Water conservation is killing my childhood nostalgia. But then, so is the internet. I remember the Mast Park of my childhood, like something out of a Kentucky landscape - rolling lawns running up to lush trees, leaves glinting sunlight as the the breeze shifted lazily. Kentucky, or one of those Brad Pitt movies about brothers playing around in the wilderness. You know which ones I mean. Anyway, that Mast Park is just a memory now. The vast majority of the grass is gone, and in its place are wood chips. Yes, a park made up almost entirely of WOOD CHIPS. I guess I should have brought my pet iguana. Maybe he would have enjoyed the terrarium bedding terrain. There aren't many majestic shade trees anymore, either. I guess they went toward the wood chips. There is an entire orchard of saplings, which I assume will someday make a pretty menacing forest, but it won't happen in time for me to scare my kids with Hansel and Gretel tales. All in all, Mast Park isn't offering me much. I'd surmise that all these landscaping changes are a result of the drought San Diego always seems to be experiencing. I guess the city of Santee wanted to set a good example for its residents and do away with water-guzzling expanses of grass. However, in such a fire-prone area, were wood chips really the best replacement? So that's how water conservation is ruining my childhood nostalgia. Now, what's this about the internet? Well, while searching Google for the address of Mast Park to add to Yelp, I came across an interesting website. Cruisinggays.com informed me that after sunset, Mast Park becomes an apparently well-known place for men to have, um, brief encounters. Thanks, internet. That's exactly what I wanted to picture happening on the splinter-covered ground of my idyllic childhood playground. Mast Park, here's two stars for misplaced effort. I guess my comparison of the park to movies where shirtless actors wrestle through the back country was more accurate than I could have imagined. read more

Mast Park - Parks Near Me - Santee, California

Very clean. Lots of kids all ages- all playing respectfully. Hard to find parking though. Carpool if going with friends!

My dog and I have been here twice. Be warned: there is no separate area for small dogs. Just one big fenced area. So, if you have a small dog, you might want to stay away; or if you have a big dog that eats little dogs. My submissive dog initially had a bad experience here with a couple dogs getting out of hand. Eventually it got corrected by the owners, and he had a good time when the aggressive dogs left. No water here within the dog park; you have to go get it. Also, both times I was there, there have been random kinda sketchy people hanging out in their cars in the parking lot, smoking and meeting other people and yet NOT going into the park itself. I have not noticed this at other parks, like Allied Gardens or Harry Griffen, so not sure what's going on here. This last time there was a group of men hanging out together by a truck who kinda made me feel uncomfortable-- though, let's face it, they were probably really just admiring my dog like everyone else on the planet (I'm so vain). read more

This park is one of the nicest parks I've been too in San Diego County. It's great for kids and pets, and there are 2 playgrounds, a swing set, nice trails for both adults and kids and tones of seating options. read more

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Probably a 3.5/5! -No separate areas for smaller dogs -Few trash bins and doggy bags available -Fly problem, they're everywhere and will annoy the heck out of you the entire time -Lunch benches throughout the area -Dirt/wood chip ground -VERY spacious location for your dog to run around -Safe area -No water for your dog unless you bring your own Not bad, but not the best. read more

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They opened a new portion of Mast Park to the public Feb 2011 and we decided to check it out today. "Mast Park West" trailhead is across the street from the original Mast Park entrance. You can use the trail under the bridge to get to it instead of crossing the street. It was pretty cool ... warning signs for bobcats & caterpillars (oh my!) ... past plenty of friendly people walking their dogs. Easy trail - beautiful wildlife and foliage to listen to and admire...briefly takes you away to another land....and then you come across the golf course, and, well, that kind of ruins it. But you have to turn around there anyway! Neat views of the river...would be cool to check out after heavy rains. A nice, hidden gem in Santee. read more

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Wish I had some pictures to share because it's a beautiful area but I love Mast Park. The whole park area is great but I go specifically for its disc golf. The holes aren't on top of one another and it only has 9 holes with two tees at each hole which I didn't think I'd like, but I actually don't mind it and my friends and I really enjoy ourselves every time we go. read more

Love Mast park. Tons of play objects for all different ages. Exercise equipment for adults. Nice paths, grassy areas. Theirs a rock lake that fills with water when it rains, becoming a cool lake to skip rocks and throw twigs into. My one problem is that the park is so great that during Covid it's overrun with people, and way over half of the adults rarely wear masks. I tend to come before sunset when most of the families have left. It's nice because a few families ha e the same idea and kids are more likely to play together when there are fewer of them around. The nephews love this place. read more

