards, meadows, an interactive fountain and more paths. The Port says it will build these "as additional funding is secured." The KPBS report confirms the north phase, where the beach and boat launch would go, was unfunded as of March.
The Path That Already Works
The northern half of the bayfront is the opposite case. There, the connection was built first.
Sweetwater Park is at 845 E Street. It has 39 acres, free parking, restrooms, nature play areas, overlooks and 2.5 miles of pedestrian and bicycle paths. It is now the Port's largest park, designed for low-key, habitat-focused recreation next to the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
The Sweetwater Bicycle Path & Promenade runs through it and links Bayside Park, the marinas, the Living Coast Discovery Center area and the Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay RV resort. The Port describes it as an important connection to the existing Bayshore Bikeway. Its best-known feature is a truss pedestrian bridge over the F & G Street Marsh inlet, with benches and overlooks along the way. So on a bike, you can already ride from the Sweetwater side down to the marinas and the park. By car, the detour applies.
The One Place You Can't Walk To
The Living Coast Discovery Center, at 1000 Gunpowder Point Drive, is the exception that no path covers. According to the center's directions page, no dedicated walking or biking trail reaches it, and walking on the road is hazardous. Visitors park in the lot just past the Gunpowder Point Drive traffic circle and take the free Living Coast shuttle. The first pickup is at 10:00 a.m., the last pickup from the lot is at 4:30 p.m., and the last return shuttle leaves at 5:00 p.m. The same shuttle serves people heading to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service building and the refuge trails. Public hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A half-hour gap between the last outbound pickup and closing doesn't leave much room for a late start. If you arrive after about 4:15, the visit will be short.
A small project could close part of the gap nearby. On April 3, 2026, the City of Chula Vista posted a CEQA notice for Bayshore Bikeway Segment 6A, a proposed 0.25-mile separated bikeway from E Street and Gunpowder Point Drive to F Street and Lagoon Drive, built through the MTS rail right-of-way. That covers the stretch between the Sweetwater Park side and the street that leads to the marinas. For now it is a proposal on file, with no evidence that construction has started.
How Each Stop Works Right Now
| Stop | Address | How you get in this fall | Status as of Oct. 10, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Park, formerly Bayside Park | 999 Bayside Pkwy | H Street around the Gaylord to G Street, or F Street to Lagoon Dr to Marina Pkwy | South phase under construction; playground targeted for fall 2026, splash pad for spring 2027 |
| Sweetwater Park | 845 E Street | Free parking; 2.5 miles of paths | Open since April 2, 2025 |
| Living Coast Discovery Center | 1000 Gunpowder Point Dr | Free shuttle from the lot past the traffic circle only | Open Wed–Sun, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Gaylord Pacific Resort | 1000 H Street | Public promenades with bicycle access | Open since May 15, 2025 |
| The Galley at the Marina | 550 Marina Pkwy | Free parking; dock-and-dine for boaters | Open, with live music on the calendar |
The Resort as Public Ground
The Gaylord Pacific is more than a convention hotel to people who live nearby, and its layout explains why. The Port describes public amenities including pedestrian promenades, bicycle access, food and beverage options, games and a nature playground, all meant to connect the resort to the rest of the bayfront. The detour to Harbor Park also goes around the front of it.
The resort's dining lineup includes Old Hickory Steakhouse, Trēō Kitchen + Bar, Marzul Coastal Cuisine, Growlers Sports Bar & Taproom, Taiyō, Oeste Bar, Shallow End Grill, Sunny's and PCH Café & Market. Marzul is listed as open Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. When it opened, 10News described Marzul as a Baja-inspired fine-dining spot just west of the resort pool. Marriott describes the 4.25-acre water park, with waterslides, a lazy river and a wave pool, as part of the resort.
Off the resort grounds, The Galley at the Marina sits at Safe Harbor Bayfront, 550 Marina Parkway. It advertises bay views, dock-and-dine, free parking, heated outdoor seating and live music.
The Bayfront Calendar Through the New Year
These are the confirmed dates, starting today:
- October 10–11: National Wildlife Refuge Week at the Living Coast Discovery Center
- October 11, 14, 16 and 18: live music at The Galley from West of 5, Rons Garage, Back in the Day and The New Catillacs, in that order
- October 24, 3:00–6:30 p.m.: Farm to Bay at the Living Coast. The center's calendar also lists the center as closed to the public that day, so regular admission isn't an option.
- November 7 and 14: Sweetwater Safari Hikes on the Sweetwater Marsh Trail, booked through the Living Coast
- November 20, 2026 – January 3, 2027: Christmas at Gaylord Pacific, with the ticketed ice! "A Charlie Brown Christmas" attraction, ice tubing, gingerbread decorating, Santa photos and Mrs. Claus storytime
The holiday season starts right around when the Harbor Park playground is supposed to be finished. If the new H Street roundabout entrance isn't open by late November, holiday traffic around the front of the Gaylord will share the same streets the park detour uses.
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