Courtney's Sandcastle is a parent's dream. It is a very expansive play area that is almost entirely…read morewheelchair accessible and has a permanent shaded area covering tables. There are swings for all ages and sensory music toys that engaged both my 3 yr old daughter and 1 year old son. One of the things that I liked most as a parent of two young kids is that the area is entirely fenced off. The parking lot is shared with an aquatics facility and little league field but we had no issues at 9am finding a spot next to the park. Highly recommend this place to take the kids to even if it is 20 minutes away. The one suggestion id have is to have kid friendly toilets as the seat seems more suitable for an adult.

This playground was amazing and one of the cleanest and most well maintained I've seen. It was…read moreenclosed, huge bonus, had a sandpit that was freshly raked or flattened, as well as a fake tidepool water table type feature. The play structure was large and elaborate and the castle and dragons theme was carried out throughout. My kids also loved the music corner with the guitar and keyboard features.

Pico Park is a small park located a few minutes from The Outlets at San Clemente…read more I love dropping by when I am in the area. There is a basketball court and playground, and an entryway to the neighborhood stairs. You can do a quick stair workout and there are benches throughout where you can take breaks and watch the sunset. Come check it out!

Great little park, only issue we've encountered are the rude and unwelcoming parents whose kids are…read morejust as rude.

This is one of the brand new parks built in the Sea Summit housing area. It's kind of small but…read morewell kept up, has a cute little butterfly, flower, ladybug, and bee theme for the playground & an amazing view of the ocean below. Designed for 2-4 years old, and the kids at heart ;) . There's 1 baby swing , and 2 big kid swings, a sheltered picnic area, as well as restrooms. This park sits in a location that's easy to access the sea summit trail from two different starting points too, if you feel like hiking to the beach!

This is a nice corner neighborhood park perfect for people with small children. The most prominent…read morefeature of the park is the playground equipment and some benches allowing one to gawk at the ocean. The problem is that the size of the park is rather small and coming here to sit down and enjoying the view may entail listening to shrieking children or gossiping mothers. There are many other benches down the hill that one can enjoy the peace and quiet better if that's your thing. The view and the weather to enjoy there is lovely regardless. Parking is easily found in and around the neighborhood also.

We hit up Vista Hermosa Sports Park recently, and I've got to say--it checked all the boxes for a…read moresolid family outing where everyone leaves tired and happy (which, let's be honest, is the goal). Courtney's Sandcastle Playground: This place is a gem. It's gated (HALLELUJAH), shaded, and inclusive, which means every kid can enjoy it. My littles were obsessed with the pirate ship and musical areas, while my older two found enough to climb, spin, and race on to keep them out of each other's business. Bonus: there's a splash pad section for warmer days, and YES--there are actual bathrooms inside the play area. Moms, you know why that matters. Sports Fields Galore: If you've got kids in sports--or kids who just think they're in the Olympics--this park has huge open fields, soccer goals, and space to sprint until they collapse. We brought a ball, and suddenly everyone forgot they were "too hot" or "too tired" to play. Magic. Walking Trail: There's a nice little loop path, perfect if you've got a stroller crew or you're pretending you're getting your steps in while bribing toddlers with snacks. Aquatics Center Right There: We didn't do the pool this time, but the Aquatics Center is literally steps away. So this spot could easily turn into a full day outing if you're feeling brave (or caffeinated enough). Parking & Setup: Easy parking, tons of grassy space for picnics, and plenty of shade for those of us who are just there to supervise and hand out snacks. Would I go back? In a heartbeat. It's a rare combo of being actually fun for the kids and not a total sensory overload for me. If you're looking for a place that wears your kids out without wearing you down, Vista Hermosa is it.

I love that they have the splash pad and pool here. It's located right beside the playground. It…read morewas open from 1-3 with a 10 min break. It cost money to go in so I would have liked to know it was for 2hrs when I paid. Outside of that I would go back.

Here for a wedding welcome dinner and fellowship time - and enjoyed playing sand volleyball on a…read morecourt with a view! (Missed the ball? Blame it on the sun in your eyes, ha ha!). Lots of walkways to stroll through as well;)! Nice restrooms, picnic tables, grassy areas to lounge, and a cute playground with swings for the young and young at heart!

