Mike Ward Community Park
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Mike Ward Community Park is a great neighborhood park by the lake, a church with plenty of parking, open space, and walking paths. There were also tennis courts. I saw lots of people walking their dogs and enjoying the park.
lol my old review ~2yr ago: "Just wish it had a bunch of pickleball courts". Ask and ye shall receive! Last Tues was their ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurating 8 brand-new public pickleball courts in Irvine. + Tall fences to minimize ball-on interferences. + Many tables and benches to sit around. + Many clean restrooms 1-3mins walk away. + Enough baseline room for retrieving lobs. . Okay sideline room for ATPs. . Wide skill range there, from novices to high-intermediate players. - LONG wait. Since the first day, crowds rushed in to line up for open play. The rack is already full with 30+ paddles. + During middle of the day (lunchtime), it's empty. . Only one rack queue for all 4 (or 8) open-play courts. - Starting yesterday (Fri 2/6/26) the other 4 courts became reservation crts. -- On the first day, it was chaotic. My paddle was first in line. A game ended and someone called next 4 and gave me my paddle. I turned to hop on an open court, but no court was open. I turned back and the queue had already shifted along, so there was no spot at the front for me to put my paddle back. I asked around. One person said he was in the same situation, then he grabbed an open 4-paddle holder to put his paddle back in front of the line. I tried to put mine in, but he kept blocking me out to let his folks put theirs in. I was dumbfounded, disgruntled, distraught. No one cared to help my situation. An Irvine city employee walked by, and I explained my situation to him. He couldn't offer much help. After a few min, I accepted my miserable situation and put my paddle back in the end of the line. I only got to play 1 game that day. - The city employees should've known better. Keep 1 or 2 members monitoring the hectic paddle queue to ensure no one gets cut in line. . Moral of the day: before removing your paddle from the front of the line to hop on the next court, make sure you know which court # you're going to, make sure the ppl there are leaving, make sure the other 3 ppl in your group of 4 are going with you. . Idea: If you do wind up in my situation, and you've already lost your place in line, one thing you can try is grab an empty 4-paddle holder, squeeze it in to the front of the line, and put your paddle in. Offer any 3 random ppl (who are already near the front of the line) to join your 1st-place paddle holder. If people object, explain your sad situation first. If they remain adamant, I guess the mission's a no-go, then you'll end up having to return your paddle to the end of the line. I'm only just thinking of this idea now. Didn't get to try it while I was caught up in the moment. Hope the same thing doesn't happen to you.
Mike Ward Community Park spans 22 acres and is located in the Woodbridge area of Irvine. There is ample parking in the private parking lot. The adjacent senior center has a game room, meeting room and multipurpose rooms, and a rose garden. The park has volleyball courts, basketball courts, racquetball court, picnic tables, and an amphitheater. There are large grassy areas and a walking bridge that leads over to the Woodbridge South Lake. Overall it's a very nice park.
Excellent facility, friendly staff, clean and safe. But be prepared for Super Long lines if you come on any week night! The paddle rack might need to be twice as long. Very hard to get a primetime court reservation online even as an Irvine resident. Half the courts are usually blocked for programs if you look at the weekly calendar - effectively it's only 4 courts available for open play most nights. Good challenge court play is at late mornings and on weekends.
Mike Ward Park is a large community park in Woodbridge, adjacent to the senior center, and a parking lot shared by the two facilities. Its racquetball courts are so popular that there is usually people waiting to play. Its large grass field is a good venue for soccer games or concerts. This park has a seasonal creek that runs through it. Personally I have never seen water in it but there is always hope. I enjoy walking around this park although its trail is not a loop so one has to turn back at the trail end. It has many benches along the way so one can sit down wherever and rest a moment before continue. This park is convenient located next to a shopping mall and between the north and south lakes. Many times we will get some picnic food and have a good time.
