We have found our new favorite park for the summer! My daughter and I were dropping off lunch for her daddy and we cruised by and found this really cool gated park !!! what I like is that there are lots of benches to relax and eat and snack. There is also a lot of shade which is a big plus as a mom with a little one. I love taking my baby out but when it's hot and there's no shade, I just turned around and go back home but with this place being so shady, I love it. I wanna come back ! I love that there is a gate. It makes me feel a little bit more safe and there is a splash pad. It is small but on the day that I went it was not crowded. There was just a few other families there And it just looked so fun next time. I will come back with swim gear for my baby so she can enjoy !!! read more

See all

Absolutely Fantastic! First time here, and I'll definitely be back! Parking Sucks but this park is worth it. My Niece was looking for water fun, and after a disappointing experience at Atlantis Play Park, Google saved the day and directed us here I will most definitely be back! read more

See all

Cute little play ground. Unfortunately it needs improvement severity of cracks it needs repairs or replacements. Dangerous for kids to run around. read more

See all

I really love this park. I take my girlfriend here sometimes. I would visit here more when I lived in Cypress tho. Fountain Valley is kind of far from here, so we come here maybe once a month now. Its like a Disneyland looking field in a way. Lots of trees and fansinating looking rocks here. Parking is a bitch here, like many Yelpers said. Its better to come here if you live across the street from here lol. I recommend everyone in Orange County visit here at least 1 time. read more

Love that this small park is gated so it is easier to watch young kids. The pirate ship, rock climbing boulders, spinner playground is fun. There's a 1/2 basketball court and a short dirt loop that people were walking on. There's also a covered playground for younger ones with a picnic table next to it. The splash pad (turns on at 12pm) is a little smaller than others but still is fun. Too bad the restrooms were locked on the day we went. read more

Harry Dotson Park - Parks Near Me - Stanton, California

See all

Very small cute Park, was relatively clean. The playground flooring could use some maintenance and the parking lot is tiny... Maybe 6 spots. read more

See all

Great park! Has a little work out area, rocks for climbing, bathrooms, water play area, basketball hoop, and a huge pirate ship jungle gym. Huge win, especially when waiting for soak city to open. read more

See all

Overall I had a great experience there with my toddler. The downside is the parking. There is probably only 5-6 parking spots right in the front. This is in a residential area and there are numerous signs that say you need to have a parking permit to park. I am not sure where else you can park since the 6 spots in the front seem to always be taken. I'm safely assume the residents are taking the spots because when I went there, there was literally 2 families, 3 including mine and all 6 spots were taken. We had driven around for a good 10-15 min just to see if anyone was leaving. It's a nice looking park with lots of shade. The main attention clearly is the splash pad. There is a small slide area in the center and the big kid in the back. The padding looked very worn and I believe it was pirate theme but lots of shade to be honest. I would come back but I need to figure out where I can park. I also went on a weekend so that's normally when everyone is home too so I will have to try again on the weekday! read more

Fun park my kids like. It's sorta small. They had a fun little dunk bucket,a huge pirate ship, a splash pad, bathrooms, and a basketball court and it's free and there's a ice cream truck read more

Closed at 9am on a Sunday. It says open from sun rise to sun down, but the doors are locked.

Came to this park for leisurely exercise and fun. I went to Harry Dotson Park with an ex-boyfriend and his son. We came here on several occasions to let his son run around and play. And honestly, we had fun too! This is a great place for kids and adults to run around and enjoy the park. The park itself is so awesome. There's the water park area that you can run through on hot summer days. Then there's lots of areas to climb or jump on swing sets. Also, this park has plenty of grassy open areas that you can do a picnic for lunch. Or if you prefer to eat and tables, those are available too. It is a very clean and well-cared for community park. Plenty of trees around too if you don't like the sun beating on your skin. Great park, however the area is a little bit sketchy. I wouldn't suggest coming here at night. Stick to daytime hours and you good lol read more

The kids loved it!! The pirate ship is wonderful!! The park does need some spruce in up. The ground around the ship really needs to be replaced! The park was very clean!! We will be back! read more

My children love to get wet. I definitely love this water park because I feel my kids are safe here. Small park though but what I like it's that's it's gated so I don't have to worry about them going anywhere else. Plus there's a playground too. The only issue that it does bother me it's the parking. If you visit make sure to check where you're parking since the street says it's park with permit only. read more

Harry Dotson Park - My son in the Water splash - Parks Near Me - Stanton, California

This place is garbage! This is my second time here and it's closed both times. It's only 3pm on a Friday! What waste of time and gas. Fun seekers beware! You won't be able to enjoy the park. You can only view it from outside the gates. read more

Harry Dotson Park - Harry M. Dotson Park - Parks Near Me - Stanton, California

As of 2/10/2021 the park remains locked and closed. Does look like quite a fun park too! Tucked away like a neighborhood secret. :) Looking fwd to when they open again! read more

Drove from across town to this park. Turns out the splash pad is closed (till further notice). Plenty of other people had the same idea. I did not have a shard time finding parking. I will say the park has a lot of shade. The kids still had fun. read more

