We've been on our hunt for great parks throughout the East Bay now that our little is growing…read more Castro Valley Community Park is a beautiful one ~ plenty of safe parking with a lot attached and honestly, so much space. There is a little something for all ages here too which I enjoy. From slides, to swings, to a splash park I believe is open on weekends, to picnic areas, and a play area that is fenced off with sand for littles, it's definitely a home run spot. I appreciate parks that also are within nature. This spot seemingly has play/picnic/splash areas on one side, and beautiful open grass on the other. We've taken our nephews here before as well to play and they've loved over the years seeing nature at its best ~ from observing butterflies, collecting sticks/rocks (boys are boys!), to getting to run through the grass, we have made so many great memories and photo ops here. All in all, there's always a familiar face or friendly conversation to be had at this community park. There's shared toys in the smaller kiddo area like balls and sand toys, and creative play structures like bumble bees and jets to enjoy. After seeing so many parks, you begin to appreciate those that offer something unique and smile-worthy.

Parking lot small but there's a few street parking Clean…read morespacious organized and well kept Tennis courts kid playground basketball courts BBQ pits seating area and wide grass field for soccer Yeah, I think they got everything here I prob missed some other positives too Try this spot out

Went for a short hike here. Not long, refreshing and enjoyable. Lovely scenery with a nice little…read morelake. There's a pool area not far. Also seen different kinds of birds playing in the water. There's a bench along the water to sit and enjoy. When I went, no fees were collected and there's ample parking. I definitely will come again.

Fantastic park one of the best places to chill relax and swim. I come here normally when I want to…read morefeel away from everything but it only takes 5 dollars the most.

Great for family day with kids, wouldn't come if you're looking for less of a supervised vibe…read more The water is shallow, unless you take a swim test to go in the deeper end All in all, the kids enjoyed themselves and that's what matters.

It's one of those hidden gems. A perfect place to spend…read morehalf a day in open water with kids. Not too far for tri valley resident. There is plenty of areas to lay your mats or raise tents. Shallow waters for little ones. They do provide vests onsite but must be limited. The floaties and tubes are allowed only in certain areas. There are always lifeguards on duty. Limited parking And reservation is per day per person. $6 per person. They close it once they are full. Place is open 11-6. We reached around 11:30 and it was almost full. There are changing rooms, shower and restrooms for both men and women. Life guard was on duty and at one point they did ask everyone to come out. They also have a diving deck which is 11 feet deep. There are picnic areas too. People were having picnic, celebrating birthdays and grilling. Perfect for a hot tri valley afternoon. No food onsite so carry everything. There is 5 min walk from parking lot so you need to drag your beach stuff. Recommend to get one of those beach carts. Only drawback the beach/ sandy part is limited and it was mostly occupied and sand is coarse.

Our quest for living in California is to visit as many beautiful places as we could while we're…read moreliving here in this expensive state, especially in NorCal. Last weekend we visit Hayward Japanese Gardens. It's not too far from our home in Fremont. We took Mission Blvd all the way to Hayward, we got to see the city, quite nice. The parking lot is designated for the theater but there's no where else to park so we parked there. We're amazed with all the well groomed different types of trees, quite pleasant and unique. The pond with beautiful Koi fishes. It's a huge garden with so many beautiful trees and flowers. It's so well kept and every tree was trimmed to perfection. There are benches to sit to enjoy the sceneries, wedding people came here to take pictures for their albums. It's a gorgeous day in CA for a beautiful garden.

Five stars because it costs no yen…read more As far as Japanese gardens go, this one is my least favorite because it is rectangular, with a visible metal fence perimeter, with ugly trash and graffiti visible from across the creek and no opportunities to feed the koi fish. Three things, though, that make it special is that they have memorial plaques, stray cats, and blowtorched wood for an aged and weather-resistant finish. From 1913-1962, the site was a practice site for farming and raising livestock for Hayward Union High. It became a garden by the late 1970s, and when dedicated in 1980, focusing on botany (with plants donated by local Japanese-American nurseries) rather than religion. Every first Saturday at 1pm there's a free lecture/tour. It's not especially beautiful or big (3.5 acres) or exciting (the few people I saw there were on their phones), but it's a peaceful, clean area. I think informational displays could help people enjoy it more. Or phone chargers. Information like, many of the wooden connections (including the main entry gate) have notches instead of notches to fit together like puzzle pieces. This more authentic approach prevents rust. Or, the garden uses the Shakkei technique: when you can stand at the highest point, the surrounding trees are meant to look like distant mountains, with specific plants blended with the Japanese maples and native Oaks to make the garden feel ten timers larger than its actual 3.5 acres. Or, the hand-selected granite boulders from the Sierra Nevadas are buried one-third into the ground so it looks like they are growing, which is why I don't manicure myself often. .

