This park truly had a glow-up -- and I mean a serious one. About a year ago, I wasn't the biggest fan of Patch Reef Park. The playground used to feel a bit unsafe, especially for younger kids. There were tall play structures (including a ship-style area) with spots lacking proper railings, and some slides ended too high off the ground, which made landings uncomfortable and even risky. The splash area was a fun idea, but the flooring was worn out, and the restrooms definitely needed an upgrade. Fast forward to now -- everything has changed. The renovation completely transformed this space into one of our favorite family spots, especially during hot Florida days. The playground is now fully enclosed with a fence and has a single entrance, which makes it much easier to keep an eye on kids The layout is circular, so visibility is great from almost any angle There's a shaded splash pad area (huge plus in the summer!) A separate, safe toddler zone -- thoughtfully designed and much more secure Soft ground (similar to artificial turf) -- very comfortable for kids The splash area has rubber flooring, and the play structures for older kids are still fun but noticeably safer now. There are also two swing areas and a basketball court. Small note: I personally think the basketball area should be fenced off -- balls can occasionally fly into the playground (we've experienced that ourselves). There are benches and picnic tables, but they fill up quickly on weekends. Pro tip: bring a picnic blanket and lunch -- it turns into the perfect cozy family setup. Other great features: * Clean, spacious restrooms (with very large changing stations) * Drinking water fountain * Easy parking * A cute little free book box -- bring a book, take a book * Walking trails with lots of greenery -- perfect for scooters and relaxed strolls One tiny aesthetic note -- some of the flooring colors (bright red/blue) feel a bit intense visually, but the green areas look beautiful and natural. Overall: an amazing upgrade. Safe, clean, well-designed, and very family-friendly. We come here often now, and the kids absolutely love it. read more

Patch Reef Park - Parks Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

A beautiful public park with a community center, ballfields, playgrounds, basketball courts, pickleball courts tennis courts,, picnic areas, and lots of free parking. A huge new indoor Pickleball center is being constructed. They have a practice wall, which I absolutely love. I checked in at the pro shop and was assigned with my team three courts. They are beautifully maintained and in fabulous shape. There are lots of clean well stopped restrooms. There were benches, tables and water fountains on each court. read more

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The park is amazing , well thinking , the playgrounds for babies and for kids and the water park in the middle all cover is perfect

Patch Reef Park was built in 1987. Boca Raton and Palm Beach County got together and purchased the land for the park jointly in 1982. The county kicked in one million dollars and leased it to the city for 99 years. Last year the city completed a project that was started in 2016 to put in artificial turf fields at a cost of four million dollars. The new fields don't require maintenance, stay cool, and allow youth athletes to lay on a professional level field. This park is quite large at 55 acres and it has a lot of amenities. In addition to the three new synthetic turf all purpose fields, the park also has three baseball fields, a pirate themed playground with splash pad, the James A. Rutherford Community Center, three basketball courts and six half courts, five picnic shelters with tables and grills, tennis center with 17 lighted plexicushion courts, and a fitness trail with exercise stations. When my daughter was younger we used to come to the park for the carnival and other events they held. It has been a few years since I'd been here when I found myself nearby looking for a place to exercise. I was impressed with how nice this park looked. I was less impressed with the basketball players cursing up a storm in front of the kids on the playground. I don't appreciate my peaceful Saturday morning being punctuated with Mother F'ers and F bombs. Once I got away from the basketball court I had a nice mile long walk on a path that wound through the park. Along the way there were exercise stations so you can increase your workout. A fence behind the playground leads to the Patch Reef Trail, a 3.4 mile paved trail that extends along the E4 Canal and goes from Glades Road to Yamato providing a safe place for people to bike ride. There is so much to do at this park for both kids and adults. From team sports to solo exercisers, everyone can get their needs met. Best of all, unlike the county parks in Broward, Patch Reef doesn't charge a weekend entrance fee. This is one of the nicest parks in Boca. read more

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Patch reef is one of our favorite parks. We're glad it's getting a make over and hope they decide to fence in the playground!!

