Every few months I have an appointment in the nearby medical offices, but I come from quite a distance and sometimes arrive early. I have discovered this sweet little park to pass time until I need to be there. It's green and lush and shady. There are people walking, sitting at tables and pushing their kids around in Strollers. It's a nice place to stop and just relax, take a few minutes out of your day and find some calm. Definitely a neighborhood gem and a nice place for all the medical staff nearby to take a break read more

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This park lacks a big playground structure, if that's what you're looking for don't even bother, it only has a few swings nothing else. The walking trails are nice and there is a lot of open space to run around, the bathrooms need updating and I only found street parking. Seems like a good place to go walking not a place to bring kids to play. read more

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Small, clean, low key park near freeway. Across from assisted living facility. Lots of small well behaved dogs on leash, and elderly folk. There's a bathroom, kids play area, and shade. Handicap accessible read more

What a hidden gem! Quiet park tucked away near Grossmont area. This park is unique in that there is no traditional playground. There is a set of four swings, a big sandbox, and a unique musical area with large xylophones. Several picnic tables with umbrellas. It's great if you're trying to catch up with a friend - quiet enough to talk and hear each other, and small enough for the kids to run and play on their own. Lots of open space for them to explore. read more

My Sundays now consists of me finding places in San Diego to visit, so I don't feel so stuck at home. I found this place on Hidden San Diego (hiddensandiego.net/things-to-do/places/briercrest-park). According to the article, "Briercrest Park is a small yet lovely park located near the Grossmont Healthcare Center in La Mesa. [The writer] was originally drawn towards this park when [she] learned that James Hubbell and the Hubbell & Hubbell architecture studio had designed multiple features in the park including a mosaic butterfly along one of the pathways, a labyrinth as well as some mosaic pieces on the bathroom walls." I visited Briercrest Park (La Mesa) in September 2020 (6 months after Pandemic started). The place is small but beautiful and definitely picture friendly for some of the art / musical pieces there!! I went on a Sunday afternoon and probably spent about 15 minutes or so there. No one was around, so it was comfortable walking around. Pictures: https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=ESiIvW2L8QzPiA10uM3gOg&userid=NvUeb5G_mSSxgKhEE_Hueg ENJOY!! read more

I love this little park with its 3 acres of fun, relaxation, and beauty. I have to say, it may not be the largest park, but I love the lay out and the planning that went into its creation. My first impression was that they sure do spend an appropriate amount of time maintaining the park which is always a good thing. The park offers a sidewalk that meanders around the park hitting up all the park's amenities. For example, the park has a climbing structure for the little ones, an interesting musical station, a large sandbox, and playground equipment. It offers and restrooms, tables and benches, and herb garden that could use some TLC. Most of the trees are pretty mature so they look very nice and the grass is well kept. They also use recycled water so that's a good thing. You can park on the street or the Grossmont Healthcare Library parking lot. Great little park. read more

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Such a cute park! Came here on a Saturday late afternoon with my kids and husband and had a great time. Playing with the instruments was a huge highlight for our toddler. He wanted to be there the entire time. There are also some swings that are distanced for covid and a sand pit. There is some grass that's a bit hilly and my son also loves to run around and actually see grass! There is no playground here, it is just a park. There are a bunch of picnic tables so it would be a great spot for a family lunch. There are bathrooms here too! Awesome for it you are potty training. We had fun and it was so cute. I know I'll be back in the future. read more

I decided to venture here based on the Yelp reviews. I'm a SAHM and we like trying different parks. PARKING: Street parking available. There's also a small lot next to the park There are no climbing structures or playground equipment. There are a few statues to climb on, 4 swings (2 infant), and a sand pit. The coolest part are the instruments. There's also an herbal garden. Plenty of picnic tables with umbrellas. Nice area for walking and exploring. Some grassy parts. My girls (ages 1 and 3) enjoyed it. read more

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What a cute little park, nestled in-between all the medical buildings by Grossmont, this place is a hidden gem. I call this park an explorer park because besides the swing set there isn't any other playsets for kids. That's not to say that this park isn't for kids. This park is a great park for the kid that loves to use their imagination or a kid like mine that's too young to really care about playsets and loves to run around. They have an open sand area where kids can bring sand toys, a musical area where you can hit different pieces to make sounds, an open grassy area, and picnic tables with shade This is a very clean and well maintained park and so far doesn't seem to get very busy during weekday mornings. It's a very peaceful park that offers lots of shade and things to explore. Glad that we found it! read more

This park is beautiful! A hidden gem. It is near trader joes which is how I originally found it. But it sits between grossmont hospital and its auxiliary buildings. So I can see how this would be a great spot to take a break while visiting at the hospital. It has a dry creek-bed running the length of the park. Theres a huge rock mound to practice your bouldering skills, elegant wind-chimes/musical instruments for kids or adults alike to play and lots of different areas to picnic. There is even an herb garden for kids to learn the different kinds like lavender, white sage etc. There is lots of lush green grass amongst trees. It really doesn't feel like you are right next to a freeway or busy shopping center AT ALL. You almost feel a world away. Love this park! read more

This is my favorite park in la mesa! It is so peaceful! The best place ever for a picnic. This park is a hidden gem! I love this place!! They have a big climbing rock and musical instruments for kids to place. Really cool park... read more

