The Oceanside Pier stretches nearly 2,000 feet out into the Pacific, making it one of the longest wooden piers on the West Coast. It's free to walk and open at all hours, which makes it a natural gathering point for the city — anglers line the railings on weekend mornings, families stroll to the end for the views, and surfers ride the breaks on either side.
The pier is the focal point of downtown Oceanside's beach strip. You can watch the surf from above, look for dolphins and seals in the water below, and on a clear day see well up and down the coast toward Carlsbad and Camp Pendleton. At the landward end of the pier, the beach amphitheatre hosts summer concerts.