Excellent spot for disc golf and a great price! $4/adult, under 18 is free. It hasn't been overly crowded when we've played and 9 holes takes just a little over an hour. They have A and B tee pads so while there are only technically 9 baskets it plays like 18 unique holes. Parking can be tricky, don't have Google take you to the disc golf course unless you want to see the nearby apartment complex, have it take you to the Mast Park parking lot. read more

A really nice park. They did a great job on it. The whole place is nice and the frisbee golf course is pretty sweet and only 4 bucks to play. Give it a look, make sure you have a credit card cause machine for disc golf doesn't take cash. read more

Our new favorite dog park! They did such a good job at renovating this whole park! I grew up in santee, and I actually.avoided this park until now. Its so nice to see that this place is activated and full of life. I've been here afew times already since they've re-opened the park, and I've never had an issue finding parking. There's usually always someone leaving when we pull in. The trails are wide, and it's nice to be able to walk around the whole park. I also like that the trails have lights so I can come by after work and Jog around. There are multiple restrooms throughout the park which is convenient. The dog park is HUGE! They have a separate section for dogs 30lbs and under....And then a section for 30lbs and up. However, there were afew small dogs in the large section, which I think is totally fine. I would say the "large" section is meant for any size really...as long as you know your dog is comfortable. Everyone at the park was super friendly, and the dogs were all very well behaved. It wasn't too packed or crowded at all. Lots of benches and water bowls. They even have fun little activity stuff for the dogs to play on. We will definitely be coming back regularly. It feels like a nice community! We always seem to run into some of our friends and I love that feeling. read more

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Mast Park serves as a great area to park if you wish to hike along the San Diego river trail path. Also a nice place to bring your kids or dogs for outdoor time. They have a playground setup as well as a dog run. The parking area has a paved lot and a dirt overflow lot next to it. Mast is a mix between large grass areas and dirt. Lots of open areas though if you wish to practice any sports. There are plenty of paths leading from local neighborhoods to the park as well. Mast Park isn't too large its self, but its connected to a bigger trail system that somewhat follows the San Diego River. You can take the path west all the way to the 52 or all the way east out to Lakeside River park (crossing some streets). Its a relatively quiet park that's clean and up kept well. Opens at Sunrise and closes at dusk. read more

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I like the extension of the park. The three different playgrounds help with the diversity of children that go to play. There could be more swing sets but it's fine. read more

I live VERY close to this 'park'. It would be really nice to be able to have a clean, and secure park area to use! This place has many dogs 'off leash', homeless over nighting, bicycles at high speed, and FULL trash cans. Do NOT go alone, before or after dark, without pepper spray, and a good cell phone. Sorry to be a 'wet blanket' but I see too much that can go real wrong...d;^( read more

The park has a trail all the way around it for biking/walking. Dog bag stations located around the park. The dog park is very large, but no separate area for small dogs. There is no water fountain located inside the dog park so remember to bring some. Negatives for me was it is all wood chips, no grass. Only one other dog there on a weekday around 3pm. read more

Huge fan of this dog park! I took my siberian husky's here on Labor day at 4pm. It was empty! The dog park has a large space in the middle of the park, with a playground next to it and a walking path around the area. There are a few trees for your dogs to enjoy and climb if they want. The park has two picnic tables to enjoy and two entrances. The trash cans are on the outside of the park, which is a minor inconvenience. It also has very little grass, so expect your dogs to end up dusty and dirty. Although there are dog bowls, there is no water fountain, so be sure to bring some with you. read more

A nice place to bring your lunch and hang out at one of the many picnic tables and let the kids enjoy the play ground. Otherwise, just a typical, nothing over exciting, write home to mom, park here. read more

What a beautiful well maintained park! There are lots of trees and shaded areas. My son and I enjoyed our day out together. We will definitely be coming here more often! read more

Mast Park - Parks Near Me - Santee, California

Went today to check out the new 3-sizes dog park after the major park renovation. We were so excited to hear that they now have separate areas for large dogs, small dogs, and puppies! The park overall looks really nice and the kids play area is amazing. Unfortunately, all three dog areas have bark for ground cover, and it's the really rough kind. It's probably ok for dogs with tough paw pads (we saw a lot of them having a great time in the large dog area), but I don't know whether all dogs can handle it. There were no dogs in the small dog or puppy sides when we were there. Won't work for our little guy, who would get splinters and sore feet for sure. So sad about that since it's really nice otherwise. Also, the bark color makes it hard to see piles of poop, another drawback. read more

