Search our Site

Franko's Mission Bay

Printed on waterproof, rip-proof plastic. Available folded or flat laminated (like a placemat)

Map size: 13" x 19"

FM-MISSBF (Folded $6.00) ISBN 1-931494-69-X
FM-MISSBL (Laminated $10.00) ISBN 1-931494-69-X

Franko's Map of Mission Bay

Mission Bay, in San Diego, California, is enjoyed by many thousands of people, including both locals and tourists. The City of San Diego have an official slogan about Mission Bay that proclaims that it is “The World's Finest Aquatic Playground.” Not only is San Diego's Mission Bay Park one of the largest city parks in America, it is definitely the best water park in the world. Franko's Map of Mission Bay was designed for everyone who visits Mission Bay, to know everything there is to do in Mission Bay, and what the rules and regulations are for Mission Bay's abundant water recreation. Every tourist who visits San Diego and goes to Sea World, Sail Bay, Mission Beach, Fiesta Island, or any other part of Mission Bay should own this handy guide map. Everyone else who enjoys the superb features of Mission Bay including boating, kayaking, biking, jogging, walking, and swimming in and around Mission Bay needs this map as well. Right below the title block of Franko's Map of Mission Bay there is a neat layout of the facts of San Diego's Mission Bay Park. The caption is as follows:

Mission Bay Park Facts:
Size: 4600 acres (approx. half water)
Shoreline: 27 miles
Sandy Beaches: 19 miles
Swim Areas: 8 locations, 2 miles total
Oceanfront Beaches: 2.3 miles (Pacific Beach Dr. to North Jetty)
Activities: Swimming, fishing, waterskiing, sailing, jet skiing, wind surfing, picnicking, volleyball, softball, beach fires, horseshoes, bicycling, jogging, playgrounds, and much more.

Approximately half of the 4600 acres (over 7 square miles) of Mission Bay Park is water. The rest is a wonderful assortment of parks and resorts, plus the world famous adventure park we know as Sea World.

How and Why Franko's Map of Mission Bay was Created. There is an interesting story to how and why Franko's Map of Mission Bay was created. It was not my original idea, as is the case with most of my maps. In 2003 some of my lifeguard friends in San Diego asked me if I could make an official map of Mission Bay Park for the City of San Diego, which they would give to all of the boaters, jetski riders, fishermen, kayakers, and anyone else who uses Mission Bay for water recreation. It was said that funding had been donated by an environmental group and thus the map needed to be created and printed in large quantity for give-away. My friend, the extraordinary lifeguard Sgt. John Sandmeyer, a map maker himself, assisted me on a project to create “The City of San Diego's Official Map of Mission Bay Park”, which included the City of San Diego emblem in the title block, and San Diego's slogan, “The World's Finest Aquatic Playground.” I made numerous trips to Mission Bay, exploring and gathering information, although my lifeguard friend (affectionately known as “Sandman” by all), was my chief source of information and editing. We finished the map just in time for the City of San Diego to be in the midst of huge financial woes. Therefore, even though the money had been donated for the map, and even though I had submitted an invoice for the work to the city already, a spending freeze had been ordered and the project was canceled. My work had been a waste of time! Or had it?

I elected to take my map artwork, modify it for the better, and deleted the name of San Diego and it's emblem from my map. The title was changed from “The City of San Diego's Official Map of Mission Bay Park” to “Franko's Map of Mission Bay.” The image of the San Diego official seal was removed and replaced with my own bar code. I also put some personal photos on the map and made it a better guide for Mission Bay than it was before. I also included the dive sites just off Mission Beach, which are known as “Wreck Alley”, and showed the exact locations of the HMCS Yukon, a Canadian destroyer placed there for a reef habitat, the NOSC tower, which was once a Naval communications tower, the wreck of the Ruby E, a coast guard vessel, and others. Plus the map shows the resorts all around Mission Bay, which host thousands of tourists, plus offer kayaking, fishing and other fun Mission Bay recreation. Lastly I showed Mission Bay's bicycle paths.

