Perched on a hilltop at 5115 Soledad Rd in the 92109, between Pacific Beach and La Jolla, Kate Sessions Memorial Park covers 79 acres of grassy slopes, native habitat, and some of the most photographed views in San Diego. The park is named for Kate Olivia Sessions (1857–1940), the pioneering horticulturist known as the “Mother of Balboa Park,” who in 1892 struck a deal with the city to plant 100 trees a year in what was then a barren mesa. Sessions later moved her nursery operations to the Mount Soledad foothills above Pacific Beach, and on what would have been her 100th birthday—November 8, 1957—the city dedicated this land in her honor. The manicured upper section features picnic tables, barbecue grills, a children’s playground, a three-quarter-mile paved walking path, and restrooms near the flagpole. The lower sixty-plus acres preserve native scrub habitat threaded with hiking trails that connect through a canyon to southern La Jolla. Dogs on leash are welcome, and sunset views of downtown, Mission Bay, and the Pacific Ocean draw crowds every evening. Visitors heading downhill toward the coast can grab seafood at The Fishery on Cass St. A post-hike drink with a waterfront view is an easy drive to Waterbar on Mission Bay. The park gate closes nightly at 10 p.m.