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Bowden Park

4.1 (17 reviews)

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Rrrun C.

I'm quite a fan of this park and it's accommodations, but the crown jewel is the running car whose legs look in great shape and really don't need to go to the gym anytime soon. One of the best things to do is to take a picture with the car statue, but you want to make sure you get there early because the lines can be quite long. Bring water. Gotta Run--- RRRun

Elizabeth I.

I came to this park today to eat my lunch. Very nice park. Close to the caltrain station.Very pretty place . There is a pedestrian, bike tunnel to get to the otherside of california ave were there is plentiful shops and resteraunts.

Jerry Bowden Park!!!

Jerry Bowden Park is a beautiful, well-maintained park in the heart of Palo Alto!!! I decided to check it out right before sunset - it was a peaceful, fantastic place to chill, hang out, and eat if you brought food (I did). It is a spectacular oasis of nature in the middle of a bustling city - there are vast expanses of grass, robust thriving trees, and plenty of big crimson and cornflower blue flower bushes lining the sidewalks. In addition to the park offering a fantastic pocket of nature to all, it is a great gathering place. For example, it features a canopy formed from a combination of the trees naturally and a man-made wood lattice like structure. Many sets of benches and tables are available for sitting on and at for soaking in the wonderful ambiance! Bowden Park is dog-friendly and also kid friendly too - plenty of children were enjoying themselves on a spacious playground with two large, shiny play sets. With unique statues and sculptures (there was a quirky running car!!! and a modern sculpture of balanced rising cubes!!!), and a convenient place to visit and access due to its location right next to the California Avenue Train station, the park is truly a haven that can be enjoyed by all. I would definitely recommend visiting Jerry Bowden Park, it is a special place!!! Update 9/4: Took some pictures of the beautiful ocean creature tunnel that leads to Bowden Park!

Kim N.

If you have to wait for the Caltrain off California, and it's a nice day, take the tunnel to this small swatch of land. This at one point was no longer a park (official status) and was going to be train parking. Then the area froze still for a while including the station. It's not too big but at least it's still natural with benches and kids area. The crazy statue of the man-car is worth checking out if you like psychedelic art.

Late night, Cal trans leaving

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Review Highlights - Bowden Park

It's a small park but we've had 4th of July picnics there and I suppose you could get a small softball game going in the center grassy area.

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Cornelis Bol Park

Cornelis Bol Park

4.6(60 reviews)
1.3 mi

The park, what we saw of it, was clean and nice. We visited Buddy, one of the two donkeys…read morecurrently at the park. April, the other donkey, was at the vet. There were 2 volunteers who were helpful explaining everything. On the way out with our 6 month old boy and 9 month old girl we stopped at the playground near the parking (which was adequate given it was a Friday afternoon). They had a wonderful time swinging on the swings. There were a full set of play things available for slightly older children. Everything was as clean as could be expected. We had a very nice day at the park.

I love coming to this park with my dog. It's a wonderful 13.8 mi park. Bol park was named after…read moreStanford physicist Cornelis Bol. Bol Park opened to the public in April 1974. There are two donkeys that live there. They are named April and Buddy. You can see them walking the park with their care takers from time to time. You can meet the donkeys for a walk on Sundays from 10-11 a.m. There use to be three donkeys. The third was named Perry and he passed this year, 2025. Perry was the donkey that Disney's- Shrek's donkey was based off of. They are gentle and sweet and friendly to visitors. You can donate to the donkeys at https://barronparkdonkeys.org. My dog and I love walking the pathways and hanging out around the grass fields and trees. It's a great place for kids because of the cute playground, picnic tables and water fountains.

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Cornelis Bol Park - Cute place to visit.

Cute place to visit.

Cornelis Bol Park - Nom nom.

Nom nom.

Cornelis Bol Park

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Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View - Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View

Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View

4.3(27 reviews)
3.0 mi

Shoreline Parklands is one of the best "easy outdoor" spots in Mountain View. It's a big regional…read morepark by the Bay with a ton of space and different things to do. What I like: Free entry, huge free parking lot, and bathrooms. You can keep it simple with a walk or bike ride on the trails, or make it more of an activity day with the lake. The lake is manmade and they have a boathouse where you can rent equipment. Sailing, paddle boating, that kind of vibe. I've also seen the boathouse area used for group events, so it's good for a casual outing or even something organized. A few practical notes: It's mostly flat, which is great, but there's very little shade, so if it's sunny bring water and plan accordingly. Weekends can get crowded, especially when the weather is good. Overall, it's a clean, convenient park with enough variety that you can keep coming back and not get bored.

Shoreline Parklands is located in North Mountain View. This is a large regional park along the…read moreshores of the SF bay. There is a parking lot, as well as bathrooms here. There are many recreational activities to do here with a golf course, a lake for sailing, fields / open spaces for kite flying and other sports, restaurants, the historic Rengstorff House (a restored historic Victorian mansion), trails for biking and walking, and more. Unfortunately, the Rengstorff House just closed when we arrived. We were able to walk around and check out the lake and some of the other areas though.

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Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View - Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View

Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View

Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View - Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View

Shoreline Parklands At Mountain View

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Shoreline Parklands

Bowden Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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