Love the theme of the pirate playground. There are different playground to choose and water splash. The bathroom is in front of the playground. The park is clean and safe. The parking lot is spacious. Thank you read more

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THIRTY YEARS I've been living in the area.... and I have been to Patch Reef Park ZERO times. To be honest, I've heard the name before and assumed it was by the beach due to the "REEF" in the name but never been here and never knew where it was... and he probably doesn't even know it but fellow Yelper Tim F is the one that turned me onto the park when he checked in years ago and I noticed it wasn't by the beach as was actually close to the area I ride my bicycle; I put it on my radar and even then, I took a few years to finally visit. Turns out the park is rather large... There are plenty of sports fields that the City uses for league teams for the kids (like baseball and even includes pitching cages for practice)... plenty of bleachers, concessions and rest rooms... there's plenty of walking paths including numerous exercise stations... Kids playground equipment named the "Pirates Cove" is pretty impressive and includes that spongy ground cover so you can feel good when your klutzy kid falls on his face... they even have a Community Center and nearby to that is a Tennis Club... tons of picnic tables, some gazebos and shade for anyone to host a little get-together or enjoy a family picnic... And my favorite part of the park... tons of well manicured landscaping. Nothing worse than a park with no shade and huge fields of bahia sod (that crappy grass that doesn't require regular watering so it always is patchy with dead stuff). This place has plenty to do and it's gorgeous... excellent job Boca Raton ! read more

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This park is very nice. They have added so many pickle ball courts. Had a great time. It's very clean and they have vending machines as well

We showed up at around 10am on a Friday and there were only a handful of people around, so we basically had the run of the place. I've heard that I can get pretty crowded though, so choose your time wisely. The park is very spacious and there's tons of parking, which is nice. My girls had a blast running around, climbing up the rocks and playing in the Pirate Cove area. The big pirate ship play yard and the water splashing zone were huge hits. I should mention that while most of the equipment was fine, the swings were really subpar and quite rickety. There was lots of visible rust and some of the parts were literally disintegrating. They should seriously think about replacing them the before someone gets hurt. All in all though, very solid park. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with small kids. read more

Park has a pirate themed jungle gym that my two year old grandson loved. It also has a fun water area with a canon and steaming water. read more

Patch Reef Park - Patch Reef Park is a very fun park to take your smaller kids to. Once they get older they can use the very nice sports fields. - Parks Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

I really do love this park. It is only a few minutes west of 95. There is plenty of parking. A splash pad for the kids, a big pirate ship play structure, swings ( including a tire swing), a covered pavilion, lots of trees, and outdoor restrooms. Not to mention the physical park itself has a tennis center, super long bike/walking trail, more pavilions & of course a community center too. Their are always other children here at the play ground, literally no matter what time of the day you come. And the park happens to be open till 8pm. The only thing that play ground is missing: would be a fence around it & maybe a few more benches for parents. It does it pretty busy around 5pm on a weekday & especially late morning on the weekends. I am quite pleased with this park and so is my son! read more

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Patch Reef Park is fairly small, but it's got free parking :-) Tip: If your plans include hosting a group gathering here, you'll be best served by reserving the group area(s) and tables in advance. On the minus side, there aren't a lot of swings available in the kids play area; on the plus side, there's a pirate ship that kids can climb on and/or jump in. read more

Spring break in Boca Raton! My kids could not be more thrilled to be hitting up parks in the spring...and without a coat on! While there's no need for a coat at Patch Reef Park, I recommend a bathing suit. A bathing suit would be especially handy if your kid likes playing in the water like my 2 year old. While I didn't come prepared with a bathing suit at least I had a change of clothes. The only thing more exciting than the water play was the giant pirate ship play structure, sure to be a hit among any Jake the Pirate fans. In fact, I heard at least 3 kids climbing on the structure mention Jake the Pirate. I can't seem to escape Disney. There are two areas for swings and both have baby swings. My 4 year old was all about the tire swing and has asked many times since if we can add one to our playset at home. I have no doubt it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable if she could swing on it daily. There's also a ninja warrior type of course for older kids that my youngins didn't seem to notice, but great to know this is a park I could bring them to for many spring breaks to come. read more

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Wonderful tennis courts. Nicely maintained... Pro shop staff are very helpful and friendly!