Well maintained park. Great for a long walk with your kids or dogs. There's mainly a vast expanse of grass in this park where older kids and adults train or play games. Contrary to the reviews on Yelp, the lake and gazebo is not a part of this park and is a 20 minute walk from the parking lot. Also, there is no playground for kids in this park.
This park was overall pretty chill they have racquet ball courts, basketball courts, a huge field area and thats pretty much it If they have a playground i couldn't find it but then again it was dark and i was kinda distracted by wanting to go chill by the lake. The reason i'm giving them the rating i am is because they have the amenities i listed above and they were lighted at night which is totally cool especially on a warm summer night! Overall this was a fun little walk through the park across the bridge and over to the lake to kick it on the gazebo. I'm sure we will be back here at one point to take a stroll as its really close to the $2 theater and its always good to take a walk before your going to be sitting for a few hours.
The chill, pretty park you walk around after a movie from Starplex Woodbridge Theater and shaved ice from Sticky Fingers. Awesome! Cheap date venue. Apparently people run around here also. Love it. Park across the bridge in the plaza and take the bridge walk into the park area.
1 month ago
i'm very happy to finally have a day to play at the newest courts of pickleball here in Irvine. A beautiful brand new courts less than six months old. Four of them are drop-in open play all the time for on for off and the paddle system is ingenious and slides 4 paddles together each time another court opens up. Color-coded too. Played tonight once before dinner and once after dinner. Got to play with some friendly reasonable people. And when people play with a good attitude, like the ones I found tonight, it makes a good time, during my after dinner round, I noticed that the challenge court was open, so for the competitive people that want that kind of action, that court opens up for competitive play at certain times of the day. Otherwise, the other four courts go through some kind of a reservation system, depending what's set on the calendar. read more
I came here for the out of the darkness walk sponsored by AFSP the American foundation for suicide prevention the park is beautiful. The perimeter walk is approximately 2.2 miles long. Today was kind of hot. I come here annually not necessarily to this park but I do the walk annually in memory of my oldest daughter Jenny, who died at the age of 32 years of age on July 27, 2017 every year AFSP sponsors a walk such as this this year it happens to be at the Mike Ward community park the location changes every year if you know, someone suffering from mental illness or suicidal ideation, seek help. read more
Mike Ward Community Park is a great neighborhood park by the lake, a church with plenty of parking, open space, and walking paths. There were also tennis courts. I saw lots of people walking their dogs and enjoying the park. read more
lol my old review ~2yr ago: "Just wish it had a bunch of pickleball courts". Ask and ye shall receive! Last Tues was their ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurating 8 brand-new public pickleball courts in Irvine. + Tall fences to minimize ball-on interferences. + Many tables and benches to sit around. + Many clean restrooms 1-3mins walk away. + Enough baseline room for retrieving lobs. . Okay sideline room for ATPs. . Wide skill range there, from novices to high-intermediate players. - LONG wait. Since the first day, crowds rushed in to line up for open play. The rack is already full with 30+ paddles. + During middle of the day (lunchtime), it's empty. . Only one rack queue for all 4 (or 8) open-play courts. - Starting yesterday (Fri 2/6/26) the other 4 courts became reservation crts. -- On the first day, it was chaotic. My paddle was first in line. A game ended and someone called next 4 and gave me my paddle. I turned to hop on an open court, but no court was open. I turned back and the queue had already shifted along, so there was no spot at the front for me to put my paddle back. I asked around. One person said he was in the same situation, then he grabbed an open 4-paddle holder to put his paddle back in front of the line. I tried to put mine in, but he kept blocking me out to let his folks put theirs in. I was dumbfounded, disgruntled, distraught. No one cared to help my situation. An Irvine city employee walked by, and I explained my situation to him. He couldn't offer much help. After a few min, I accepted my miserable situation and put my paddle back in the end of the line. I only got to play 1 game that day. - The city