Woof! Woof! Bennett the dog here. Are there any bitches in the house? I'm talking about my female dogs that I run with at the Mast Dog Park. Yeah it's a fenced in area so we can't run crazy but it still beats being cooped up in my cage while the lady who feeds me is at work. I love that it's a short walk from my home, and I can poop in my normal spot whenever we go. Did I mention they have the handy bags for the lady who feeds me to pick up my hot messes? Sorry, I know that's gross but it's even grosser when people don't use the bags and it gets stepped in. I once stepped in my own poop. Isn't that kind of ironic? Anyways, check out this quick list of the good and not so good things about Mast Park. Good- Big and small dogs can mingle and meet. I love my ladies big and small. No fence dividing us here. Not so good- Well, sometimes there are some aggressive bastards in here so watch out my little Yorkies or Pugs. I can't always protect you. Good- Nice people bring water and pour it into bowls around the park. Digging holes and eating dirt makes me thirsty. Not so good- Some areas have too much dirt and I can get pretty dirty if I'm in a digging mood. Man, I miss this place. See, the guy who lives at my home dropped me off at this place called an animal hospital and they took my balls out! Then the lady who feeds me picked me up and I think she paid them! I've been sitting around taking pain meds for a week just waiting for them to take me back here. So do yourself a favor and beg your owner to take you to a dog park. Woof! B read more

Love this park! My friends and I play basketball here all the time, it's very clean and well-maintained. The atmosphere is beautiful too!

Sweet spot. I love that my wife and daughter can enjoy the grassy areas and play in the playground while I disc golf on the more rugged side of the park. read more

This is a nice park with plenty of shade... They have a decent playground and a basketball court too. Beware there are a lot of homeless in the area though... read more

Structures for the children are nice. New. And kid friendly. But some of the people that hang out here look like they belong somewhere else. I always have pepper spray on me in case. But because this park is so enclosed with bushes and trees it makes me do a double take on my surroundings. read more

Mast Park - Parks Near Me - Santee, California

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Nice park up front with grass and dog park. Disc course in the back is too close to paths used by the public. Errant discs sometimes cross the paths and can cause serious damage if were to hit someone in the head or a small child. Disc golfers drink alcohol during the week, bring in glass and some are smoking pot. All which are currently illegal in park. Back of park is an "anything goes area". No law enforcement of any kind and sheriff is slow to respond to calls. read more

I came here because I saw that a new disc golf course opened up. I've driven by here many times but never noticed it. It's tucked away behind a little bridge so it was hard to find unless you knew where it was. The disc golf course isn't bad, but the park itself is just dirt, dried up leaves and sticks. There are barely any marked pathways and it's just really unpleasant to look at. I've never rated a park below 4 stars, but this is just an eyesore. It does appear that the basketball court is very popular here which you have to walk by to get to the course often featuring some menacing looking characters. I would rather drive to sycuan or Morley to disc golf than go to this dirt pit. read more

Went to the dog park there. Cute park. Sort of hard to find entrance, wish the dog park had a water fountain for humans / dogs, and a trash can for the dog poop. The trash cans are located OUTSIDE the fenced area so you have to go out to just dump the dog poop bags. That's not helping the already lazy people who leave dog poop unpicked up. read more

The park is a bit strange. The best part is the front section, but as you walk farther in it becomes less attractive. A lot of punk kids come through smoking weed RIGHT next to the kids playground ! punks, go somewhere else !!!! read more

We love this park and the playground. Plenty of park benches and places to have picnics. Never overly crowded and my daughter always has other kids the play with at the playground. read more

Well kept park close to library. The homeless also enjoy this park so I am not comfortable taking my daughter alone unless lots of other kids/families are around. read more

Not my favorite, but not bad! The biggest thing I don't like is the whole area is covered in wood chips which kind of tore up my dogs feet/legs a little. It's a good second option but I haven't seen it super busy yet to where my guy can get out and run with the other dogs. read more

I took my 3 year old to Mast Park the other day. The playground area is a little advanced for him. It's more geared for kids a little older. Other than that it's a great park. With large fenced in dog area and a full size basketball court. It also has access the San Diego River Trail. read more

Nice park but kinda sketchy at night other then that very pretty with lots of open space clean bathrooms and a nature walk lots of grass and a huge basketball court and very cute bridge when u enter the side with a parking lot read more

I have concerns about the dog park. I've had bad experiences at Woodglen vista due to small breeds coming up to my 1 year old Akita ( who is a gentle giant and very social ) and snapping at her face or growling and owners assuming it's my dogs fault based on breed and size. So I end up just leaving because they obviously don't know dog behavior very well or even their own dogs. Is there fighting amongst dogs often ? If any begin how responsive are the owners to that situation ? I understand some dogs get overwhelmed but you can clearly tell when a dog has never been around several dogs before and is scared to a dog that takes a little time to warm up. Because of my type of dog I feel like upon arrival folks are intimidated but once seeing her in action realize she's only just big. With this being said she's had her face sliced from other park and I don't want my baby getting injured. Any info is appreciated thank you read more