Very well designed park, albeit in a somewhat run down neighborhood. Also some very odd design, but otherwise still a great park experience. First of all when I say park, no, this is not a theme park. It's just a park. Generally for kids to play in. There's a small basketball court, a small arm walk exercise place, a cool playground shaped in the form of a ship at sea, and spongy ground to minimize impact from tripping. All nice feature sets. Here are the negatives: This park clearly sees regular abuse. In the green grass area, there were needles. The spongy ground has areas ripped up by people who vandalize the place. There are spider webs under the ship at sea playground which tells me there aren't regular pest control applications. And oddly, there is a home like literally next to the park that ostensibly has a sign that tells you not to bother the residents. I can only imagine how much accidental foot traffic they get. And lastly, the park is not well maintained, the two times I've been here, there were leaves all around the "shower" area rendering the place useless to use unless you sweep up the area where the water is supposed to drain. But hey, for the area, this is definitely the nicest park in terms of features and overall experience. read more

See all

Came here at 5:30pm. The park was closed. The entrance gate to go inside was locked. Bummer! I wanted to take my daughter to a new park. Not today read more

Harry Dotson Park - Parks Near Me - Stanton, California

Clearly this park is built just for people who live waking distance to this park. Why would they build a great, clean splash pad/pirate park in a run down neighborhood? Well let me tell you! There are absolutely no parking anywhere! Maybe 5 spaces and one or two are handicap. Don't park any where else because you will get a ticket. What a trap! Meter maids are out there just waiting for some poor family to park their car to enjoy the nice park to ticket them. There were two small signs in front of the park stating you can't park. Driving past them and entering the neighborhood street parking is not permitted at all too. So let me guess, instead of bringing value to the city of Stanton building a nice park for families with kids to enjoy, you build it to make money off the families. What a great way for the city to make money off of families who are looking to enjoy some fun free activities where they live. I almost forgot where we live, nothing is for feee. The whole time I was thinking to myself, what a great park, wonder why no one is here. It's because there's no parking and they wait for you to park and then ticket you. read more

Really dig this park. It's got everything. Let me list them in order of appearance. Small parking lot in the front that can accommodate about 6 cars, splash pad by the entrance, a small playground for the small kids, clean bathrooms, a half basketball course, curved seating, lots of shade, and of course the iconic Pirate ship. There's also a small course and a "Find the items" in the park when you see the plaque commemorating about Mr. Dotson. There's a also a live in person house inside this place, though I've not seen them. This place closes are dusk and is in a semi-sketchy area with lots of apartments near by and check cashing places on the main street. I really dig it. There's also ice cream truck that will park right outside the park during summer hours. This place I would say is more for kids 5 and under but 10 and under would work as well. read more

Good idea but didn't help there was a homeless scaring my kids. Left the park and headed for another.

Fun park!! My son lost his MIND when he saw the pirate ship!! We came in a Monday at lunch time and there was hardly anyone here so he had a blast playing on everything! read more

Disappointed. There is very limited parking (6 spaces to be exact) and there isn't much availability on the street to park since the neighborhood nearby is by permit only. My kids were excited for the splash pads and they were not on. Bathrooms are closed which is an inconvenience when you have little ones. I ended up googling another splash pad nearby and Stanton Central Park had splash pads and plenty of parking with bathrooms. read more

This park, although small, is perfect for kids. It is enclosed which makes it safe and secure with only one entrance. There were lots of shaded picnic tables, and the park was clean and well maintained. There is a huge pirate ship which encourages the kids to use their imagination. There is a water play area that provides abundant fun and excitement for toddlers and teens. One of the highlights of the park is the water bucket that pours water on those anxiously anticipating the delightful splash. This park has everything for a fun family adventure. read more

I love this park so much. I love that there is only one way out for the kids and it's a door so it is very safe for little ones. Very clean and well kept. I thought it was very interesting that they have s live in person there. The parking is every little so it's mostly street parking. This park is never really busy though, so it's really not hard to find parking. read more

Harry Dotson Park - Parks Near Me - Stanton, California

Nice cozy play park for 5 and under. I love the mature trees and the overall design of the park. I just wish it was way cleaner. There were spider webs, leaves, and stain on the ship (not sure what else to call it) and it has clearly been used a lot, some of the metal is chipping off. The metal flooring seems loose and when you go through under you can see cracks all over the fixture. It just seems like it is not getting enough maintenance. The parking is also a turn off, there were 6 slots designated for the park, I got lucky as someone was leaving as I got there but I can imagine on a busy hour when all the residents of the apartment complex and residential area are home that parking would be a problem. I most likely will not bring my toddler back. read more