One of the largest parks I've been to! It has new and unique equipment. There is a large grassy…read morearea. There are climbing structures and swings. Lots of fun active playtime. And the best part are clean restrooms!

Unique adventure for kids. Wouldn't recommend for older kids over 12. Not that big and lots of…read moresmaller kids around.

This playground recently got renovated. It's at the corner of Golden Lantern and La Cresta. It's…read morestreet parking only and not a lot. There are no restrooms. It's fully paved with rubber surface. There is one play structure that's a very cool pirate ship. There's a slope with 1 infant swing and 2 saddle swings. There are 2 tables with seating. There are 2 benches by the play structure and 1 by the swings. However, they also have a palm tree lined "bench" on Golden Lantern side. This area provides some shade, otherwise, not shaded. It's near the ocean though so not very hot. It is gated and small so easy to keep an eye on kids. There are 2 trash cans and no water fountain. I recommend this park if your kids like pirate ships and for a relatively short play time.

I love bringing my kids to this park. First, the location is perfect. It's right by the beach with…read morea beautiful view and that ocean breeze. The park has a playground with two different play sets - one for more younger and one for older kids. There is a swing set in between the two. There is a mix between sand and the soft "asphalt". The playground is surrounded by grass with some beaches. You have to pay for parking, but after 5pm it is free. The beach below - Linda lane beach, is a great beach too. Easy access to the beach and beach trail from the parking lot.

Great park to take the grandkids too. It has just a short walk to the beach and the pier. Lots of…read moregrassy areas and the kiddos have a great time playing in the sand and on the equipment. Always a clean park. Always friendly people and dogs are All on leashes. Well, we will be back soon... thanks for the fun...

Great location, great park plenty of grass area to play soccer or games. They have a bathroom for…read morekids to use and adults. The playground is big and my son enjoys this park very much. I enjoy the park also nice to have a picnic at.

Nice park with easy parking. There is a bathroom but I didn't check it out…read more The playground has two sets for older kids and an open one for smaller kids. My 18 month old still enjoyed the larger one and going up its three levels. Lots of slides. A climbing wall. Sand pit. Tables. And the ground is the cushy kind (not rocks and not mulch). They do movies at the park sometimes and the open lawn area has a small hill which makes it easy for viewing. The downside is that you can hear the freeway from here. And it smells pretty strongly of mosquito repellent (which is probably a pro and a con).

This is a beautiful little park tucked in to a Capistrano Beach neighborhood, which offers some…read morepretty special views of Dana Point and the ocean. On the beautiful day that we went, the ocean had these awesome multicolored azure hues like a tropical island. It's also a dynamite park to have a picnic, with plenty of shade and lots of grass. It's also great for little kids with plenty of space to run around and some low trees that are fun for them to climb. We enjoyed a great little picnic here after getting some poke for Kawamata Seafood! Five stars

Local park, surrounded with beautiful houses with unique architecture, gorgeous ocean view, clean…read morewith a small play ground for kids...Walkable and relax...There is a park benches with no shades...I wished the benches were under trees to cool down...Full of playful squirrels and so many dog owners...Very friendly vibes...and its a good place to bring your coffee here and chill. We went to Kawamata seas food and as always we came here to eat our yummy poke...Enjoyed the view and food...There is also parking spot on the street....never get crowded.

This is hands down the best beach I have ever been to in my life. They have trains going around the…read morewhole day.

Knew I wanted to go to the beach, and randomly stumbled upon this one being in the area at the…read moreoutlets. This is a small quiet beach, right next to the Metrolink station. Parking was a little confusing at first, but you can park at the Metrolink station and pay at one of the little yellow kiosks. It was about $0.75 per 30 minutes, which felt pretty fair. The water is definitely colder here, even on a warm day. We had direct access to the beach itself from the lot. It wasn't super busy on the day we went, so it felt super calming to walk while the waves crashed against our feet. It's a bit narrow, but from the Metrolink, you could walk all the way to the pier. It was also cool to see the train pass by as well, right next to the beach! One noticeable thing was that the beach felt very pebbly, and there were many small rocks along the waters so we had to be really careful about where we were walking. There's also a restroom and a feet/body cleaning shower station if you're coming from the Metrolink parking lot.