The official city map was intended primarily for fishing and boating on Mission Bay, and so it did not have everything that I wanted to put on the map. With the city not involved in the production I was able to make the Mission Bay map exactly the way I pleased. Fortunately, Sandman continued to help me correct and edit my new Franko Map. One of the key features of the original “official map” was the official rules and regulations governing water recreation in and around Mission Bay. Side two of this map is primarily a listing of the official rules and regulations for recreating at Mission Bay Park, which is actually all on City of San Diego property. Sandman had compiled these rules and regulations for the map. However, I left these rules and regulations on the map, so that all users of Mission Bay would know exactly what they can do and with which rules they must comply. In the end, Franko's Map of Mission Bay supercedes the “The City of San Diego's Official Map of Mission Bay Park.” It is a better map because it did not have bureaucratic inputs and requirements. I made it to suit myself, yet had Sandman's influence and invaluable help. The map turned out better for all.

Now, if you go to San Diego's Visitor Information Center off the 5 freeway at Clairemont Blvd., or to Dana Market Landing at Dana Basin, Aqua Adventures at Mission Bay Marina, OEX Dive and Kayak shop of Quivera Rd., or any of the other locations that sell the map, you will find a Franko-made display box on the countertop with a supply of maps being sold to the patrons who joyfully come by the thousands to Mission Bay all year round. So, instead of having “The City of San Diego's Official Map of Mission Bay Park” being handed out for free, visitors can purchase a much better map called “Franko's Map of Mission Bay”, with much better information, printed on waterproof, durable synthetic paper. The local merchants gladly show visitors where everything is and what to do in Mission Bay and along Mission Beach, because it is all on the map. I'd say Franko's Map of Mission Bay turned out for the better in America's biggest and best water park.

Side 1 of Franko's Map of Mission Bay shows all of Mission Bay, including every detail of what is there, all roads, bike paths, parks, beaches, waterski launches, sailing and motor boating , kayaking, personal watercraft zones, swim areas, lifeguard towers, boat beaching spots, and much more. Outside the bay the beach is shown in detail with every lifeguard tower, the swim zones, surfing zones, and some of the features of the famed Wreck Alley, where scuba divers explore the HMCS Yukon and other well-known wrecks. On the water in Mission Bay the map shows the “Open Speed Zones”, also known to water skiers and personal watercraft (PWC) users as “Go Fast Zones”. The zones are indicated, with their boundaries and their rules are given as well. Mission Bay's most famous spots, especially Sea World, are shown, as well as many other sites, like the San Diego visitor information center, Bonita Cove's scuba diving site (good for lobster hunting), and the major resorts of the bay. The intricate details of Mission Bay's bicycle trail system are provided for the rider, jogger, or walker who loves to use Mission Bay to keep feeling great. There is also a bit of artwork, or interpretive data of the local birds and animals that highlight the scenery of the wetlands around Mission Bay. Franko's Map of Mission Bay has several important lists for the reader. These include the seven major resorts of Mission Bay:

Bahia Resort Hotel (858) 488-0551
Catamaran Resort Hotel (858) 488-1081
Dana On Mission Bay (619) 222-6440
Hyatt Regency Islandia (619) 224-1234
Hilton San Diego Resort (619) 276-4010
Paradise Point Resort & Spa (858) 274-4630
Campland-on-the-Bay (858) 581-4200

There is also a list of Mission Bay's marinas:

Bahia Hotel Marina (858) 488-0551
Campland Marina (858) 581-4220
Dana Inn Marina (619) 222-6440
Dana Landing Marina (619) 224-2513
Islandia Marina (858) 224-1234
Marina Village Marina (619) 224-3125
Mission Bay Marina (619) 223-5191
Sea World Marina (619) 226-3915
Seaforth Marina (619) 224-6807

Franko's Map of Mission Bay shows in detail all of the parks and parts of the bay. The lifeguard stations are shown along the beach at South Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and South Mission Beach. Just south of the Mission Bay Channel (the entrance to Mission Bay), is Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach Park, and a Dog Beach, perfect for letting your dog run around. There is also a Dog Run on Fiesta Island.

The western part of Mission Bay is called Sail Bay. The map shows where the Open Speed Area is. The Mission Bay Sports Center, Santa Clara Recreation Center, and Mission Bay Aquatic Center are all found on Santa Clara Point, sticking out into Sail Bay. Further south, El Carmel Point, Bahia Point, and Ventura Point are shown. The Mission Bay Yacht Club is shown on El Carmel Point, and Mission Bay's Bahia Resort Hotel is shown on Bahia Point.

