It looks appealing in the winter and early spring when the dominate hill that gives the park its name is brightgreen, but it's not worth going to for hiking unless you live nearby. It's more of a neighborhood park than a destination, really. The rocks on the hill tops (twin peaks) are covered in heavy layers of paint to mask graffiti and the fresh graffiti defeating the periodic efforts to suppress it. Sad, but true. Who's this small park for? Great for dogs. First, there's a small parking lot on the opposite side of the hill when viewed from the south or driving on California Street. The ungroomed trails also beg for riding BMX or mountain bikes. Basic equipment, though, nothing terribly challenging except the steep climb on the SE corner. It was worth visiting to rule it out, but the .74 miles on my Strava app revealed its low value for time and distance. read more

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Challen Hill Park was lovely today, Saturday, January 22, 2022. Because of the recent rain, the grass is green! I felt that we had landed in a beautiful botanical garden; and, because of the Santa Anna winds, the Inland Empire was crystal clear--from the top of the hill we could see for miles in every direction! Also, with every breath I took the air felt impossibly fresh and crisp! My dream is that the entire Inland Empire strives to become the world's most beauiful botanical gardens and where her communities vye for top prizes from the American Public Gardens Association...ahhh, wouldn't that be lovely? Warm regards, Eliza Doolittle read more

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Sick hiking spot to see the sunset, beautiful place to have a picnic, and just a lovely park overall. Love this place:)!! read more

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I have hiked Challen Park literally hundreds of times. It is great if you are nearby, but I wouldn't consider it a destination to plan your day around. Homeless can be a minor issue and like so much of SoCal, there is some trash. Common to see lizards, rabbits, gophers, hawks, even roadrunners, but not once have I encountered a rattlesnake here. It can be a very nice hike that can be made as hard or easy as you like. Many trails for all easy to moderate likings. Don't worry about parking as if the official parking lot is closed, there are plenty of places to park on the edges of the hill. read more

My mom finally convinced me to go walking here(2 weeks ago). I was all excited until we parked and I saw the Rattlesnake sign. I mean, I'm a southern girl from New Orleans. I just didn't realize,"there's snakes on the muthaeffin hill! We had a lovely walk/jog and didn't encounter any snakes but I did see a lot of,"snake holes(gopher holes that the snakes take over). The view was cool and very peaceful to say it wasn't much to see....However, after researching info on rattlesnakes season(March-October), I won't be going back anytime soon. Sn: parents, do not let your kids ride their scooters up and down the dang on hill. A lady was walking behind us with her baby as her two sons played on the hill. All of a sudden, BAM...boo hoooooo mommy! The kid falls off the scooter as he was going down hill. The mother laughed as my mom and I went to help him(wtf). They didn't know any English, so we offered her a spare bottle of water to pour on his scrapped up leg. The poor kid could barely stand....smdh read more

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I live across the street from the "park". Not much to write home about here it's good for a good hike to the top of the hill or a walk around the base. The city put in a small parking lot and built a fence around it a few year's ago & that's it no restrooms . US locals have always known it was designated as a park but really it looks like so many other large hills in Riverside. Oh! If you hike to the top you're rewarded with a great scenic view. read more

This little park is really a little hill in the middle of the city. Perfect for a quick cardio session. You can go up and down the inclines of each side as many times as you need to makes those legs feel like they are burning off. One side is steeper than the other so feel the burn friends! Parking is on the north of the hill and closed on Sundays. You can park in food for less and walk over. Watch out for snakes, you can hear those little guys sliding around. There is also quite a bit of glass but not a huge deal. Like I said, up and down, up and down! read more

What a beautiful beginners hike up this hill today. Steep enough upgrades to challenge my glutes & hamstrings a lil' but not too steep where I didn't feel safe or was overly winded at any particular point. I saw lots of squirrels and despite the rattlesnake warning, there was just some broken glass & tiny lizards. At the base of the hill there is a gated dirt parking area. Not too far from the small parking lot were a few benches. A doggy bag post and garbage bin. A few loops up and around and down again gave me a nice tan and workout. The winds were quite strong today at the very top & there was a decent view available. This is appropriate for beginners, kids and any one else wanting to enjoy some sun and fitness. read more

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We've been in this neighborhood for over twenty years and just recently began walking our dogs here now that the city has made improvements to it. It's a great workout and a wonderful walk for humans and their furry loved ones. They provide bags to pick up after your dog/s (it would really be a shame not to be courteous and take the time to do this) and trash cans. The trails are already made, however, they are heavily peppered with broken glass; such a disappointment that people would blatantly treat something decent in their own neighborhood with such disrespect and disregard... We saw quite a few fire ants (large, red) and black ants. Between that and all the broken glass, please use caution when walking with your children or your furry loved ones. With that said, it is a great walk -- we would love to know how many miles it is to walk around the hill...if anyone has that information, we would really appreciate it. Let's help keep it clean. Thanks and enjoy! read more

Great place for a nice nature walk in the middle of the city. The view is great and I love walking my dogs there.

good park for hiking, dog walking, jogging, etc. no grass at all and no playgrounds.