employees should've known better. Keep 1 or 2 members monitoring the hectic paddle queue to ensure no one gets cut in line. . Moral of the day: before removing your paddle from the front of the line to hop on the next court, make sure you know which court # you're going to, make sure the ppl there are leaving, make sure the other 3 ppl in your group of 4 are going with you. . Idea: If you do wind up in my situation, and you've already lost your place in line, one thing you can try is grab an empty 4-paddle holder, squeeze it in to the front of the line, and put your paddle in. Offer any 3 random ppl (who are already near the front of the line) to join your 1st-place paddle holder. If people object, explain your sad situation first. If they remain adamant, I guess the mission's a no-go, then you'll end up having to return your paddle to the end of the line. I'm only just thinking of this idea now. Didn't get to try it while I was caught up in the moment. Hope the same thing doesn't happen to you. read more
6 months ago
Mike Ward Community Park spans 22 acres and is located in the Woodbridge area of Irvine. There is ample parking in the private parking lot. The adjacent senior center has a game room, meeting room and multipurpose rooms, and a rose garden. The park has volleyball courts, basketball courts, racquetball court, picnic tables, and an amphitheater. There are large grassy areas and a walking bridge that leads over to the Woodbridge South Lake. Overall it's a very nice park. read more
5 months ago
Excellent facility, friendly staff, clean and safe. But be prepared for Super Long lines if you come on any week night! The paddle rack might need to be twice as long. Very hard to get a primetime court reservation online even as an Irvine resident. Half the courts are usually blocked for programs if you look at the weekly calendar - effectively it's only 4 courts available for open play most nights. Good challenge court play is at late mornings and on weekends. read more
3 months ago
2 years ago
Mike Ward Park is a large community park in Woodbridge, adjacent to the senior center, and a parking lot shared by the two facilities. Its racquetball courts are so popular that there is usually people waiting to play. Its large grass field is a good venue for soccer games or concerts. This park has a seasonal creek that runs through it. Personally I have never seen water in it but there is always hope. I enjoy walking around this park although its trail is not a loop so one has to turn back at the trail end. It has many benches along the way so one can sit down wherever and rest a moment before continue. This park is convenient located next to a shopping mall and between the north and south lakes. Many times we will get some picnic food and have a good time. read more
5 years ago
Nice clean park. No playground though which I do find odd. Just wide open field for you to run around. Summer concerts are always a plus. Close to Woodbridge shopping center so you can grab desserts or snacks. Always feel safe! SYOY! read more
3 years ago
9 years ago
Well maintained park. Great for a long walk with your kids or dogs. There's mainly a vast expanse of grass in this park where older kids and adults train or play games. Contrary to the reviews on Yelp, the lake and gazebo is not a part of this park and is a 20 minute walk from the parking lot. Also, there is no playground for kids in this park. read more
12 years ago
This park was overall pretty chill they have racquet ball courts, basketball courts, a huge field area and thats pretty much it If they have a playground i couldn't find it but then again it was dark and i was kinda distracted by wanting to go chill by the lake. The reason i'm giving them the rating i am is because they have the amenities i listed above and they were lighted at night which is totally cool especially on a warm summer night! Overall this was a fun little walk through the park across the bridge and over to the lake to kick it on the gazebo. I'm sure we will be back here at one point to take a stroll as its really close to the $2 theater and its always good to take a walk before your going to be sitting for a few hours. read more
The chill, pretty park you walk around after a movie from Starplex Woodbridge Theater and shaved ice from Sticky Fingers. Awesome! Cheap date venue. Apparently people run around here also. Love it. Park across the bridge in the plaza and take the bridge walk into the park area. read more
17 years ago