Patch Reef is a great neighborhood park. Very spacious and fun activities for children. It's a pirate ship theme which most kids get a kick out of. They also have a small splash pad area that my son loves. A few of the items need to be replaced, like the toddler area due to sun damage and rust built up but that is to be expected in Florida. read more

Our issue is the way in which the tennis lessons are handled. The instructors are not employees but rather independent contractors, which means that they report to no one. Ramifications of this- -First instructor we tried double booked his time so we didn't get our lesson. - Second instructor we tried did not show up for our scheduled lesson three times in a row. -Third instructor we tried never could commit to a 2x/weekly schedule. He continued to cancel appointments the night before and had to be managed like a 7-year old. This really is an issue for anyone who wants to learn to play tennis. We were very disappointed with our experience. The management knew of these issues and while nice and comped us a couple lessons along the way, seemingly never dealt with the larger issue at hand. read more

Living in Brooklyn NY and always on the hunt for cool playgrounds while traveling with kids. This one is high up on the list of cool playgrounds all around we've been to. It's Huge- little kid area, big kid area Pirate ship. Sprinkler area. So much to do. Turned me into a little kid again!! Such a great playground if you have kids and are traveling in the surrounding area. We stay in Delray Beach and stumbled upon this. Now every time we visit family in Delray, we come here at least once for the kids to play. read more

I have to go back in time here, between the years of 1992 and 2000 to remember the great times I had, spending almost every day at Patch Reef Park, either coaching my son in the Park District Football league, The Boca Jets, or cheering on my wonderful cheerleader daughter who spent her years at this field every day after school and BOTH playing or cheerleading on Saturdays for the Jets. It was a wonderful program back then and everything was run through what is now the Park District office located at the James A.Rutherford Community Center. That is about ALL I remember about Patch Reef Park back then. Moving ahead to last week, 2016, I decided to take my Fit Bit challenge walks to Patch Reef Park which is only down the road to my office to get some serenity and change of atmosphere. Well, I got a lot more than that when I discovered what this wonderful park has to offer. I ended up not just walking but exploring everything they have now to offer. I was lead down a walking/running/biking trail that I never knew existed which took me around the whole park. It was beautiful, set between all the trees, quiet and shady. It also had updated exercise stations along the trail such as a Balance Beam, Step Ups, chin up and push up bars, just about every station great to stop and work on all your body parts. Also, in this serine part of the park were picnic shelters with wooden benches and one or two BBQ grills if you want to have an outdoor BBQ with your family or friends. I must mention that these were very well kept and not dirty shelters like we see sometimes at some of the parks in Florida. Their park maintenance workers were everywhere, as I was walking, in their vehicles working hard. As I kept walking I was amazed to see a tennis complex which is now called the Patch Reef Park Tennis Center which has 17 lighted courts, 4 practice walls, pro shop, lockers and showers, and ball machines to rent. It is a whole Tennis Complex within itself I never knew was even here. You can become a member if you want to get 2 day advance reservations and the rates are really reasonable. They offer lessons, clinics and sponsor tournaments. Keep in mind all these amenities are all nestled throughout the park within a lush environment, surrounded by trees. Of course the parking lots in front of these separate amenities feed off the main drive entrance off Yamato Rd. As always, Patch Reef Park is a major venue for the young football, soccer and lacrosse programs in Palm Beach County. The park has 2 full size football fields, with announcer and scoreboard booths and large bleacher sections for the home field teams as well as smaller bleacher sections across the field for the visiting teams. The park has separate soccer and lacrosse practice areas. Just as impressive is the number of baseball/softball fields in this park and how incredibly well THESE are kept up by the park maintenance workers. I do not remember how many fields they have but I believe I must have seen 4 fields, 2 on each side of the built in refreshment stand. Speaking of refreshment stands, there are 2 nice size buildings that house the refreshment stand and bathrooms that sit right along the sports fields and when there are official games, they are open for all the spectators. I did go into the bathrooms, and they were really clean. The refreshment stands, bathrooms and cement walkways surround the main fields and they are laid out spaciously on so much property, it is really a great park to just walk and see these surroundings. Across the parking lot from the fields , there are 3 full size basketball courts, nicely painted and accessible right from the main parking lot. What is a great park without a playground for the kids? This park has an area called Pirates Cove with colorful slides swings and bars all centered around a Pirate Ship theme. So creative and colorful, this would be my favorite playground for sure if I was a kid again. If I was on the fence as to where to play here, the large water canon and rotating water showers that relieve the heat would be my favorite. Both centered around a "pirate ship" sitting structure. I did go in to the James A. Rutherford Community Center as I was helping an older lady bring in all her supplies she was carrying in for some kind of meeting she was having at the center. This was the biggest change I found out transpired since 2000. The James A. Rutherford Community Center is the major 'HUB' for all of Greater Boca Raton's activities. It is where you get Beach Parking, Boat launching, and Dog park and Dog beach permits. Sign up for swimming lessons, academic tutoring, educational programs, sports programs, the list goes on. Pick up a copy of "The Recreator" at the Community Center to see the list off all Boca has to offer. If I had a family with young children, Patch Reef Park would definitely be part of my consideration for moving to Boca Raton. read more