This is probably my favorite park to come to and just relax. It always feels empty even when there are several other people here. It must have something to do with the layout. It's the only park around here with sensory gardens and the hubbell labyrinth is also unique. I've spent a lot of fun afternoons playing in there with my son. The paths there are wide and level, perfect for learning to ride a bike. A highlight here is also by the restrooms there are hand decorated tiles by children along the built in seating areas that are really cute. Yes, there are minimal thrills as far as playground equipment goes, but the point of this park is to foster children's imagination, not instant gratification. There are plenty of activities here if you look around and utilize the park the way it was intended. I bring my son and his little buddies and they go searching for lizards through the dry creek beds. There is a really cool rock wall that is supposedly for kids 5-12, but I've snuck on there (shhh, don't tell anyone). They create scavenger hunts, and this is really the perfect park for this, with its little bridges and paths. We've spent many hours here lost in our own little world. read more

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This is a nice little park. I like that it's not just a patch of grass, which sometimes parks tend to be. It also has a secluded feeling. Also is fairly well-kept and quiet. read more

This picturesque park is always peaceful which I find surprising seeing as how the main attraction is giant musical instruments. There's fresh herbs growing throughout the park, it's a nice little touch. We usually come for the photo opps which never seem to disappoint read more

Briercrest Park - Herb garden at Briercrest Park - Parks Near Me - La Mesa, California

This is an amazing park. Simple but beautiful. The landscape architects and designers who made this park need to make more in San Diego!

Not sure why people bag on this park. Yes it is small, but it has some nice features. Musical instruments, swings, sandbox, paths to right bikes and some things to climb. Also a picnic table and benches. Herbs are grown also..It's probably geared to younger children, but it is also a nice park to just relax with a good amount of shaded trees..sorry if it didn't work out for you joggers out there, but was just fine for me. Any park should be rated high, there are so few places out there still green and nice. At least they are trying read more

I like this park - however, I didn't know about the previous incarnation - I found it post renovation. It seems simple, but my kids really enjoy it. With it's winding paths, it's a great park to bring a wheeled toy to - great for kids learning to ride a bike, for example. The kids get creative about their space here - they roll down the grassy knolls, whack at the music area, play in the sand box, climb up to the top of the big rock and feel like they really accomplished something! Then there's the dry stream beds for them to hunt about in, bridges to climb over & pretend there's trolls under them...this park is all about creativity! When we come here, my kids spend minimal time on the swings, instead focusing on all of the other more creative & inventive things that this park offers as a jumping off place for their imaginations. read more

This is a really cool park for kids! I liked the wind chimes and the rock climbing structure.

Yes, all of what the other two reviews are saying happens to be true. On the bright side, if you come here at night, it is extremely well lit, and the walking paths are top notch, although very short in comparison to a huge regional park. True there isn't much for kids to do here except swing, rock climb, explore the animal statues, find lizards in the rocks, learn about local herbs, have a picnic under an umbrella table, and play on two real stand up xylophone tube thingies. On another plus side, the restrooms are immaculate! Not one smell. I feel like I came here for a grand opening it was so well maintained, all over the park. They even have herb gardens and a labyrinth and sweet bridges over the dry creek bed. It seems like it was made for some kind of hospital physical rehab or something, because the paths are all easy to travel and the proximity to the parking lot is right there. It is very quiet here at night, but not in a creepy way. You get the hum of the freeway in the background, the occasional car driving by on the street, and you can actually see lots of the sky including Mars. It was a good find when we were looking for a space to walk off our dinner last night. I'll take the kids there and see if they love it too. read more

I about cried when they started re-doing this park years ago. They took out all the fun rings to swing on and the cement dinosaur you could climb on. My 9 year old self was devastated. My elders' tears were for all the beautiful trees they cut down. 100 years later, when they finally finished it, I'm not too impressed. They redistributed the dirt so it is now level with the street. Coupled with the lack of trees, it makes it really exposed. There isn't anything much more than swings for kids; I couldn't see them spending more than 20 minutes here. For a more equipped and less artificial-feeling park, try Harry Griffin. read more

Not really much of a park, a few swings and stuff for kinds to climb on, a few tables, a short walking path, and almost no trees.

We have been having my kids' birthday parties here for years starting when the trees were so small they didn't provide shade! This park embodies mosaic tile art and stained glass by the great artist James Hubbell, is designed by his architecture son, Drew Hubbell, who designed a fabulous park. Find the sensory garden, or walk the winding hilly trail that goes through and around the park or play music on huge wind chimes and other type instruments that are part of the park. There are swings, a sand "box" with hidden dinosaur fossils climbing lizard and frog plus a climbing rock for novice climbers and oldies. This is a great park to ride or scoot around as the dry creek bed winds through the park. It's so beautiful! read more

Tiny, not really much going on. They tried, but just don't have the land. Ambulances in the distance because of the hospital. I went on a run through the park and lasted 0.3 miles. read more

This is a great simple place to make a stop on your day.Small and perfect for young children that no need more than some swings and couple statues to climb, my daughter loves going to this park to play in the sand and music area. Nice place to stroll around. read more

a very cute and hidden park in the heart of la mesa! very convient as it is next to trader Joe's and sharp grossmont! however, it does not a playset. read more

This is a wonderful and charming little park. The design takes advantage of a small space to create a really comfortable ambiance...what a great place for a picnic. Our kids loved the swings, the musical instruments, the fossil pit and the climbing rock wall. Obviously a lot of thought went into this park, and I love that it gets the kids using their imagination. There is no big state of the art tot lot, but those are a dime a dozen, and who needs all that plastic anyway? This park has charm and the landscape matches the whimsical decor. read more

if it wasn't for the beautiful greenery I would give this place 1 say.. the ark is soo small. the swings were old, rusty.. the possil pit was a littler box for cats. the climbing rock wall was closed until further notice.. picknic tables and benches were full of graffiti..bad bad read more