Yeah, so I know this place is fake. That it's probably a deep dark ploy by the Irvine Company to lure me and keep me coming back for more with it's lush landscape, beautiful still pristine water, a majestic bridge, an amazing view, a lagoon for kids to play in, and an overall great place to walk around on a beautiful day like this Sunday but damn if their ploy isn't working. Yes, I'm a sucker and woohoo! It's as good as it gets! I don't like artificial anything but I've been running by this lake since 2007 and catching breakfast afterward at the Ruby's aqua diner. By now, I've fallen in love and I've fallen hard. It's great to sit here and watch the geese/ducks and the various community activities. On my runs, I've dreamed of owning one of the lakeside houses or living in the apartments across the water. It's always been a great place to just de-stress and escape it all. You've got me for life and I'll be back. read more
6 years ago
The water is across the street which sucks but honestly I enjoyed the park. Everyone was social distancing and respecting the 6ft rule. not many people had masks on though but because of the amount of distance between big groups, it didn't matter much read more
7 years ago
4 years ago
12 years ago
This park is a beautiful and calm place to do pretty much anything at any age! I like to go for RUNS on the east side of the lake. On my runs, I see other runners, people WALKING their dogs, people playing TENNIS, people paddle boating, people feeding the birds, photographers, bikers, kids playing, teens hanging out, etc. It is also a fantastic place for PHOTOGRAPHY. I got some amazing shots from the south side of the lake this morning. I could see the lake, the bridge and the snowy mountains in the background. Pedestrians stopped to take pictures with their phones, too. Since the lake is north-south, the east to west sun doesn't interfere with the shots too much. Sunsets are always stunning if you're on the northeast side of the lake or on the bridge. To the north of the lake, there's an expansive field, racketball courts and picnic tables, where I often see families and groups holding events. It's fairly common to see small groups of youngsters throwing around a football or playing soccer. I give this park 5 stars because it really is as good as it gets!! It's one of the most beautiful community parks I've seen and I've lived all over California! read more
Gooses, geeses I want my geese to lay gold eggs for Easter At least a hundred a day And by the way... Veruca, darling... hush. I love this park. It reminds me how lucky I am to live in Irvine. There are two beautiful lakes - North Lake and South Lake. You can walk from one to the other. Start at the North Lake. Park in the plaza where you'll find a Ruby's Diner, Champagne French Bakery Cafe, Barnes & Noble, and a Sticky Fingers (candy, chocolate, shaved ice). Take the pedestrian bridge over Barranca and soak up the gorgeous landscape. I wasn't kidding. You'll see geese, ducks, paddle boats, and a nice gazebo. It's the perfect date spot. I just come here to walk around the lake. When you're done with that one, head in the opposite direction (toward the park) and take the bridge over Alton to the South Lake. A bit smaller, but equally as pretty. Very serene. read more
I love this lake! It's the ONLY place I can go that motivates me to go for a run or jog because the view is so beautiful, there are lots of trees and flowers and the air is super crisp and refreshing. It's perfect! I usually go for a run around North Lake, which connects to the Woodbridge Village Center so you can also run through there and stop by the Barnes & Noble or one of the shops if you need to. The distance around the entire North Lake, from the lagoon/North Lake Beach Club all the way around and across the bridge, is probably about 1 mile. I've been running here for YEARS and I've never been bothered by too many people running or walking around the lake. I actually think more people who live in Woodbridge should take advantage of it. Usually, you see a couple people walking their dogs or running. You also pass right by the North Lake tennis courts so if you're a Woodbridge resident, you have access to those as well. There are also lots of benches and grassy areas for a picnic lunch if you're in the mood to just sit by the lake and relax. I think the best time to go (if you're running) is either in the morning around 7-8 AM before it gets too hot, or else at night around 7:30-8 PM after dinner. The good thing is, since it's in Irvine, it's super safe so even if you're running in the dark, you should be fine. I've been around the lake as late as 11 or 12 at night and I've always been fine. If you're just going to enjoy the lake view, anytime in the day is perfect! read more
13 years ago