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LOVE love love this park! It has a huge playground and swings and a water play area! So bring the kids suits and a towel! They have 1 big pavilion in the middle and a few picnic tables around the park. Only thing I don't like is there is no fence around it. So if a kids wants to run.. It's right into the parking lot. The bathrooms are right there. Lots of shade from the trees around. Always close parking and it's never too full. My daughter always makes friends and the moms I talk to are always friendly. It's a very clean park. I never see garbage anywhere. There's a basketball court that always has kids playing on. The community center is big and has flyers of events and activities around the area. Also this park has annual fairs! I can't wait for the fall one! read more

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One of my favorite parks to go to with my grandson. Always plenty of available parking space, clean bathrooms and a very nice playgrounds. They also have a splash water area. If you like to walk, there is a walking loop with exercise equipment along the way, for basketball lovers, plenty of space to shoot the hoops. It is a very nice place, away from traffic, just to sit and relax. You can always find a shady spot. Not to big, not to small, just perfect and kids love it too. read more

Patch Reef Park - Playground - Parks Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

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My son and I agree that this is by far the the best park we have ever visited. There are plenty of benches around the perimeter of the playground area with mature trees providing shade. There are so many areas to play that offer so many different options for kids of all ages...and it is large enough for dozens of kids to play together! Swings for all ages, a tire swing, a giant climbing pirate ship, a water/splash zone, a ropes/obstacle climbing area, and an alligator and concrete turtle (the turtle brought me back to the first park I played in when I was a kid living in Burbank, it was a nice memory). Bathrooms are conveniently located and clean. The landscaping is beautiful. We LOVED this park...we wish it were closer to our home, we'd be here every day! read more

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This is a huge park in Boca Raton. The landscaping is kept very well! There are lots of ball fields, playgrounds, and pavilions. No entrance fee. I recently went to a baby shower where the host rented a pavilion. We had about 30 people with plenty of space for everyone at the multiple picnic tables. There's lots of shade with many trees around, but hopefully you get a nice day in the 70s and it will be perfect. Each pavilion has a grill, but our party opted to get catering food delivered which was perfect. Overall, a lovely park and definitely recommend for a nice walk, low key party, or bringing the kiddos for the playground. read more

This park is AWESOME! The ball fields are Top Notch. There are tons of cool things to do here including... - 1.25 mile long "Fitness Trail" with 15 stations for all kinds of different work outs. - Pirates Cove Playground - complete with water cannons and many "Electronic" games attached to the different playground equipment. These games require the kids or fun loving adults to hit various button and levers as they climb about the playground to complete the course and see who has the fastest time! - 8 Pavilions that can be reserved for private use, BBQ grills included. - James Rutherford Community Center for events and classes, etc. You can also buy beach, boat and dog park permits here! A great place to bring the family!!!! read more

Patch Reef Park - Great fields for Boca Jets lacrosse practice and games. - Parks Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

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Love this park! It has a few different slide sets for all ages. They have a small water area as well. Plenty of shading areas for the parents to sit and observe the kids play. A few swings and a restroom right there. They have a basketball and fitness center right next to the playground as well. read more

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This park is amazing. Toddler play area & pirate ship. Water park area to cool off in. Electronic obstacle course/play equipment--it's like mini-American ninja Warrior training lol Basketball & tennis courts are top notch. Lunch Pavillion overlooking the pond where you can feed the duck. This place is AWESOME!! If we lived here we would bring our kids everyday!!! read more

Patch Reef Park - Electronic obstacle course - Parks Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

Best park we've visited. Love the different areas to play in. Plenty of room for kids to run around and play.