See all

Love love love this spot! For the lack of reviews, you'd think its always desolate or calm. It's not. There's always tons of people! Always a party! Always something going on. You can reserve for parties on the city website FYI. The first time I visited the park, it was maybe a year ago. Maybe two. Very nice experience, it wasn't too busy at that time because I believe the park had just opened. There is the Wet Saloon. A pirate ship playground (complete with a treasure chest!) and also a small in between wooden playground for the smaller kiddos. the pirate ship playground has seating and grass all around. Some grassy areas with trees, some benches, etc. It has a bridge and some slides. Cute little under ship area with a table and a checkers board. There is a small area with a push-ups bar. wet Saloon is amazing! Very cute and very nice different areas for different aged kids to run around and enjoy! A cactus shaped water tower, sprinklers from the ground, a Vortex area and a bucket on top of an arch that fills up with water then tips over! Very nice all around. The horse water guns kind of reach over to the surrounding planters where people sit. Didn't realize this until a kid wet me! Silly. Also. You have to touch the sensor by the cactus to continue the water pressure. restrooms: just like any other park. Mostly sketchy. But always has TP. caretaker: highly ambivalent. She lives or stays in the cabin during the busy days. If you ask her a question, she mostly doesn't care. Some teenage kids were kicking balls to the little kids inside the ships, she didn't care. What's more, there was another teenage couple grinding on each other possibly having sex in the grass near the pirate ship, seriously didn't care about that!! Her name is Sally and she looks kinda thug so best of luck if you're gonna bring a complaint to her! Anyhow! Very nice park. Always busy. Cute and clean. Plenty of tables under the gazebo. Your kids will have a great time!! One entrance and exit so kids can not walk off so easily. And you can watch who comes in! also! As far as hours, the website for the city is misleading. It is open every day. But the hours for Wet Saloon is 12-5 per this summer 2015. read more

See all

Beautiful play ground, clean, with plenty to explore. Just not too many parking spaces close to the park.

Took the kids here, it is a clean park. Relatively small compared to the Train Park and parking is garbage. A park like this with only five spots? I would like to meet the genius who made that decision. Bathrooms were dirty, men's had used shaving razors in the trash. We won't be coming back, so many better options in the area. read more

My son and I thought it will be great to explore parks around the neighborhood. Turns out this is park is closed. Park is fenced and locked down. Time reporting this is 12:23pm on a Wednesday. read more

Love this park. Clean. Gated. Only down fall is parking lot is for about 5 vehicles. We spent 4 hours here. The pictures don't do the park any justice. I have two boys and we live about 45 miles away but when we're in the area we always stop by. read more

Harry Dotson Park - Parks Near Me - Stanton, California

See all

So this our first time here I just googled Parks near me & seen this park/water park. It was my first pick. Only 3min drive from my place which is perfect. The down fall is parking to literally there is only like 6 parking spots otherwise you need to find street parking luckily i got lucky my first to time. I was amazed on how clean & well taken care of this park was!! It small but some cute & safe. This park is for sure marked in our list of Favorites . Great lil eniviroment to bring your kids totally recommend it!!! read more

See all

Very impressed with this park! It's clean and shaded and has a small splash pad. Unfortunately the splash pad didn't turn on today when we visited but that didn't spoil our trip one bit. My 2 year old loved the giant pirate ship and the slides. read more

Harry Dotson Park - Parks Near Me - Stanton, California

See all

This is by far the best park i've been to, the little ones enjoyed being her &the "boat ship" is so nice. Forsure will be our park now. read more

This park is the bomb dignity for babyboos. The playgrounds and benches are shaded!! Great way to hide from the unforgiving sun and heat. They got two playgrounds, separated for the little ones and the big ones. The ground has an even surface which is great to take babies learning how to walk. They have a little monkey bar, basketball court and a very small nature trail sand area. Located in a seemingly safe neighborhood. My baby really enjoys this place! read more

This park is so cute and fun! We took a day off from park hopping to relax a little & this was a nice/ low key place for the kids to burn off energy while letting you save up energy to push Them through a theme park lol read more

This is one of my favorite parks in Orange County! It's enclosed, small splash pad with shade, little playground for the toddlers, larger playground (pirate ship) for the bigger kiddos, rock climbing, plenty of seating area, basketball court, clean restrooms. The only downfall is the parking; gotta find Parking on the street/neighborhood. Also the pirate ship area needs more shade! Besides that I love this park! read more

Another park we love visiting. We haven't been during the summer when the splash pad is open, but will be trying it out this summer. This park is great, there is only one way in and one way out which makes watching your kids easier and then you can see who is coming and going. There are 2 play areas. One for littler kids and then a huge pirate ship for the older kids. The pirate ship has stairs and then ramps that lead to the top. Both areas have the spongy ground vs sand. There is also a covered picnic area that you can eat your lunch at. read more

Great park but in a sketchy area. The park itself is awesome! The splash pad is pretty busy but its large enough that kids arent stacked on top of each other. There are also two other playgrounds, both of which are pirate-themed. The only negatives are its location (surrounding neighborhood is sketchy) and parking is tough. Be careful of parking on the street as its by permit only and code enforcement is always giving people tickets! read more

Such a cute little park, no creeps , no homeless. It is gated so I feel safe to let my little ones run around. The park is very clean, the only down side is that there is literally like 7 parking spots and since it is surrounded by apartment complex it is hard to find parking. They do close the park at sunset , which it's good I guess that's how they keep it clean and without unwanted visitors. They also have a couple benches that you can reserve for like little birthday parties . I believe they have like a little water area during summer but not sure. read more