This is hands-down the coolest playground in the East Bay I've been to thus far. While in the area…read morefor a family BBQ, we heard about this spot from parent friends and decided it was finally time to check it out. Wow! I was honestly blown away. We brought lunch to have at the park and honestly, not much was eaten because there was just so much to do! What a toddler dreamland. There's a solitary airplane by the swings, a 'firetruck' to enter/exit, a boat to drive, slides of all kinds..a whale to climb that blows water steam out of its blowhole! I mean..the creativity! There's a quiet area that has books and chairs to read to the littles, like a "take one/leave one" small library. A section dedicated to music where littles can create sounds from a piano by using their feet to step on the keys. A bike park next-door. A pirate ship..I mean, the list goes on and on! In short, this playground is inclusive to all. The magic, wonder, uniqueness, and just imaginative play that is captured by adults and kids alike is really awesome for somewhere in the East Bay. We already can't wait to come back again. Street parking adjacent to playground can be found. This is a popular spot, so plan accordingly.

Such a sweet playground! I enjoy all the accessibility intended to allow children of all abilities…read moreto play. The lounge chairs for parents near the more exciting features are also very cool. My son plays basketball at the nearby recreation center and we walked over to the park after his session- not realizing it was Mia's Dream Come True until halfway through play. This park is epic - from the Braille to the musical/sound features, awesome fire truck and the spouting whale! We could spend hours here (or at least an hour because Mama's got a schedule). For now we'll be back most weekends after basketball practice. I'd recommend this park to all parents of small children.

A great place for the entire family. A beautiful park where you don't have to drive for hours to…read morevisit. On the weekends, parking is $5. Best to get there early because parking fills up quick. I was there for a BBQ on July 25th, at 10 a.m., and I was able to make parking in the overflow. There's parking on the outside street, but that fills up quick, as well. Anyway, inside the park, there's a long trail that goes all the way around the lake. There's boat rental, either kayak, paddle boat, you can rent a tour boat. I think you can bring your own boat, but it's best to call and make sure. There's BBQ and picnic benches. Volleyball court. A lot of green grass to sit, play sports. There's only one restroom near the boating area, and a few small restrooms if you trek around the lake. There are plenty of hiking trails. There's camping as well. An outdoor Cafe next to the boats. No swimming or wading. You can fish, but I wouldn't eat what you catch. There's warning signs about the water.

So this reservoir was built in 1874 but closed to public, then opened for recreational use in the…read more60s. So the trails around the lake have matured really well. Like most parts of the paved trails are very well shaded from trees that have grown over those years. My dog and I walk for around an hour to hour and a half, so we usually pick west or east from the parking lot and return the same way. I think we've only explored like half of the lake so far. I've seen wild turkeys, deers, rabbits, and ducks around. And if you are wearing overear headphones, you get the natures remix with all the birds and insects chirping.

It was really just beautiful over there I've never been to Castro Valley in the town at south so…read morethis was the first really enjoyed it recommend you all to go try it out with your family the views up there on the hill to her just beautiful at sunset

Beautiful park with a view of the bay and the SF skyline…read more Perfect spot to walk wolfie. A children's playground is present as is a huge field meant for softball. If you live down the hill take a walk up instead if the treadmill on an incline one day. Better air to breathe and no views like this at some stuffy gym. Get outside and bring a frisbee for your four legged friend.

This park is absolutely AMAZING!!!!!…read more Lucky for us, my family moved in this area and Greenwood Park is within walking distances. With it's infamous 3 towering flower structure that offers beauty and shade, you can't miss it!! While there are the typical play structures found at typical parks, Greenwood has a number of musical instruments to play with and enjoy. The park has plenty of seating areas and also has BBQ grills. There are restrooms available but I can't speak on the conditions since I haven't actually used them. The park is spacious, clean, and is the perfect spot to relax with a snack or have a full blown paaaartay!! 5/5 stars, my family and I love everything about Greenwood!!

Probably one of the nicest parks in Hayward. Problem is its just in an unusual hard to find spot…read morethat is almost hidden - unless you are one of the lucky residents nearby. Flowering trees, walkways, little musical instrument for kids, bay friendly rated landscaping, beautiful flower shaped shade artwork, hammock, swings, play structure, small trampoline, basketball hoops... I could go on and on about all the different amenities. There is something for everybody. One beautifully done park... likely from money from the new nearby construction. Big newer homes are on one side and then trailer park homes are on the other side. Its a public park and no matter what you pay for rent or where you live it is here for you to enjoy. The one problem I saw was the basketball hoops. They were like tiny lakes. For whatever reason the concrete contractors messed up. They made little swimming pool instead of flat concrete that doesn't puddle up. I've bounced a ball in a tiny pool of water... and let me tell you - its one way to end the fun. Great little park for all residents of Hayward. Worth a little drive to get to.

Cute park with nice views of the bay. It's not a big park made for small kids. It's got some…read moreparking

One of the better ones. Great views . Hours are early but the playground is cool for the kids…read more Hoop court is well kept up .

Small park but very lovely!…read more We took our dog here and it was a quick walk around the park. Perhaps .5 of a mile or even less. There was a big patch of grass, for individuals to do extracurricular activities such as soccer. We saw a family play badminton there, which was very cool and also enticed us into buying a badminton net as well. Overall cute quaint park with a nice view.

What a great little park!…read more I can report its quiet, not crowded and has great views of East Bay.