Nice park. A lot of interesting playgrounds for smaller kids. Clean place. For bigger kids only the basketball playground and tennis. Huge parking. Recommend it. read more

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I love this park! Great playground for kids, they've done some amazing remodeling to the fields.

This is hands down one of the best parks in the county. My son loves it so much we had his birthday here last month. read more

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Place makes me wish I was a kid again. Super ball fields, trails, picnic areas, and for a public center - some great tennis ! Kudos to Boca for spending some serious property tax money on a public gem! My kids wouldn't be half as fun or healthy without this place. read more

While Patch Reef has soccer fields, tennis courts, etc., this review is strictly for the Pirates Cove playground there. One section is a tot lot - perfect for 2 year olds. A few slides and a small tunnel. Another section is the Pirate ship where a little older kids can climb and go down bigger slides, etc. There's another decent size slide which is sort of built like a tree house. Four infant swings by toddler area. Plenty of traditional swings plus a tire swing on the other side of the pirate ship. The base under the Pirate ship is a comfortable faux grass (people sitting on, laying down on, etc.) and the area under the swings is wood chips. There's also a covered pavilion, a section with "electronic" play equipment for older kids and a water area which has always been turned off when we've been there. Lots of room to run around. Kids loved it - we've been here a few times. Plenty of parking. Tucked near the back of the park. read more

My daughter is very fair and I wanted a guarantee that the coaches would remind her to reapply sunblock every few hours so that she wouldn't burn. I was told that there are too many children to be able to commit to these. When I mentioned that the courts were in direct hot FL sun, and it might behoove the camp to institute a few sunblock reapplication moments each day, they said they would not consider. Seems a real shame because I'm sure the camp is fun. Safety first. When I asked if they had thought about liability if a child gets burned, I was told "if we thought it was a liability, we wouldn't run the camp." I couldn't send my child knowing this lack of care. read more

Not Sugar Sand Park but an equally great place to take children. The weather permitting the water canons and pirate ship are great fun. Parents are courteous, area is clean as are the bathroom facilities. Plenty of ample parking but getting there early on the weekend or holiday is a plus. Enjoy read more

Another great park in Boca. I love the playground for the kids... there is even a smaller one for toddlers and an area where kids can cool off. It's such a spacious park and plenty of space to walk and run if you're into that sort of thing. read more

Great park for young and old lots to do very well laid out and we loved every the pirate theme. Great for kids to play on the playground and also for those hot days play in the splash pad. Fun for adults to workout and also walking jogging biking trails fun for the whole family. read more

We were visiting from out of town and loved this park! A toddler area, and 2+ areas for older kids. We didn't know to bring a swim suit, but will bring one next time! read more

This is were you will find me every Tuesday and Thursday going through torture in the hot blazing sun at 6pm til ?.. :) It's not that much torture but I am here on those days for my boot camp workout with 4 of my friends. I love this park because it is very spacious and several soccer fields, bleachers, basketball courts, tennis courts, walking/jogging trail, play ground area for kids. picnic tables all around and club house. We usually workout behind the bleachers doing p90x and run the bleachers a few times. The park is always very clean and they always have security guards driving around to make sure everyone is ok. They are very friendly. They are open until 11pm. Good place to relax, workout, and play sports. read more

Simply put a incredible park, great for young and older kids as well as fun activities to interact with your kids. They also have a splash zone for the hot days which here in Florida is most days. read more

This park is awesome for children! The playground is amazing and there is even a water area for extra hot days. It's an awesome place to go for some fun. read more

You can hike, ride bikes, picnic and just lay on a.very quiet beautiful beach. Hey it is Boca nothing but the best!!