Near the Mission Beach Lifeguard Station is Belmont Park, which features The Plunge and a Roller Coaster and an Arcade. This famous roller coaster is shown on a photograph of the Mission Bay map. Belmont Park is busy year-round. Between Sail Bay and the eastern half of the bay is Vacation Isle. There you will note the location of the wonderful Paradise Point Resort, a great park for playing ball, a ski beach, public boat launch and the famous Vacation Isle Model Yacht Basin, where remote control boaters launch their hand-crafted models to sail around a very large basin.

To the east of Vacation Isle is Fiesta Bay, which has large Fiesta Island. Fiesta Island features 5 miles of one-way bicycle path in very little traffic, and almost always blessed with a cool sea breeze. Dog Park is also there, where people and come with their best friends and let them run and have almost as much fun as their master. The astute observer will note the Over-the-line ball field on Fiesta Island as well, where wanna-be baseball players compete for the championship of this abbreviated game of baseball. It is noted that Mission Bay's Fiesta Island aslo has protected nesting areas of the California least tern. Adjacent Water Skiing Areas and Open Speed Area are shown.

On the east side of Fiesta Bay is the San Diego Visitor Center, the Hilton Hotel, and Tecolote Shores Park with a Kite Flying Area and a Playground for the Disabled. The PWC Area is shown at the southeast of Fiesta Island.

At the southern end of Mission Bay is Sea World Adventure Park. I grew up simply saying “Sea World”, and everybody knew that that meant the place where Shamu was, plus all of the amazing marine life shows and fantastic aquariums could be seen, along with a whole day of fun for families.

All of the roads going through and around Mission Bay are shown completely and accurately for your benefit as you go in and around Mission Bay. You can see from the map that Mission Bay Park is a fantastic and wonderful place to visit. It will make you want to come to stay for good.

In the ocean to the west of Mission Bay, the spots of some popular dive sites are identified in “Wreck Alley.” The five wrecks shown are the HMCS Yukon, the NOSC Tower, the Ruby E, the El Rey, and remnants of the Old Ingraham St. Bridge. These and all of San Diego's diverse scuba diving spots are detailed on Franko's Dive Map of San Diego County Coast. In fact, that map has a smaller version of this very map to highlight the excellent scuba diving that is to be found there.

The beauty of San Diego's Mission Bay area is highlighted not only by the map of Mission Bay, but also by several photos. The first photo is a photo of a surfer at Mission Beach. This shows the essence of San Diego surfing. The photo, taken by Anthony Marcotti, my nephew, reminds me that you might like to know that there is such a thing as Franko's Map of San Diego Surfing. It was Anthony who compiled and wrote most of the text on that and my other California surfing maps. His expertise and photography helped this map as well. Then there is the map of Belmont Park's roller coaster, as viewed from West Mission Bay Drive at Mission Blvd. I stuck my digital camera out the car window while I was waiting at the traffic light there for this shot. Not too professional, but it shows the icon roller coaster and reminds us of how much fun things to do there are in and around Mission Bay. Then there is photo of wild flowers growing in the fields near Sea World. After the huge rains of the winter of 2004 and 2005 the flower show was spectacular! The whole of Mission Bay was just so much more beautiful. The contrast of a billion yellow flowers against the brilliant blue water is impossible to convey, so I would suggest a winter or springtime visit to Mission Bay to see for yourself. The last photo is along the sidewalk near the San Diego Visitor Center. People rollerblade, bike, jog and walk by there all day every day. San Diego seems to be the fittest city in the world.

Side 2 of Franko's Map of Mission Bay is not a map at all, but it is a list of all of the rules and regulations that boaters, fishermen, water skiers, PWC users, and all other users of Mission Bay. If you will please comply with these rules, this will ensure that the local lifeguards and police, as well as your fellow Mission Bay visitors will be happy with your actions. Thank the local lifeguards, especially my buddy Sandman, for this information, as well as many of the details on Side 1 of this map.

The Mission Bay regulations given on side two are categorized thus:

Speed
Waterskiing
Personal Watercraft (PWC)
Sailing
Required Equipment, Registration, & Age Restrictions
Reckless, Negligent, and Intoxicated Operation
Boating Accidents
Anchoring, Mooring, and Beaching
Launching and Removal of Boats
Beach Fires, Litter, Alcohol, and Glass
Swimming
Fishing
Parking
Camping
Boating and Safety Guidelines

In the corner of the map there is a note that the San Diegan or San Diego visitor might like to own other Franko Maps products for the area. The picture indicates that for other San Diego map products, you should see:
Franko's Map of San Diego Coast
Franko's Map of San Diego Surfing
Franko's HMCS Yukon deck plan & fish identifier
Franko's La Jolla Shores map & fish identifier



* Please note that due to the nature of maps, the look and apperance may change without notice.
You may recive a different looking map than what you see on this website.