My oasis... Always serene, consistently beautiful, and often private... Ducks, geese, swans are often present for your viewing pleasure; they're also looking for handouts (Warning: Don't feed the animals. They're on a special diet) ...still, who could resist?! There are times when some bread crumbs have inadvertently drop here or there... It's roughly four square miles and has two large man-made lakes at its center. Each lake (North & South) has a lagoon / beach club, a dock facility to rent human-driven pedal boats, kayaks, canoes, sailboats, and hydro-bikes. Summertime connects everyone in the community. Concerts, outdoor movies and various planned activities bring residents and friends together. Very reminiscent of the old drive-in theaters of the baby boomer era. Great people-watching opportunities...my personal favorite ;-) read more
11 years ago
The park itself has basic things I will never use, a tennis court, handball court, and other sportsy areas, but what I primarily came here for was the lake! Parking is great, though my dog and I went on a Monday at around 2pm. There is a bridge that goes across Alton St leading to the front of the lake, unfortunetly there is not much of the lake that you can walk around if you park at Mike Ward community park. There is a cute gazebo and some benches, but you can't walk around most of the lake because of lake front houses. We did find however, that if you park at the parking lot on Blue lake st or the parking lot for the tennis courts by Clearlake st and Springbrook st, you can get to more lakefront paths. Otherwise you have to walk around some residential places which are nice...but we just came for the lake! read more
I've been here a few times with friends because we were bored at home and not doing anything. Simply put, it's a beautiful park! (as long as you don't look too closely at the water... hahahaah). The lake is probably the main attraction with a trail outside of it. Ducks and geese are in abundance and sometimes you see people canoeing or doing other water activities in the lake. It's definitely a nice place to go on a run or even take a nice walk! You often see people walking their dogs too. The park is really clean and quiet. It's also near woodbridge 5, which is the dollar movie theater across the street! My friends and I just watched Nonstop there, so they have pretty new movies if you want to check em out! :) read more
This is where the Lexus LaceUp Running Series took place. This running series is one of a kind. They go all out for their runners. Providing us nice medals, great tech shirts, awesome water bottle and a hell of a beer opener. In addition the food is delicious and beer is cold. All this for $20 on groupon. Can't beat that price. Now the park: Great little neighborhood park. I would say more but I was trying to get to the finish line. read more
As other reviewers have said, the Woodbridge Community park is just a small portion of the many amenities within Woodbridge. talking about the park it self in the center I've only come here a few times to play some bball with the lighted coruts at night. But I do live close to the South Lake Lagoon where during the summer months you can swim, play volleyball, take some paddle/sailboats on the lake, feed ducks, go fishing, have a picnic. So much you can do. Most of the amenities you need to live in woodbridge to have access too. The sailboats are fun, but you need to get a boating pass thing from the main office on... creek I beleive it is. Its really cheap though. So much to do, you just need to take advantage of it! I love living here! read more
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More info about Mike Ward Community Park
Ask the Community - Mike Ward Community Park
Do you have fire works this upcoming New Year's Eve?
Hi Shiva, the City of Irvine will not have a fire works display this New Year's Eve. Thank you.
Who is the Mike Ward that the park is named after? Bob Roehrs
Hi Bob, the park is named after former Irvine Mayor and Councilmember Mike Ward. Ward was elected mayor of Irvine in 1992 and served for two terms. In 1996, he earned a City Council seat and served until 2004.
What time do the lights come in at the basketball courts?
Hi Ryan, The lights at the basketball courts turn on at 4:30 p.m. Thank you.
Can I Do Charcoal Barbecue Here?
Hi Adrian, Yes, you can use the grills onsite for a charcoal barbecue.
Can you fish here?
Hi Kayla, The City maintains the community park and park faciltiies at Woodbridge, however the…
How can you call about the peddle boats? The number given above is to the senior center.
Hi, all recreation activity at Woodbridge North and South lakes is managed by the Woodbridge Village Association. Please visit their website at https://wva.org/page/21440~753792 for more information.
Can I launch my kayak here?
Review Highlights - Mike Ward Community Park
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