This lovely little park is nestled just outside the back (San Luis Rey) gate of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. There are multiple nice housing communities surrounding it, and it is on the corner of Douglas Drive and Vandegrift as you're heading away from the gate. There are baseball fields, American Football (soccer) fields, and lots of grassy areas to play frisbee, horseshoes; and all other varieties of games. They also have a double tennis court with a single gate entrance, making it a great place to allow you little one to join you and a friend as you play a few sets of tennis. It's got high fences; so you won't end up chasing balls around the outside perimeter of the fence. For a public park, the court is extremely well kept up and this remains true for the rest of the park too. We call it the "rock park," as it has boulders of varying sizes that stack up around the playground area and just outside of it, making for a nice little climbing space, especially for wee ones.
The park has a restroom that is not the worst in town, but sometimes it's not as clean as it could be, so I'd recommend baby wipes; Clorox wipes; or other sanitizing devices. Don't forget that hand sanitizer either - it's flu season and kids will be all over the equipment, creating a virtual germ factory that has me applying sunscreen and hand sanitizer in a pint-sized assembly line when we go there. Out of the parks in Oceanside: it's one of the best. It's clean, the ground area is covered in a thick durable matting that lessens the potential for serious injury if a fall should unfortunately occur. There are many parents there's instantly, and they're watching their children, interacting with them and other kids playing in groups...I've never had a bad experience or found anyone to be uncomfortable including him in their play. Even though he can be super loud and overly enthusiastic when greeting others.
Parents watch their children, other children at play, and nobody will leave the park until the last child has safely been grabbed by a parent. Having multiple options for play, safe areas for exploration; drinking fountains with potable water; and multiple eyes on all kids who play reminds me of being in a small town; where everyone makes sure that every kiddo is following basic rules and being kind to others; taking turns; etc. People bring their children from other neighborhoods just to have this place to be with their kids, and there's also a separate, recesses parking or that doesn't face the Main Street where there is adequate disabled parking as well as ample parking for over two dozen other vehicles. I've yet to see it full, and I've lived here in the area for almost 14 years now.
This park meets all the marks for roominess, activity space for outdoor sports; a basketball and two tennis courts (with a single exit door to prevent small children from wandering out), shady trees and climbing rocks with easy maneuverability. There's slides and monkey bars...all the staples of a child's playground, it's well maintained, the neighborhood is safe and just outside of base; and there are communities teeming with homes surrounding the entire park on every side, so you'll find it devoid of gang members or anyone not there to either meet an eye on their child, or to practice tennis, baseball, and soccer. Everyone from babies to older members of the community who enjoy rounds of tennis at the local park can be found here. It's a park designed to be not only for kids - it's a true whole-community park, and makes it one of our favorite places to ride bikes, play sports, and occasionally play on the equipment.
This little park packs a BIG entertainment punch! read more