Monoi oil, Monoi Soap, Dirt Shirts, Hawaiian Posters, Hawaiian Calendars and Postcards
A Lovely collection of Hawaiian books, stationery, postcards and Monoi Tiare Tahiti products.



Made with a Mac - Think Different...

No reproduction is allowed without
the express permission of Franko Maps Ltd.


This site is hosted and maintained by Host-My-Website.com
A division of Support Data Inc.


Site Pages


frankosmaps.com




ORDER HERE
from mailorderhawaii.com

Size Price Order Here
Folded $6
Laminated $10



Larger Views:
Side 1
Side 2 Zoom
Title Block
Side 1 of Franko’s Map of Mission Bay is a beautiful detailed chart of the waterways, islands and surrounding land in and around San Diego’s Mission Bay Park. Interestingly, this work was originally commissioned by the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation department, and it was via the city lifeguards that the official details and data was put together. However, due to budget crunch this map never was became the “official” City of San Diego map of Mission Bay Park, but instead, “Franko’s Map of Mission Bay” was added to Franko’s growing repertoire of California coastal and island maps. One this for certain is that it is absolutely full of details of Mission Bay Park’s 4600 acres (half of which is water), including Sail Bay, Fiesta Bay, De Anza Cove, Fiesta Island, South Shores, Sea World, Dana Basin, Quivira Basin, Vacation Island, Bonita Cove, Santa Barbara Cove, San Juan Cove, Santa Clara Cove, Mission Bay Channel, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Wreck Alley, and every other detail of the area. The moorings, anchorages, navigational buoys, fuel docks, pumpout stations (boats and RV’s), launch ramps, personal watercraft areas, boat tie-ups, swim areas, surfing areas, bird watching areas and even the model airplane flying area is located on the map. This easy-to-read map features all of the main roads into, out of, and around Mission Bay, for easy navigation to your favorite beaches and resorts, plus it is a superb chart of the waterways, comprised of NOAA data to show the water depths. A variety of fish, waterfowl and other wildlife are shown on the face of the map to indicate some of the may species that flourish around Mission Bay. The San Diego River Floodway in the south side of Mission Bay is also detailed. It is a bird watcher’s paradise to the east side, and a dog-walker’s haven on the west end. Mission Bay’s major resorts are found on the map. They include the Bahia Resort Hotel, Catamaran Resort Hotel, Dan Inn and Marina, Hyatt Regency Islandia Hotel, Hilton San Diego Resort, Paradise Point Resort and Spa, and Campland-on-the-bay. The marinas are also shown, including Bahia Hotel Marina, Campland Marina, Dana Inn Marina, Dana Landing Marina, Islandia Marina, Marina Village Marina, Mission Bay Yacht Club, Sea World Marina and Seaforth Marina. Each of the lifeguard towers and swim areas are also shown. Most importantly to the waterskiers, PWC riders, and other fast boaters are the “Open Speed Areas” (aka “go fast zones”), which are highlighted. Since Franko is a life-long bicyclist, no map of Mission Bay would be complete without the area’s numerous bike paths shown. This map shows you how to circumnavigate Mission Bay on your bike, skates, walking or jogging. Since this map was originally created on behalf of the lifeguards, it would not be complete without a full set of rule and regulations to live by.

Therefore, Franko’s Map of Mission Bay Park side 2 is dedicated to just that. Mission Bay Regulations spelled out include: Speed, Waterskiing, Personal Watercraft (PWC), Sailing, Required Equipment, Registration & Age Restrictions for boating, Reckless, Negligent and Intoxicated Operation, Boating Accidents, Anchoring, Mooring and Beaching, Launching and Removal of Boats, Dogs and Other Animals, Beach Fires. Litter Alcohol, and Glass, Swimming, Fishing, Parking, and Camping. Also there are some Boating and Safety Guidelines from the lifeguards department. This side of the map is extremely valuable for boaters of any description within Mission Bay.